Anthony Blaxland Stransham
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Anthony Blaxland Stransham, GCB
(22 December 1805 – October 1900), was a British military officer.
, claiming it for King George III
.
on 1 January 1823. Four years after entering the service, he was present as a Subaltern at the Battle of Navarino
on 20 October 1827. Stransham led the Royal Marines
during the attack on the City of Canton
in the First Opium War
in 1841. He was wounded and was promoted to Captain. He was awarded the Baltic Medal
, having been with Charles John Napier in 1854. From 1862 to 1867, General Stransham was Inspector-General of the Royal Marines.
Later in his career, as a General, the Grand Old Man of the Army
became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
He saw active service for over 53 years, retiring with the rank of General
on 24 December 1875.
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 Anthony Blaxland Stransham, 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...
(22 December 1805 – October 1900), was a British military officer.
Background
Stransham was the son of Lt. Col. Anthony Stransham of the Royal Marines and grandson of Major Samuel Stransham of the Royal Marines, who planted the British flag on the Falkland IslandsFalkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, claiming it for King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
.
Military career
Stransham entered the Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
on 1 January 1823. Four years after entering the service, he was present as a Subaltern at the Battle of Navarino
Battle of Navarino
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence in Navarino Bay , on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. A combined Ottoman and Egyptian armada was destroyed by a combined British, French and Russian naval force...
on 20 October 1827. Stransham led the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
during the attack on the City of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in the First Opium War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
in 1841. He was wounded and was promoted to Captain. He was awarded the Baltic Medal
Baltic Medal
The Baltic Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1856, for issue to officers and men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Sappers and Miners who served in Baltic Sea operations against Russia in the Baltic theatre of the Crimean War...
, having been with Charles John Napier in 1854. From 1862 to 1867, General Stransham was Inspector-General of the Royal Marines.
Later in his career, as a General, the Grand Old Man of the Army
Grand Old Man of the Army
Grand Old Man of the Army may refer to one of two career military men:*General Winfield Scott , United States Army General serving from the War of 1812 to the American Civil War, a fifty year career...
became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
He saw active service for over 53 years, retiring with the rank of General
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....
on 24 December 1875.