John Humphrey Davidson
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir John Humphrey 'Tavish' Davidson DSO
KCMG CB
(24 July 1876 – 11 December 1954) was a British army officer and Member of Parliament. He was born in Mauritius
to George Walter Davidson, a merchant, and his wife Johanna, and some time before 1890 they moved back to England. From 1890 Davidson was educated at Harrow School
, continuing his education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
after he left Harrow in 1893. He graduated in 1896 and joined the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
. By 1899 the Corps had been transferred to Cape Colony
, and they were directly involved in the Second Boer War
. Davidson and his battalion served in both the Battle of Talana Hill
and the Battle of Ladysmith
before Davidson was attached to a local cavalry unit with the objective of disrupting Boer commando units. By 1902 he had been promoted to Captain and made a DSO
.
After the end of the Boer War he served in Malta and Crete before being accepted into the Staff College, Camberley
in 1905. After graduation he served in a variety of positions as staff officers, including as director of training at the War Office
from 1908 to 1910 followed by two years as a staff major with the 5th Infantry Brigade. In 1912 he was transferred back to the Staff College, this time as an instructor. After the outbreak of World War I
Davidson joined the III Corps as a staff officer and participated in the First Battle of the Marne
, First Battle of the Aisne
and the First Battle of Ypres
. After the formation of the First Army in 1915 he became the operations officer for Douglas Haig
, the Army commander. As operations officer Davidson was the principal organiser of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
, Battle of Loos
and the Second Battle of Artois
. After Haig became commander of the British forces on the western front Davidson became head of planning the military operations on that front. In 1916 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, in 1917 he was made a CB
and in 1919 he was made a KCMG.
He left the army in 1922, and immediately ran for Parliament as a Conservative
. He was returned for Fareham, and took an active role in the House of Commons army committee. He resigned in 1931 by appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds to concentrate on his business interests, including a seat on the Vickers-Armstrongs board and a position as chairman of the Bank of Australia between 1937 and 1945. He died in Daviot
on 11 December 1954.
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...
Sir John Humphrey 'Tavish' Davidson 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...
KCMG 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...
(24 July 1876 – 11 December 1954) was a British army officer and Member of Parliament. He was born in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
to George Walter Davidson, a merchant, and his wife Johanna, and some time before 1890 they moved back to England. From 1890 Davidson was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, continuing his education at the Royal Military Academy 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...
after he left Harrow in 1893. He graduated in 1896 and joined the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
King'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...
. By 1899 the Corps had been transferred to 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...
, and they were directly involved in 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...
. Davidson and his battalion served in both the Battle of Talana Hill
Battle of Talana Hill
The Battle of Talana Hill, also known as the Battle of Glencoe, was the first major clash of the Second Boer War. A frontal attack by British infantry supported by artillery drove Boers from a hilltop position, but the British suffered heavy casualties in the process, including their commanding...
and the Battle of Ladysmith
Battle of Ladysmith
The Battle of Ladysmith was one of the early engagements of the Second Boer War. A large British force which had concentrated at the garrison town of Ladysmith launched a sortie on 30 October 1899, against Boer armies which were slowly surrounding the town. The result was a disaster for the British...
before Davidson was attached to a local cavalry unit with the objective of disrupting Boer commando units. By 1902 he had been promoted to Captain and made a 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...
.
After the end of the Boer War he served in Malta and Crete before being accepted into 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:...
in 1905. After graduation he served in a variety of positions as staff officers, including as director of training 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...
from 1908 to 1910 followed by two years as a staff major with the 5th Infantry Brigade. In 1912 he was transferred back to the Staff College, this time as an instructor. After 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...
Davidson joined the III Corps as a staff officer and participated in the First Battle of the Marne
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...
, First Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
and the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
. After the formation of the First Army in 1915 he became the operations officer for Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC, was a British senior officer during World War I. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War...
, the Army commander. As operations officer Davidson was the principal organiser of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
Battle of Neuve Chapelle
The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. It was a British offensive in the Artois region and broke through at Neuve-Chapelle but they were unable to exploit the advantage.The battle began on 10 March 1915...
, 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...
and the Second Battle of Artois
Second Battle of Artois
The Second Battle of Artois, of which the British contribution was the Battle of Aubers Ridge, was a battle on the Western Front of the First World War, it was fought at the same time as the Second Battle of Ypres. Even though the French under General Philippe Pétain gained some initial victories,...
. After Haig became commander of the British forces on the western front Davidson became head of planning the military operations on that front. In 1916 he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, in 1917 he was made a 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...
and in 1919 he was made a KCMG.
He left the army in 1922, and immediately ran for Parliament as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He was returned for Fareham, and took an active role in the House of Commons army committee. He resigned in 1931 by appointment as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds to concentrate on his business interests, including a seat on the Vickers-Armstrongs board and a position as chairman of the Bank of Australia between 1937 and 1945. He died in Daviot
Daviot
Daviot is a village in Aberdeenshire. Theologian William Robinson Clark was born here.Daviot has one of the best examples of Neolithic stone circles in the north east of Scotland, Loanhead of Daviot stone circle, which comprises 10 stones plus one recumbent stone...
on 11 December 1954.