Hubert Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Major General
Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton CB
, CVO
, DSO
(27 June 1861 – 14 October 1914) was a senior British general who served with distinction throughout his career, seeing battle in the Mahdist War
in Egypt
and the Second Boer War
in South Africa
, before being given command of the British Third Division at the outbreak of the First World War. Just two and a half months later at the height of the Race for the Sea, General Hamilton was killed by artillery fire whilst 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.
and, following attendance at the Royal Military College
, entered service with the 2nd Foot Regiment (Queen's Royal Regiment) in 1880. As a child he was surrounded by military figures; in addition to his father, his brother-in-law was General Sir George Pomeroy Colley
, who was killed in action at the battle of Majuba Hill
in 1881. In the early 1880s he travelled to India with his regiment, and there was involved in the Burma Expedition, remaining in the country from 1886 to 1888 and winning the campaign medal with two clasps. Ten years later he was involved in the Mahdist War
, when he accompanied Lord Kitchener's army against the Mahdist forces, fighting at the battle of Atbara
and the battle of Omdurman
and being rewarded for his service with the Distinguished Service Order
and the Imperial Ottoman Order (Fourth Class) from the Khedive of Egypt.
In 1899 he left Egypt and immediately engaged in another war, against the Boers in South Africa. During the conflict he was a staff officer with the role of Assistant Adjutant-General and performed so well in this position that he was recommended to Lord Kitchener as a personal aide-de-camp and then Military Secretary. He was engaged in operations in the Orange Free State
, Transvaal
and Cape Colony
he also saw action at the battle of Paardeberg
, for which he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal
with four clasps and King's South Africa Medal
with two clasps. For his field service, he was appointed ADC to the King, and given a brevet
promotion to Colonel. With the war's successful conclusion, Hamilton accompanied Kitchener to India, still in the position of Military Secretary. In 1906 he left Kitchener's service to assume command of the 7th Brigade and was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. In 1908 Hamilton left 7th Brigade for a promotion to Major General and an appointment as Chief of General Staff in the Mediterranean. In 1909 he was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
.
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 the 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. 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.
Hamilton's luck did not last. As British, French and German units raced for the Picardy
coast during the Race for the Sea, Hamilton's division was in the vanguard and was heavily engaged in the opening weeks of October. On the 14 October, Hamilton and several aides-de-camp traveled to the village of La Couture
near Béthune
on the front lines to witness the situation and had just dismounted from their horses when a large sharpnel shell detonated yards overhead. The officers who accompanied him were unhurt but a single bullet entered General Hamilton's forehead, killing him instantly. An aide of General Hamilton, William Congreve
, wrote in his diary: "October 14, La Couture, Hammy is dead, and we lose a splendid soldier and I a very good friend."
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. General Smith-Dorrien concluded the service with the words "Indeed a true soldier's grave. God rest his soul." Once the fighting had moved on, his body was exhumed and returned to England, before being reburied at St Martin's Church in Cheriton
. His gravestone quotes a verse from Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon
.
A large plaque was also dedicated to him anonymously in St Peter's Church, Marchington
stating "I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept faith". Years after his death his collected papers, mainly pertaining to the Second Boer War, were donated to the Basil Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London
, where they are still available.
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...
Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton 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...
, CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(27 June 1861 – 14 October 1914) was a senior British general who served with distinction throughout his career, seeing battle in the Mahdist War
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and 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...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, before being given command of the British Third Division at the outbreak of the First World War. Just two and a half months later at the height of the Race for the Sea, General Hamilton was killed by artillery fire whilst 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 in 1861, the son of General Henry Meade Hamilton, Hubert Hamilton was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service CollegeHaileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
and, following attendance at the Royal Military College
Royal Military College
The Royal Military College can refer to:* Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, Canada* Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada* Royal Military College, Duntroon in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, Australia...
, entered service with the 2nd Foot Regiment (Queen's Royal Regiment) in 1880. As a child he was surrounded by military figures; in addition to his father, his brother-in-law was General Sir George Pomeroy Colley
George Pomeroy Colley
Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley KCSI CB CMG was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Natal and High Commissionerfor South Eastern Africa....
, who was killed in action at the battle of Majuba Hill
Battle of Majuba Hill
The Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the main battle of the First Boer War. It was a resounding victory for the Boers. Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of the hill on the night of February 26–27, 1881. His motive for occupying the hill remains unclear...
in 1881. In the early 1880s he travelled to India with his regiment, and there was involved in the Burma Expedition, remaining in the country from 1886 to 1888 and winning the campaign medal with two clasps. Ten years later he was involved in the Mahdist War
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War was a colonial war of the late 19th century. It was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese and the Egyptian and later British forces. It has also been called the Anglo-Sudan War or the Sudanese Mahdist Revolt. The British have called their part in the conflict the Sudan Campaign...
