Richard Harrison (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Richard Harrison GCB
, CMG
, DL (26 May 1837 – 25 September 1931) was a British soldier and engineer.
, he was the second son of Benjamin John Harrison and his wife Emily, daughter of Richard Hall. Harrison was educated at Harrow School
. In 1870, he married Amy, the daughter of J. Doyle O'Brien and had by her a son and three daughters. Harrison died at Glampton, near Brixham
in 1931, aged 94.
and became a lieutenant in 1855. Harrison fought at Scutari
during the Crimean War
in 1856. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
, he took part in the Siege of Lucknow
and in the following year, he went into the regions of Rohilkhand
and Awadh
. Thereafter Harrison was sent to China
, taking part in the Second Opium War
, where he was present in the Battle of Taku Forts (1860)
and its following capture. He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major. In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.
broke out, Harrison was attached to the troops in the Cape Colony
and fought in the Battle of Ulundi
. Already in the next year the British efforts to bring Southern Africa under its control, led to the First Boer War
, during which he had command of a British contingent in Transvaal
. Harrison served as assistant adjutant general in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and joined the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he awarded a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
. Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition
, serving as colonel of its staff. Back in England
, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer
of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command
in the next year. He was promoted to major-general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
.
and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1893. Harrison left this post in 1895 and was made a full general. After another two years, he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces
and in 1898 was named Inspector-General of Fortifications. In December of the latter year, he was invested a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John
. Harrison was nominated Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers
on the death of his predecessor in March 1903 and was further honoured with the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June. He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906 and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908. In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909. Harrison was selected a Deputy Lieutenant
of the county of Devon
in 1921. He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Richard Harrison GCB
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...
, 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....
, DL (26 May 1837 – 25 September 1931) was a British soldier and engineer.
Personal life
Born in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, he was the second son of Benjamin John Harrison and his wife Emily, daughter of Richard Hall. Harrison was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. In 1870, he married Amy, the daughter of J. Doyle O'Brien and had by her a son and three daughters. Harrison died at Glampton, near Brixham
Brixham
Brixham is a small fishing town and civil parish in the county of Devon, in the south-west of England. Brixham is at the southern end of Torbay, across the bay from Torquay, and is a fishing port. Fishing and tourism are its major industries. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of...
in 1931, aged 94.
Early years
He was commissioned into the Royal EngineersRoyal 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....
and became a lieutenant in 1855. Harrison fought at Scutari
Scutari
Scutari may refer to:*Üsküdar , in Anatolia, Turkey*Scutari Barracks in Üsküdar; former hospital where Florence Nightingale worked*Shkodër, in Albania; also known as Scutari in antiquity...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
in 1856. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, he took part in the Siege of Lucknow
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
and in the following year, he went into the regions of Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
and Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
. Thereafter Harrison was sent to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, taking part in the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
, where he was present in the Battle of Taku Forts (1860)
Battle of Taku Forts (1860)
The Third Battle of Taku Forts was an engagement of the Second Opium War, part of the British and French 1860 expedition to China. It took place at the Taku Forts near Tanggu District , approximately 60 kilometers southeast of Tianjin City .-Background:The aim of the allied French-British...
and its following capture. He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major. In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.
First commandos
When in 1879 the Anglo-Zulu WarAnglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
broke out, Harrison was attached to the troops in the 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...
and fought in the Battle of Ulundi
Battle of Ulundi
The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi on 4 July 1879 and was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British army finally broke the military power of the Zulu nation by defeating the main Zulu army and immediately afterwards capturing and razing the capital of...
. Already in the next year the British efforts to bring Southern Africa under its control, led to the First Boer War
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
, during which he had command of a British contingent in Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
. Harrison served as assistant adjutant general in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and joined the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he awarded a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
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....
. Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition
Nile Expedition
The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition , was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to the Sudan to help Egyptians evacuate from Sudan after Britain decided to abandon the country in the face of a...
, serving as colonel of its staff. Back in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer
Chief Royal Engineer
The Chief Royal Engineer is the official head of the Corps of Royal Engineers. He was also the professional head of the Corps until 1941, when that role was moved to that of the Engineer-in-Chief.-Origin and development:...
of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
in the next year. He was promoted to major-general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
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...
.
Later years
In 1890, he obtained the command of the Western DistrictWestern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 and was originally called the Welsh & Midland Command before changing its name in 1906. In 1907 Western Command relocated to Watergate House in Chester...
and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1893. Harrison left this post in 1895 and was made a full general. After another two years, he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
and in 1898 was named Inspector-General of Fortifications. In December of the latter year, he was invested a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. Harrison was nominated Colonel-Commandant of 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 the death of his predecessor in March 1903 and was further honoured with the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June. He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906 and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908. In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909. Harrison was selected a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1921. He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.
External links
- Recollections of a life in the British Army, Harrison's memoirs