Richard Harrison (British Army officer)

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Sir

Richard Harrison
Born(1837-05-26)26 May 1837
Died25 September 1931(1931-09-25) (aged 94)
Allegiance  (Ottoman Empire)

DL (26 May 1837 – 25 September 1931[1]) was a British Army
officer and engineer.

Personal life

Born in Essex, he was the second son of Benjamin John Harrison and his wife Emily, daughter of Richard Hall.[2] Harrison was educated at Harrow School.[2] In 1870, he married Amy, the daughter of J. Doyle O'Brien and had by her a son and three daughters.[3] Harrison died at Galmpton, near Brixham in 1931, aged 94.[1]

Military career

Early years

He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and became a lieutenant in 1855.[1] Harrison fought at Scutari during the Crimean War in 1856.[4] 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.[4] 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.[4] He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major.[3] In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.[3]

First commandos

When in 1879 the

Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[3] Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition, serving as colonel of its staff.[3] Back in England, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command in the next year.[3] He was promoted to major general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year[3] on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[5]

Later years

In 1890, he obtained the command of the

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June.[12] He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906[13] and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908.[14] In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers[15] and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909.[16] Harrison was selected a deputy lieutenant of the county of Devon in 1921.[17] He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Crimea Veteran dead". The Straits Times. 29 October 1931. p. 18.
  2. ^ a b c Walford, Edward (1919). The County Families of the United Kingdom. London: Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd. p. 620.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Who is Who 1926. London: Adam & Charles Black Ltd. 1926. p. 1291.
  4. ^ a b c d Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families. Vol. I. London: Hurst & Blackett. pp. 886–887.
  5. ^ "No. 25939". The London Gazette. 25 May 1889. p. 2873.
  6. ^ "No. 26393". The London Gazette. 18 April 1893. p. 2293.
  7. ^ "No. 26622". The London Gazette. 7 May 1895. p. 2632.
  8. ^ "No. 26906". The London Gazette. 2 November 1897. p. 5995.
  9. ^ "No. 26961". The London Gazette. 26 April 1898. p. 2592.
  10. ^ "No. 27032". The London Gazette. 13 December 1898. p. 8045.
  11. ^ "No. 27550". The London Gazette. 8 May 1903. p. 2923.
  12. ^ "No. 27568". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 June 1903. p. 4009.
  13. ^ "No. 27971". The London Gazette. 27 November 1906. p. 8301.
  14. ^ "No. 28205". The London Gazette. 15 December 1908. p. 9561.
  15. ^ "No. 28202". The London Gazette. 4 December 1908. p. 9296.
  16. ^ "No. 28225". The London Gazette. 19 February 1909. p. 1313.
  17. ^ "No. 32193". The London Gazette. 14 January 1921. p. 376.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by GOC Western District
1890–1895
Succeeded by
Preceded by Quartermaster-General to the Forces
1897–1898
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Robert Grant
Inspector-General of Fortifications

1898–1903
Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers
1903–1931
Succeeded by