GF Gorringe
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Sir George Frederick Gorringe KCB
, KCMG
, DSO
(10 February 1868 – 24 October 1945) served as an active field commander in the British Army
during the Anglo-Boer War, World War I
, on the Palestine
and Western Fronts
.
, and was born on 10 February 1868.
He was educated at Lee's School Brighton
, and Wellington College
. In 1886 he passed into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and obtained his commission in the Royal Engineers
on 17 February 1888.
. He was attached to the Egyptian Army in 1892-1899 and 1902-1904. He served with the Dongola
Expedition of 1896 and with the Nile Expeditions of 1897-1899. then in the South African War of 1899-1901 and in the Sudan in 1902-1904.
Knighted in 1915, his distinguished service during the First World War included command of the 3rd Indian Army Corps during operations up the Tigris
in March to July 1916, and of the 47th Division British Expeditionary Force in France
in September 1916 to March 1919.
In his despatch, to the Chief of the General Staff at British Indian Army Headquarters in Simla
, on the operations in Mesopotamia
from 19 January to 30 April 1916, Lt-Genl Sir Percy Lake
, KCB
reported the following:
After the War, he commanded the 10th Division in Egypt
from 1919 to 1921, rising to Lieutenant-General in 1921. He retired in 1924.
Gorringe acted as Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Engineers from 1927 to 1938.
on the farm Riet Valley, near Middelburg
, Cape Colony
to try, in absentia
, Hendrik Jacobus van Heerden. The President of the court was Captain
CE Wilson of the East Lancashire Regiment
. Van Heerden was executed by firing squad shortly after the court had reached its decision.
Following the execution, Gorringe made the following statement:
Territorials and also fitted his rude and unpleasant personality.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir George Frederick Gorringe KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(10 February 1868 – 24 October 1945) served as an active field commander in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Anglo-Boer War, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, on the Palestine
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
and Western Fronts
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
Early life
George Frederick Gorringe was the second son of Hugh and Louisa Gorringe of Kingston-by-SeaKingston by Sea
Kingston by Sea, also known as Kingston Buci, Kingston Bucii or simply Kingston, is a small area in the Adur district of West Sussex, England. Although it is now part of a continuous urban area, its origins lay in an ancient village and parish church between Southwick to the east, Shoreham-by-Sea...
, and was born on 10 February 1868.
He was educated at Lee's School Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, and Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
. In 1886 he passed into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and obtained his commission in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
on 17 February 1888.
Military career
He initially served at Chatham and AldershotAldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
. He was attached to the Egyptian Army in 1892-1899 and 1902-1904. He served with the Dongola
Dongola
Dongola , also spelled Dunqulah, and formerly known as Al 'Urdi, is the capital of the state of Northern in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancient city located 80 km upstream on the opposite bank....
Expedition of 1896 and with the Nile Expeditions of 1897-1899. then in the South African War of 1899-1901 and in the Sudan in 1902-1904.
Knighted in 1915, his distinguished service during the First World War included command of the 3rd Indian Army Corps during operations up the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
in March to July 1916, and of the 47th Division British Expeditionary Force in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in September 1916 to March 1919.
In his despatch, to the Chief of the General Staff at British Indian Army Headquarters in Simla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, on the operations in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
from 19 January to 30 April 1916, Lt-Genl Sir Percy Lake
Percy Lake
General Sir Percy Henry Noel Lake, KCB, KCMG was a senior commander of the British Indian Army, serving during World War I, and a Canadian soldier.- Career :...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
reported the following:
"Major-General (temporary Lieut.-General) Sir G. F. Gorringe has rendered valuable service to the State. As Chief of the Staff to the Tigris Column from January 28th, and in command of the Column from March 12th onwards, he has shown untiring energy, ability and devotion in dealing with the many difficult situations which he had to face. He is a Commander of proved ability in the field."
After the War, he commanded the 10th Division in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 1919 to 1921, rising to Lieutenant-General in 1921. He retired in 1924.
Gorringe acted as Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Royal Engineers from 1927 to 1938.
Execution of HJ van Heerden, Cape Rebel
On 2 March 1901, Gorringe, as a Lieutenant-Colonel, formed a military courtMilitary tribunal
A military tribunal is a kind of military court designed to try members of enemy forces during wartime, operating outside the scope of conventional criminal and civil proceedings. The judges are military officers and fulfill the role of jurors...
on the farm Riet Valley, near Middelburg
Middelburg, Eastern Cape
Middelburg is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in the Great Karoo. It lies in the Upper Karoo, 1 279 m above sea level, with a population of 44000...
, Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
to try, in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
, Hendrik Jacobus van Heerden. The President of the court was Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
CE Wilson of the East Lancashire Regiment
East Lancashire Regiment
The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
. Van Heerden was executed by firing squad shortly after the court had reached its decision.
Following the execution, Gorringe made the following statement:
"After the above Court had been held and the column I command were on the march towards Pearston I received by rider LtLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Kirby's report. He was so badly wounded he could not attend. This report strictly confirmed Van Heerden's guilt and treachery and I caused it necessary to make a summary example on the spot. I could not wait for confirmation from higher authority as it was imperative that the enemy, then on the march to Pearston should be followed up without delay. I therefore confirmed the sentence which I ordered to be carried out without delay. I detached a squadron for that purpose."
Nickname
His nickname, Bloody Orange is rhyming slang. It was said to be appropriate for the commander of a division of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Territorials and also fitted his rude and unpleasant personality.