George Milne, 1st Baron Milne
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne, GCB, GCMG, DSO
(5 November 1866 – 23 March 1948), was a British
military commander who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933.
, Milne was educated at Aberdeen Gymnasium and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
in 1885. He served in the Nile Expedition in 1898 and in the Second Boer War
from 1899 to 1902, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
.
During World War I
he served briefly on the Western Front
but went on to spend most of the war playing an important role commanding forces on the Macedonian Front
. In 1915, he was appointed to command the 27th Division, and in January 1916 he was appointed to command XVI Corps
in Salonika
. In May 1916, as Commander-in-Chief of the British Salonika Army
, he became Commander-in-Chief of British Troops in Macedonia
and in September 1918 he became responsible for the military administration of a vast area around the Black Sea
.
In 1923 he was appointed General Officer Commanding
Eastern Command
. He served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933 and was promoted to field marshal
in 1928. He was also Constable of The Tower of London
from 1933 to 1938. In 1933 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Milne, of Salonika and of Rubislaw in the County of Aberdeen.
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Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
George Francis Milne, 1st Baron Milne, GCB, GCMG, 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...
(5 November 1866 – 23 March 1948), was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military commander who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933.
Army career
The son of George Milne of AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Milne was educated at Aberdeen Gymnasium and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1885. He served in the Nile Expedition in 1898 and in 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...
from 1899 to 1902, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
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...
.
During 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...
he served briefly on the Western Front
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...
but went on to spend most of the war playing an important role commanding forces on the Macedonian Front
Macedonian front (World War I)
The Macedonian Front resulted from an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria. The expedition came too late and in insufficient force to prevent the fall of Serbia, and was complicated by the internal...
. In 1915, he was appointed to command the 27th Division, and in January 1916 he was appointed to command XVI Corps
XVI Corps (United Kingdom)
The British XVI Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I.- History :British XVI Corps was formed in Salonika in January 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne. Milne was starved of resources by Sir William Robertson who considered all operations outside the Western Front to be...
in Salonika
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. In May 1916, as Commander-in-Chief of the British Salonika Army
British Salonika Army
The British Salonika Army was a British field army of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Army was formed in Salonika in May 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne to oppose Bulgarian advances in the region as part of the Macedonian front...
, he became Commander-in-Chief of British Troops in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and in September 1918 he became responsible for the military administration of a vast area around the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
In 1923 he was appointed General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Eastern Command
Eastern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...
. He served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff from 1926 to 1933 and was promoted to field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in 1928. He was also Constable of The Tower of London
Constable of the Tower
The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
from 1933 to 1938. In 1933 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Milne, of Salonika and of Rubislaw in the County of Aberdeen.
Family
Lord Milne married Claire Marjoribanks, daughter of Sir John Nisbet Maitland, 5th Baronet, in 1905. He died in March 1948, aged 81, and was succeeded in the Barony by his son George Douglass Milne.Further reading
- Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5
External links
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