, when he accompanied Lord Kitchener's army against the Mahdist forces, fighting at the battle of Atbara
Battle of Atbara
The Battle of Atbara took place during the Second Sudan War. Anglo-Egyptian forces defeated 15,000 Sudanese rebels, called Mahdists or Dervishes. The battle proved to be the turning point in the conquest of Sudan by a British and Egyptian coalition....
and the battle of Omdurman
Battle of Omdurman
At the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the British Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
and being rewarded for his service with the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and the Imperial Ottoman Order (Fourth Class) from the Khedive of Egypt.
In 1899 he left Egypt and immediately engaged in another war, against the Boers in South Africa. During the conflict he was a staff officer with the role of Assistant Adjutant-General and performed so well in this position that he was recommended to Lord Kitchener as a personal aide-de-camp and then Military Secretary. He was engaged in operations in the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
, Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
and Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
he also saw action at the battle of Paardeberg
Battle of Paardeberg
The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free State near Kimberley....
, for which he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal
Queen's South Africa Medal
The Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
with four clasps and King's South Africa Medal
King's South Africa Medal
The King's South Africa Medal was awarded to all troops who served in the Boer War in South Africa on or after 1 January 1902, and completed 18 months service before 1 June 1902. The medal was not issued alone but always with the Queen's South Africa Medal or QSA.The KSA was awarded only to those...
with two clasps. For his field service, he was appointed ADC to the King, and given a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion to Colonel. With the war's successful conclusion, Hamilton accompanied Kitchener to India, still in the position of Military Secretary. In 1906 he left Kitchener's service to assume command of the 7th Brigade and was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. In 1908 Hamilton left 7th Brigade for a promotion to Major General and an appointment as Chief of General Staff in the Mediterranean. In 1909 he was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
First World War
At the outbreak of the First World War, Hamilton had command of the 3rd Division and immediately took the force to FranceFrance
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...
with the British Expeditionary Force in the II Corps under General Horace Smith-Dorrien
Horace Smith-Dorrien
General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien GCB, GCMG, DSO, ADC was a British soldier and commander of the British II Corps and Second Army of the BEF during World War I.-Early life and career:...
. During August and September, Hamilton's force was almost continuously engaged, fighting at the battle of Mons
Battle of Mons
The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies clashed with Germany on the French borders. At Mons, the British army attempted to hold the line of the...
, Le Cateau
Battle of Le Cateau
The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of Mons and had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambrésis....
and along the lines of the Marne River
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
. In exhausting combat, casualties were massive and Hamilton came close to death on the 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. 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.
Hamilton's luck did not last. As British, French and German units raced for the Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
coast during the Race for the Sea, Hamilton's division was in the vanguard and was heavily engaged in the opening weeks of October. On the 14 October, Hamilton and several aides-de-camp traveled to the village of La Couture
La Couture, Pas-de-Calais
La Couture is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A large farming village, situated some northeast of Béthune and west of Lille at the junction of the D169 and the D170 roads.-Population:...
near Béthune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
on the front lines to witness the situation and had just dismounted from their horses when a large sharpnel shell detonated yards overhead. The officers who accompanied him were unhurt but a single bullet entered General Hamilton's forehead, killing him instantly. An aide of General Hamilton, William Congreve
William La Touche Congreve
Major William "Billy" La Touche Congreve VC, DSO, MC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.- Life and career :He was at school at Summer Fields School,...
, wrote in his diary: "October 14, La Couture, Hammy is dead, and we lose a splendid soldier and I a very good friend."
| Hubert Hamilton 1861 – 1914 Question not but live and labour Till your goal be won Helping every feeble neighbour, Seeking help from none. |
Cheriton
-England:*Cheriton, Hampshire, a village and parish near Winchester**The Battle of Cheriton, a battle in the English Civil War*Cheriton, Kent, a one-time village, now a part of the urban area of Folkestone**Cheriton Halt railway station closed in 1947...
. His gravestone quotes a verse from Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon
Adam Lindsay Gordon
Adam Lindsay Gordon was an Australian poet, jockey and politician.- Early life :Gordon was born at Fayal in the Azores, son of Captain Adam Durnford Gordon who had married his first cousin, Harriet Gordon, both of whom were descended from Adam of Gordon of the ballad...
.
A large plaque was also dedicated to him anonymously in St Peter's Church, Marchington
Marchington
Marchington is a small village in East Staffordshire, England. It lies between the towns of Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. Marchington has a small shop, a first school, two churches and two pubs...
stating "I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept faith". Years after his death his collected papers, mainly pertaining to the Second Boer War, were donated to the Basil Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, where they are still available.