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Francis Gathorne-Hardy

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Sir Francis Gathorne-Hardy
Born14 January 1874
Died21 August 1949 (aged 75)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
RankGeneral
UnitSecond Boer War
Great War
Second World War
CommandsNorthern Command
Aldershot Command
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order[1]

General Sir John Francis Gathorne-Hardy, GCB, GCVO, CMG, DSO (14 January 1874 – 21 August 1949) was a British First World War General officer who served in Italy and the Western Front.

Background and early life

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Gathorne-Hardy was born in 1874, a younger son of John Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl of Cranbrook, and Cicely Marguerite Wilhelmina Ridgway. He was educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[2]

Military career

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Gathorne-Hardy joined the British Army as a commissioned second lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards on 10 October 1894,[3] and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1898.[2][4] In early February 1900 he was seconded for special service in South Africa,[5] where he was involved with Army transport duties during the Second Boer War.[6] He was promoted to captain on 2 May 1900.[2] During later stages of the war he served with the Lovat Scouts, and only left South Africa after the war had ended, in July 1902.[7] For his service in the war he received the brevet rank of major on 22 August 1902.[8] Following his return he was appointed Superintendent of Gymnasia in the Home District in October 1902.[9][10]

He was promoted to major in October 1909.[11]

In April 1914 he was made a general staff officer, grade 2 at the War Office.[12]

In March 1915, seven months into the First World War, he succeeded Brigadier General Reginald Hoskins as general staff officer, grade 1 (GSO1) of the 7th Division.[13]

He was promoted to the substantive rank of major general in June 1919.[14] After commands as a general in Egypt and India, he was Commander in Chief at Northern Command from 1931 to 1933 and at Aldershot Command from 1933 to 1937.[2] He had been promoted to general in October 1933.[15]

Family

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Gathorne-Hardy married Lady Isobel Constance Mary Stanley, daughter of Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby and Lady Constance Villiers, on 10 December 1898.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "No. 12776". The Edinburgh Gazette. 23 February 1915. p. 307.
  2. ^ a b c d Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. ^ "No. 26559". The London Gazette. 9 October 1894. p. 5688.
  4. ^ "No. 26931". The London Gazette. 21 January 1898. p. 376.
  5. ^ "No. 27165". The London Gazette. 16 February 1900. p. 1077.
  6. ^ "The War - appointments". The Times. No. 36048. London. 25 January 1900. p. 10.
  7. ^ "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36836. London. 2 August 1902. p. 6.
  8. ^ "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6900.
  9. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36901. London. 17 October 1902. p. 8.
  10. ^ "No. 27512". The London Gazette. 2 January 1903. p. 7.
  11. ^ "No. 28298". The London Gazette. 19 October 1909. p. 7661.
  12. ^ "No. 28818". The London Gazette. 3 April 1914. p. 2879.
  13. ^ "No. 29133". The London Gazette. 16 April 1915. p. 3720.
  14. ^ "No. 31395". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1919. p. 7423.
  15. ^ "No. 33983". The London Gazette. 3 October 1933. p. 6356.
  16. ^ The peerage.com
Military offices
Preceded by GOC-in-C Northern Command
1931–1933 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC-in-C Aldershot Command
1933–1937 		Succeeded by
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