Hurdis Ravenshaw
Encyclopedia
Major General
Hurdis Secundus Lalande Ravenshaw CMG
(June 1869 – c. 6 June 1920) was a senior British Army
officer during the First World War who served at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and saw action on the North-West Frontier
of India, in South Africa
during the Second Boer War
and in France
and Greece
during the First World War. In 1916 he was captured by an Austrian submarine and held as a prisoner for the next two years. He died in 1920 in unusual circumstances after becoming lost in the South African bush near Port Elizabeth and succumbing to the elements.
. He was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College
and from there joined the militia, using this posting to gain a commission in the East Yorkshire Regiment
in December 1888. Seeking action, in August 1890 he transferred to the Devonshire Regiment who were sent to India and went on campaign in 1895 as part of the Chitral Relief Force
which overthrew the Shah of Chitral and replaced him with a pro-British relative.
In 1897 and 1898 Ravenshaw was again active, conducting operations against Malakand
and then participating in the Tirah Campaign
where he was with the army which forced the Khyber Pass
against the Afridis. In 1899 he was transferred with his regiment to South Africa to fight against the Boers at the outbreak of the Second Boer War
. As Adjutant
of the regiment, Ravenshaw fought in the relief of Ladysmith
and numerous smaller actions for three years. On his return home, Ravenshaw was given the position of Adjutant at Sandhurst, a post he held until 1907.
headquarters before being promoted and given command of the 83rd Brigade. This unit saw action in France during 1915 before being sent to Salonica in Greece as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
. There he served against the Bulgarian Army, rising to command the 27th Division
in October 1916. In December 1916, whilst sailing to England to meet superiors, his ship was sunk by an Austrian U-boat
and he with all his staff was captured and taken to Austria
, where he remained in captivity for the next two years.
Released following the armistice
, Ravenshaw retired from the armed forces. In 1920 he travelled to Port Elizabeth in South Africa and on 6 June was seen entering Addo Bush near the city but failed to return. A search party discovered his body two days later.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Hurdis Secundus Lalande Ravenshaw CMG
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....
(June 1869 – c. 6 June 1920) was a senior 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...
officer during the First World War who served at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and saw action on the North-West Frontier
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
of India, 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...
and 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...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
during the First World War. In 1916 he was captured by an Austrian submarine and held as a prisoner for the next two years. He died in 1920 in unusual circumstances after becoming lost in the South African bush near Port Elizabeth and succumbing to the elements.
Military career
Hurdis Ravenshaw was born in June 1869 to John Hurdis Ravenshaw and his second wife Harriet Lalande Biggs. His elder half-brother was Thomas Edward RavenshawThomas Edward Ravenshaw
Thomas Edward Ravenshaw was an educator, founder of Ravenshaw College, and a member of the British East India Company.-Early life:...
. He was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
and from there joined the militia, using this posting to gain a commission in the East Yorkshire Regiment
East Yorkshire Regiment
The East Yorkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated with the West Yorkshire Regiment , becoming The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of...
in December 1888. Seeking action, in August 1890 he transferred to the Devonshire Regiment who were sent to India and went on campaign in 1895 as part of the Chitral Relief Force
State of Chitral
Chitral was a princely state of Pakistan and British India until 1969. The area of the state now forms the Chitral District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.- Location :...
which overthrew the Shah of Chitral and replaced him with a pro-British relative.
In 1897 and 1898 Ravenshaw was again active, conducting operations against Malakand
Malakand Agency
The Malakand Agency was one of the Tribal Areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1970. It included the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat, and an area around the Malakand Fort known as the Malakand Protected Area.In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states,...
and then participating in the Tirah Campaign
Tirah Campaign
The Tirah Campaign, often referred to in contemporary British accounts as the Tirah Expedition, was an Indian frontier war in 1897–98. Tirah is a mountainous tract of country.-Rebellion:...
where he was with the army which forced the Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
against the Afridis. In 1899 he was transferred with his regiment to South Africa to fight against the Boers at the outbreak of 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...
. As Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the regiment, Ravenshaw fought in the relief of Ladysmith
Siege of Ladysmith
The Siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 30 October 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal.-Background:...
and numerous smaller actions for three years. On his return home, Ravenshaw was given the position of Adjutant at Sandhurst, a post he held until 1907.
First World War
In 1914, Ravenshaw was brought out of semi-retirement to command the 1st battalion of the Connaught Rangers, an Irish regiment in India which he brought to France for service on the Western Front in late September. Ravenshaw remained in command of the Connaught Rangers until April 1915, when he was made a staff officer at 1st DivisionBritish 1st Infantry Division
The 1st Infantry Division was a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsula War, the Crimean War, the First World War, and during the Second World War.-Napoleonic Wars:...
headquarters before being promoted and given command of the 83rd Brigade. This unit saw action in France during 1915 before being sent to Salonica in Greece as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was part of the British Army during World War I, that commanded all Allied forces at Gallipoli and Salonika. This included the initial naval operation to force the straits of the Dardanelles. Its headquarters was formed in March 1915...
. There he served against the Bulgarian Army, rising to command the 27th Division
British 27th Division
The British 27th Division was a First World War regular army infantry division formed in late 1914 by combining various units that had been acting as garrisons about the British Empire. The division spent most of 1915 on the Western Front in France before moving to Salonika where it remained with...
in October 1916. In December 1916, whilst sailing to England to meet superiors, his ship was sunk by an Austrian U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
and he with all his staff was captured and taken to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, where he remained in captivity for the next two years.
Released following the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, Ravenshaw retired from the armed forces. In 1920 he travelled to Port Elizabeth in South Africa and on 6 June was seen entering Addo Bush near the city but failed to return. A search party discovered his body two days later.