Hubert Hamilton

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Hubert Hamilton
3rd Division
Battles/warsMahdist War

First World War

Awards
Mentioned in Despatches

Race for the Sea
, Hamilton was killed by artillery fire while surveying the front line, the first British divisional commander to be killed in action during the conflict. He had received several honours for his service and was popular amongst his men, who nicknamed him "Hammy" and expressed sorrow at his death; each regiment in his division despatched representatives to his funeral, despite being involved in heavy fighting less than a mile away.

Early life

Born on 27 June 1861, Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton was the son of General

Queen's Royal Regiment) in 1880.[3][4]

Military career

In the early 1880s Hamilton travelled to

Burma Expedition from 1886 to 1888, remaining in the country as Adjutant from 1886[5] to 1890 and winning the campaign medal with two clasps.[6] He was promoted to captain in December 1890.[7] By 1896 he was back in England, and was appointed an aide-de-camp to Major-General Thomas Kelly-Kenny, commanding an Infantry brigade at Aldershot Garrison.[8]

In the following year, Hamilton was involved in the

Khedive of Egypt.[11][12]

In late 1899 Hamilton left Egypt and was immediately engaged in another war, against the

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.[29] His last peacetime appointment was in England, commanding the North Midland Division of the Territorial Force from 1911.[30]

First World War

Hamilton received command of the

First World War immediately took the force to France with the British Expeditionary Force in the II Corps under General Horace Smith-Dorrien. During August and September, Hamilton's force was almost continuously engaged, fighting at the battle of Mons, Le Cateau and along the lines of the Marne River. In exhausting combat, casualties were massive and Hamilton came close to death on 26 September when a shell landed just feet away from where he and two other generals were discussing operations. Luckily for them however, the munition did not detonate.[6] In spite of difficult conditions of the campaign, Hamilton shared his men's hardships and was frequently in the front line, earning the affectionate nickname "Hammy" from his subordinates.[32]

Hubert Hamilton

1861 – 1914
Question not but live and labour
Till your goal be won
Helping every feeble neighbour,
Seeking help from none.

Hamilton's luck did not last. As British, French and German units raced for the

William Congreve, wrote in his diary: "14 October, La Couture, Hammy is dead, and we lose a splendid soldier and I a very good friend."[6]

Hamilton was buried in the churchyard at La Couture, against the church wall with General Smith-Dorrien in attendance and a representative of each regiment in the division as an honour guard. The only light was provided by car headlamps, and shellfire occasionally forced the chaplain to pause in the service. Indeed, fighting was so close during the brief ceremony that enemy bullets occasionally struck the walls and nearby graves, although none of the mourners were hit.[6] General Smith-Dorrien concluded the service with the words "Indeed a true soldier's grave. God rest his soul."[6]

Legacy

Once the fighting had moved on, Hamilton's body was exhumed and returned to England, before being reburied at St Martin's Church in Cheriton.[33] His gravestone quotes a verse from Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon. A memorial tablet bearing his portrait in profile was placed inside the same church.[34]

A large plaque was also dedicated to him anonymously in St Peter's Church at Marchington, Staffordshire (where he lived before the war[30]) stating "I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept faith".[6] Years after his death his collected papers, mainly pertaining to the Second Boer War, were donated to the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London, where they are still available.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ Davies 1997, p. 69.
  2. ^ Lt-Gen. Henry Meade Hamilton, thePeerage.com, retrieved 24 August 2007
  3. ^ Old Haileyburians Who Died in the Service of Their Country 1914, Haileybury School, retrieved 24 August 2007
  4. ^ "No. 24872". The London Gazette. 10 August 1880. p. 4364.
  5. ^ "No. 25665". The London Gazette. 18 January 1887. p. 275.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g P.69-70, Bloody Red Tabs, Davies & Maddocks
  7. ^ "No. 26126". The London Gazette. 20 January 1891. p. 361.
  8. ^ "No. 26730". The London Gazette. 14 April 1896. p. 2254.
  9. ^ "No. 27159". The London Gazette. 30 January 1900. p. 597.
  10. ^ "No. 27009". The London Gazette. 30 September 1898. p. 5729.
  11. ^ "No. 27023". The London Gazette. 15 November 1898. p. 6689.
  12. ^ "No. 27217". The London Gazette. 3 August 1900. p. 4782.
  13. ^ "No. 27143". The London Gazette. 12 December 1899. p. 8331.
  14. ^ "No. 27226". The London Gazette. 4 September 1900. p. 5464.
  15. ^ "No. 27234". The London Gazette. 2 October 1900. p. 6034.
  16. ^ "No. 27311". The London Gazette. 7 May 1901. p. 3127.
  17. ^ "No. 27285". The London Gazette. 15 February 1901. p. 1155.
  18. ^ "No. 27282". The London Gazette. 8 February 1901. p. 844.
  19. ^ "No. 27305". The London Gazette. 16 April 1901. p. 2602.
  20. ^ "No. 27459". The London Gazette. 29 July 1902. p. 4835.
  21. ^ Hamilton, HIW Archived 14 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Anglo Boer War, pre-war DSO recipients, retrieved 27 October 2007
  22. ^ "No. 27448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 June 1902. p. 4193.
  23. ^ "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36790. London. 10 June 1902. p. 14.
  24. ^ "The Peace – Arrival of the Peace despatches". The Times. No. 36801. London. 23 June 1902. p. 7.
  25. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence – Lord Kitchener´s staff". The Times. No. 36857. London. 27 August 1902. p. 4.
  26. ^ "No. 27532". The London Gazette. 6 March 1903. p. 1511.
  27. ^ "No. 27534". The London Gazette. 13 March 1903. p. 1695.
  28. ^ "No. 27926". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1906. p. 4460.
  29. ^ "No. 28246". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1909. p. 3277.
  30. ^ a b Kelly's Handbook of the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1913. Kelly's. p. 795.
  31. ^ "No. 28838". The London Gazette. 9 June 1914. p. 4536.
  32. ^ Centre for First World War Studies, University of Birmingham, retrieved 24 August 2007
  33. ^ Major-General Hubert Ian Wetherall Hamilton, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 24 August 2007
  34. ^ "Major-General H.I.W. Hamilton". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  35. ^ Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Archived 31 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine King's College London, retrieved 24 August 2007

Bibliography

  • Davies, Frank (1997). Bloody Red Tabs: General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914–1918. London: Pen & Sword Books.
    ISBN 978-0-85052-463-5
    .

External links
Military offices
Preceded by GOC North Midland Division
1911–1914 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC 3rd Division
May–October 1914 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hubert_Hamilton&oldid=1218321957"