General Sir William Adair
Encyclopedia
General Sir William Thompson Adair KCB (1850-1931) was a Royal Marine officer and Ulster Unionist.
Educated at Cheltenham
, he entered the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1867 and served in South Africa
during the Second Boer War
.
He was Deputy Adjutant-General, Royal Marines
(1907-11).
Adair played a prominent role in the Ulster Unionist Party
and was commander of the Antrim
Ulster Volunteer Force.
In 1914, he took charge of the landing and dispersal of guns during the Larne gun-running.
Educated at Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, he entered the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1867 and served in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
He was Deputy Adjutant-General, Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
(1907-11).
Adair played a prominent role in the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
and was commander of the Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
Ulster Volunteer Force.
In 1914, he took charge of the landing and dispersal of guns during the Larne gun-running.