Claud Jacob
Encyclopedia
Field-Marshal Sir Claud William Jacob GCB
GCSI
KCMG
(1863–1948) was a British Army
officer who served in the First World War.
in the Bombay Presidency
of British India, to Major-General William Jacob and Eliza Jacob.
From Sherborne School
he passed into Sandhurst
and was commissioned into the Worcestershire Regiment
in 1882. At the end of 1884, stationed at Quetta
, he secured his transfer to the Indian service
and was posted to the 30th Regiment (Jacob’s) Bombay Native Infantry
also known as 3rd Belooch Regiment (now 12 Baloch). From there, he was posted to the 24th (Baluchistan) Regiment of Bombay Infantry
(now 6 Baloch). He first saw action with the Zhob Valley expedition of 1890. He was subsequently selected to command the Zhob Levy Corps, which kept the peace in the North West Frontier Province along the Waziristan
and Southern Afghanistan
border.
In 1912, he was appointed GSO1 of the Meerut Division
. At the outbreak of World War I
in 1914, an Indian corps was sent to France
; Jacob went with the Meerut division. He became the only Indian officer to remain in France and rise to a high command there. Just before Christmas
of 1914, a critical situation arose when the troops were badly shaken by a German
attack: he acted with considerable bravery.
At the beginning of 1915, he was appointed to command the Dehra Dun Brigade, and led it at Neuve Chapelle in March. In September, he was given the Meerut division and committed to the fruitless and costly subsidiary action of Pietre at the time of the battle of Loos
. In November, when the Indian Corps was preparing to leave the Western front, he was appointed to take over the 21st Division of the "New Armies" on November 18, 1915. He was created CB in this year.
In September 1916, he was appointed to command II Corps in the Fifth Army. During the Battle of the Somme, he carried Thiepval by an admirably planned assault. They performed well at the Ancre operations and in the pursuit of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line
in 1917.
Having been promoted to lieutenant-general in 1917, he commanded a corps of the British Army of the Rhine
during the occupation there
. In 1920, he returned to India as Chief of the General Staff. In the course of that year, he was promoted to general and appointed ADC to King George V
. In 1924, he returned home to England
, but then in November was given the Northern Command in India. When Lord Rawlinson died in the following year, he acted temporarily as Commander-in-Chief, India
. Many anticipated that the succession would fall upon him, and this was believed to be the desire of the military authorities in London, but they failed to make it sufficiently clear. Thus the choice fell on Sir William Birdwood instead, and in November Jacob returned home again to take up the appointment of Military Secretary to the India Office
. He was promoted field marshal
in November 1926 and remained at the India Office until May 1930. His last official post was that of Constable
of the Tower of London
, which he held from 1937 to 1943. He was appointed KCMG in 1919, KCSI in 1924, GCB in 1926 and GCSI in 1930.
Jacob died on 2 June 1948 at the age of eighty-four. He was the Colonel of 2nd Battalion The Baluch Regiment (now 7th Battalion The Baloch Regiment
). His medals and decorations are on display in the Officers Mess of Baloch Regimental Centre, Abbottabad
, Pakistan
.
The couple had one son, Edward Ian Claud Jacob
, who later became Assistant Military Secretary of the War Cabinet and Director-General of the BBC
. Their daughter, Aileen Swinton Jacob, born on 5 August 1895, died on 14 January 1907.
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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...
GCSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
KCMG
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....
(1863–1948) 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...
officer who served in the First World War.
Military career
Jacob was born on November 21, 1863, at MahidpurMahidpur
Mehidpur is a town and a municipality in Ujjain district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The modern town of Mehidpur is situated on the bank of river Shipra. It is located in the Malwa region. At present, the town is a tahsil place of District Ujjain...
in the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
of British India, to Major-General William Jacob and Eliza Jacob.
From Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
he passed into Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned into the Worcestershire Regiment
Worcestershire Regiment
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th Regiment of Foot and the 36th Regiment of Foot....
in 1882. At the end of 1884, stationed at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, he secured his transfer to the Indian service
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and was posted to the 30th Regiment (Jacob’s) Bombay Native Infantry
130th Baluchis
The 130th Baluchis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1858 as the 1st Regiment of Jacob’s Rifles or 1st Belooch Rifles. It was designated as the 130th Baluchis in 1903 and became 5th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
also known as 3rd Belooch Regiment (now 12 Baloch). From there, he was posted to the 24th (Baluchistan) Regiment of Bombay Infantry
124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry
The 124th Baluchistan Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1820 as the 2nd Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 124th Baluchistan Infantry in 1903 and became 1st Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment in 1922...
(now 6 Baloch). He first saw action with the Zhob Valley expedition of 1890. He was subsequently selected to command the Zhob Levy Corps, which kept the peace in the North West Frontier Province along the Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
and Southern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
border.
In 1912, he was appointed GSO1 of the Meerut Division
Meerut Division
Meerut division is an administrative geographical unit of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Meerut is the administrative headquarters of the division. Currently, the division consists of districts of Meerut, Bulandshahr, Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, and Bagh Path....
. At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, an Indian corps was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; Jacob went with the Meerut division. He became the only Indian officer to remain in France and rise to a high command there. Just before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 1914, a critical situation arose when the troops were badly shaken by a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
attack: he acted with considerable bravery.
At the beginning of 1915, he was appointed to command the Dehra Dun Brigade, and led it at Neuve Chapelle in March. In September, he was given the Meerut division and committed to the fruitless and costly subsidiary action of Pietre at the time of the battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
. In November, when the Indian Corps was preparing to leave the Western front, he was appointed to take over the 21st Division of the "New Armies" on November 18, 1915. He was created CB in this year.
In September 1916, he was appointed to command II Corps in the Fifth Army. During the Battle of the Somme, he carried Thiepval by an admirably planned assault. They performed well at the Ancre operations and in the pursuit of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
in 1917.
Having been promoted to lieutenant-general in 1917, he commanded a corps of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
during the occupation there
Occupation of the Rhineland
The Occupation of the Rhineland took place following the armistice and brought the fighting of World War I to a close on 11 November 1918. The occupying armies consisted of American, Belgian, British and French forces...
. In 1920, he returned to India as Chief of the General Staff. In the course of that year, he was promoted to general and appointed ADC to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. In 1924, he returned home to 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...
, but then in November was given the Northern Command in India. When Lord Rawlinson died in the following year, he acted temporarily as Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
. Many anticipated that the succession would fall upon him, and this was believed to be the desire of the military authorities in London, but they failed to make it sufficiently clear. Thus the choice fell on Sir William Birdwood instead, and in November Jacob returned home again to take up the appointment of Military Secretary to the India Office
Military Secretary to the India Office
The Military Secretary to the India Office was responsible for the recruitment of British and other European nationals to the officer ranks of the Indian Army.-Military Secretaries to the India Office:The Military Secretaries were as follows:...
. He was promoted field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in November 1926 and remained at the India Office until May 1930. His last official post was that of Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, which he held from 1937 to 1943. He was appointed KCMG in 1919, KCSI in 1924, GCB in 1926 and GCSI in 1930.
Jacob died on 2 June 1948 at the age of eighty-four. He was the Colonel of 2nd Battalion The Baluch Regiment (now 7th Battalion The Baloch Regiment
Baloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of the Regiment to more than fifty battalions...
). His medals and decorations are on display in the Officers Mess of Baloch Regimental Centre, Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Family
In 1894, he married Clara Pauline Wyatt, daughter of the Reverend J. L. Wyatt, well known as a missionary and student of oriental languages in India, and also a lecturer in Tamil at Cambridge University from 1895 to 1929.The couple had one son, Edward Ian Claud Jacob
Ian Jacob
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Ian Claud Jacob GBE, CB, , known as Ian Jacob, was the Military Assistant Secretary to Winston Churchill's war cabinet and later a distinguished broadcasting executive, serving as the Director-General of the BBC from 1952 to 1960.-Early life:Jacob was born in 1899 in...
, who later became Assistant Military Secretary of the War Cabinet and Director-General of the BBC
Director-General of the BBC
The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the BBC.The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC and is now appointed by the BBC Trust....
. Their daughter, Aileen Swinton Jacob, born on 5 August 1895, died on 14 January 1907.
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