Charles Sackville-West, 4th Baron Sackville
Encyclopedia
Major-General Charles John Sackville-West, 4th Baron Sackville, KBE
, CB
, CMG
(10 August 1870 – 8 May 1962) was a British Army
general and peer who served throughout the First World War and reached the rank of major general
. In 1919, Sackville-West was British Military Representative on the Supreme War Council
and from 1920 to 1924 he was military attaché in Paris. He inherited his title on 28 January 1928 on the death of his brother, Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville.
as a subaltern and participated in the 1891 expedition to Manipur
and the 1892 expedition to Burma. By the mid-1890s, Sackville-West was serving as a staff officer in a number of posts, eventually being attached to the staff of General Sir Redvers Buller during the Second Boer War
. He married Maude Cecilia Bell in 1897, with whom he had one son and one daughter. His son Edward later became a noted author.
In 1906, Sackville-West was attached to the Staff College, Camberley
and in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, he was at the War Office
. However, the need for experienced officers in the field prompted his movement to the Indian Army Corps on the Western Front
until December 1915, when he was given command of the 21st Infantry Brigade. He was also made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the same year.
On 30 July 1916, at the height of the Battle of the Somme, Sackville-West was wounded in an attack by a German bomber
on his brigade headquarters. Evacuated to Britain, he had recovered by October, when he took over the 190th Infantry Brigade. Within days of this posting however Sackvill-West was wounded in the jaw when a high-explosive shell detonated in the midst of his command group as he inspected the trenches in front of Hamel
. Although wounded, dazed and partially buried, Sackville-West was able to reach the casualty clearing station unaided, and was again evacuated to Britain to recover.
Returning to the Western Front for the third time in March 1917, Sackville-West commanded the 182nd Infantry Brigade until November when he was made a major general and attached to the General Staff
. In 1919 he served on the Supreme War Council
and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a Companion of the Order of the Bath by 1921. Between 1920 and 1924 he was military attaché in Paris
and from 1925 to his retirement in 1929 he served as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
. In 1924 he married for a second time, to Mrs Anne Meredith Bigelow. In 1928, on the death of his elder brother Lionel Sackville-West
, Charles inherited his uncle's title of Baron Sackville
and sat in the House of Lords
until his death in 1962. His son inherited the title.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
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....
(10 August 1870 – 8 May 1962) was a 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...
general and peer who served throughout the First World War and reached the rank of major general
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...
. In 1919, Sackville-West was British Military Representative on the Supreme War Council
Supreme War Council
The Supreme War Council was a central command created by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George to coordinate Allied military strategy during World War I. It was founded in 1917, and was based in Versailles...
and from 1920 to 1924 he was military attaché in Paris. He inherited his title on 28 January 1928 on the death of his brother, Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville.
Life
Sackville-West was born in 1870, the second son of Colonel Hon. W. E. Sackville-West and Georgina Dodwell and educated at Winchester School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1889, Sackville-West joined the King's Royal Rifle CorpsKing's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
as a subaltern and participated in the 1891 expedition to Manipur
History of Manipur
The documented history of Manipur ,m.m.m.the reign of King Pakhangba , who unified the seven clans of Manipuri society. Introduction of the Vaishnavism school of Hinduism brought about significant changes in the history of the state...
and the 1892 expedition to Burma. By the mid-1890s, Sackville-West was serving as a staff officer in a number of posts, eventually being attached to the staff of General Sir Redvers Buller 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...
. He married Maude Cecilia Bell in 1897, with whom he had one son and one daughter. His son Edward later became a noted author.
In 1906, Sackville-West was attached to the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
and in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, he was at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. However, the need for experienced officers in the field prompted his movement to the Indian Army Corps on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
until December 1915, when he was given command of the 21st Infantry Brigade. He was also made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the same year.
On 30 July 1916, at the height of the Battle of the Somme, Sackville-West was wounded in an attack by a German bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
on his brigade headquarters. Evacuated to Britain, he had recovered by October, when he took over the 190th Infantry Brigade. Within days of this posting however Sackvill-West was wounded in the jaw when a high-explosive shell detonated in the midst of his command group as he inspected the trenches in front of Hamel
Hamel
Hamel may refer to:* Hamel, Western Australia, town* Hamel, Nord, a commune of the Nord département, in northern France* Beaumont-Hamel, a commune of the Somme département, in northern France...
. Although wounded, dazed and partially buried, Sackville-West was able to reach the casualty clearing station unaided, and was again evacuated to Britain to recover.
Returning to the Western Front for the third time in March 1917, Sackville-West commanded the 182nd Infantry Brigade until November when he was made a major general and attached to the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. In 1919 he served on the Supreme War Council
Supreme War Council
The Supreme War Council was a central command created by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George to coordinate Allied military strategy during World War I. It was founded in 1917, and was based in Versailles...
and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and a Companion of the Order of the Bath by 1921. Between 1920 and 1924 he was military attaché in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and from 1925 to his retirement in 1929 he served as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the...
. In 1924 he married for a second time, to Mrs Anne Meredith Bigelow. In 1928, on the death of his elder brother Lionel Sackville-West
Lionel Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville
Lionel Edward Sackville-West, 3rd Baron Sackville , was a British peer.Sackville-West was the son of the Honourable William Edward Sackville-West, sixth son of George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr and Lady Elizabeth Sackville. His mother was Georgina, daughter of George Dodwell...
, Charles inherited his uncle's title of Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville, of Knole in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Honourable Mortimer Sackville-West, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his younger brothers the Hon. Lionel and the Hon. William Edward...
and sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
until his death in 1962. His son inherited the title.