| Gorringe | George Frederick | | Lieutenant | GORRINGE, GEORGE FREDERICK, Lieutenant, was born at South wick, Sussex, 10 February 1868, second son of Hugh Gorringe, JP, Kingston-by-Sea, Sussex, and of Mrs Hugh Gorringe. He was educated at Lee's School, Brighton, and at Wellington College, and joined the Royal Engineers at Chatham 17 February 1888, becoming Lieutenant 17 February 1891. He was employed with the Egyptian Army 14 January 1893 to 21 December 1899, and was employed as DAAG, Headquarters Staff, in the Expedition to Dongola in 1898, taking part in the operations of 7 June and 19 September. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 3 November 1896], received the Egyptian Medal with two clasps (Firket and Hafir), and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 17 November 1896]: "George Frederick Gorringe, Lieutenant, Royal Engineers. In recognition of services during the recent operations in the Sudan". He served in the Nile Expedition of 1897, on the Staff of the GOC (Despatches [London Gazette, 25 January 1898]; Brevet of Major 18 February 1899; clasps to the Egyptian Medal [Abu Hamed]). In the Nile Expedition of 1898 he served as Staff Officer, Headquarters Staff, and was present at the battle of the Atbara as DAAG, Headquarters Staff; at the battle of Khartoum and subsequent operations at Gedarif. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 24 May and 30 September 1898,], received the 4th Class of the Medjidie, the Medal, and two clasps to the Egyptian Medal (Atbara, Abu Hamed and Gedarif). He became Captain 17 February 1899, and in that year served in the Nile Expedition and was present in the operations resulting in the final defeat of the Khalifa, commanding irregulars at actions of Abu Adel and Om Devrikat (Despatches [London Gazette, 30 January 1900]; Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel 14 March 1900; two clasps to Egyptian Medal). He was specially employed in charge of the reconstruction of Khartoum. He served in the South African War 23 December 1899 to 1 November 1901, as ADC to Lord Kitchener; as DAAG, Headquarters Staff, and in command of a flying column and of the Loyal Farmers' Light Horse (1 January to 12 October 1901). He was present at the operations in Cape Colony, January to March 1900, and April 1900. Operations in Orange Free State, February 1900, and March to May 1900. Operations in Orange River Colony, May and June 1900. Operations in the Transvaal, May to 29 November 1900. Operations in the Transvaal 30 November to December 1899. Operations in Orange River Colony, December 1900, and August 1901. Operations in Cape Colony, December 1900, to October 1901. (Despatches [London Gazette, 16 April and 9 July 1901]; Queen's Medal and four clasps; created a CMG). Sir A Conan Doyle tells us, in Chapter XXXV of 'The Great Boer War', how in the spring of 1901 in Cape Colony "Kritzinger's original force broke into many bands ... The total number of Boers who were wandering over the eastern and midland districts may have been about two thousand, who were divided into bands which varied from fifty to three hundred. The chief leaders of separate commandos were Kritzinger, Scheepers, Malan, Myburgh, Fouche, Lotter, Smuts, Van Reenen, Lategan, Maritz and Conroy, the two latter operating on the western side of the country. To hunt down these numerous and active bodies the British were compelled to put many similar detachments into the field, known as the columns of Gorringe, Crabbe, Henniker, Scobell, Doran Kavanagh, Alexander, and others. These two sets of miniature armies performed an intricate devil's dance over the Colony. ... At the beginning of August the connected systematic work of French's columns began to tell. In a huge semicircle the British were pushing north, driving the guerillas in front of them. Scheepers, in his usual wayward fashion, had broken away to the south; but the others had been unable to penetrate the cordon, and were herded over the Stormberg-Naauwport line. The main body of the Boers was hustled swiftly along from August 7 to August 10, from Graaf Reinet to Thebus, and thrust over the railway line at that point with some loss of men and a great shedding of horses. It was hoped that the blockhouses on the railroad would have held the enemy, but they slipped across by night, and got into the Steynsburg district, where Gorringe's Colonials took up the running. On August 13 he followed the commandos from Steynsburg to Venterstad, killing twenty of them and taking several prisoners". The rest of the chapter, describing the work done by the British flying columns, makes very interesting reading. Major Gorringe was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 16 April and 9 July 1901], received the Queen's Medal with four clasps; was created a CMG, and given the Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel 14 March 1900. In 1904 he was in command of the operations at Jebel Jerok in Southern Sennar, receiving a clasp (Jerok) to the Egyptian Medal, and the Brevet of Colonel 10 February 1904; 3rd Class Osmanieh, 1904. He was promoted to Colonel 23 June 1906, and was Director of Movements and Quartering at the War Office 23 June 1906 to 31 March 1909. Brigade Commander, 18th Brigade, Northern Command, 1 April 1909 to 5 December 1911; promoted to Major General 6 September 1911 commanding Bombay Brigade, India, 1 May 1912 to 31 March 1915. From 1 April 1915 to 10 March 1916, he commanded the 12th Division, Indian Expeditionary Force, Mesopotamia, in the operations in Southern Arabistan and the Euphrates Valley, terminating with the capture of Nasiriyeh. He was mentioned in Despatches and created a KCB; was temporary Lieutenant General from 11 March 1916 to 22 September 1916; was Chief of Staff, Tigris Force, January 1916 to March 1916, commanding the 3rd Indian Army Corps, Kut Relief Force, 11 March 1916 to 10 July 1916. From 20 September 1916 to 1919, Sir G F Gorringe commanded the 47th Division, British Armies in France. He was created a KCMG in 1918. His favourite recreations were hunting, polo and shooting. See Spinks Dec 83 and Spinks Nov 63
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Royal Engineers |
