Lionel Sadleir-Jackson
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Lionel Warren de Vere Sadleir-Jackson CB
, CMG
, DSO & Bar
, FRGS (31 December 1876 – 21 May 1932) was an officer of the British Army
who served in the Second Boer War
and the First World War with distinction before taking command of the North Russian Relief Force which supervised the withdrawal of allied troops from the North Russia Campaign
in the Russian Civil War
.
A highly decorated officer, Sadleir-Jackson was wounded several times during his military service and later went on to become Inspector of Levies in British territories in the Middle East
. He retired in 1925 but died in a vehicle accident during a tour of First World War battlefields in 1932.
, County Cork
. He joined the South Staffordshire Regiment
of the Militia as a second lieutenant
in 1896, and was promoted to lieutenant
in 1897. He later took a regular army commission in the 9th Lancers, reverting to second lieutenant, aged 21 in May 1898. Shortly after receiving his regular commission he was dispatched to South Africa
with his regiment to participate in the Second Boer War. During the war he was posted as a staff officer and saw extensive action, including at the battles of Belmont
, Modder River
and Magersfontein
and Paardeberg
, culminating in the relief of Kimberley
. For his service in these actions, Sadleir-Jackson was promoted to lieutenant and continued service in the Orange Free State
and the Transvaal
.
During 1900 he served on the General Staff in the Orange River Colony
, seeing action at the battles of Bethlehem, Wittebergen and Caledon River, and being Mentioned in Despatches. He was wounded in action but continued on operations in the Colony and in Cape Colony
during 1901. In the same year he was twice more Mentioned in Despatches, the second being for "Gallantry on several occasions". At the war's conclusion in 1902 he was further rewarded with another mention in dispatches, the Queen's South Africa Medal
with seven clasps and the King's South Africa Medal
with two and the award of the Distinguished Service Order
. Two years later he was promoted to captain
and served in India
for several years. In 1909 he briefly resigned his commission, but quickly reversed the decision and served as an adjutant
in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) regiment of the Territorial Army until 1912, when he moved to the Army Signal Corps
. In the same year, he married Marion Fulton.
made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1915. From 20 November 1916–1 June 1917 he was Assistant Director of Signals (with the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel. Following that he was given acting rank and placed in command of the 10th Battalion of the London Regiment
, a Territorial Army formation. He commanded them in the trenches during the summer of 1917 but in October he was promoted to acting Brigadier-General and given overall command of the 54th Brigade, part of the 18th Division. He was again Mentioned in Despatches in December 1917 and then received a brevet
promotion to lieutenant-colonel in early 1918.
With this force, Sadleir-Jackson weathered the German attacks of the spring of 1918
and was heavily embroiled in the second battle of the Somme
, particularly the battle of Albert
on the 21 August 1918. In heavy fighting around the town of Albert
, Sadleir-Jackson's men took their objectives led from the front by their Brigadier, who was wounded in the knee by machine gun
fire near Bellevue Farm. Although Sadleir-Jackson attempted to return to British lines he collapsed and was brought in by his men, the wound proving serious enough to keep him in England until after the Armistice
. For his conduct during the attack he was presented with a bar
to his Distinguished Service Order in September 1918:
and the Croix de Guerre
with Star. The following year he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Despite these accolades, Sadleir-Jackson volunteered again in late 1918 to command the 2nd Brigade of the Russian Relief Force, a motley collection of units from the British Army, the Royal Navy
, Australian volunteers, French and US troops and White Russians. This force was intended to hold the vital Northern ports of Arkhangelsk
and Murmansk
open for Allied cargo ships supplying the White Russian armies fighting in the region as part of the Allied intervention
in the Russian Civil War
.
In the event, Sadleir-Jackson found himself operating independently and frequently in overall charge of the North Russia Campaign
which suffered from poor morale and supply and a lack of political direction. In a matter of months the situation was so critical that by September 1919 the entire force was evacuated, abandoning the region to the Bolshevik armies. Nevertheless, in the months of fighting which became particularly desperate in August 1919, Sadleir-Jackson's men performed well and fought hard, two Australian volunteers in the 45th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers even winning the Victoria Cross
: Corporal Arthur Percy Sullivan
and Sergeant Samuel George Pearse. Sadleir-Jackson performed well in enough to be again Mentioned in Despatches and be given a brevet promotion to colonel at the close of the campaign.
. In 1923 he left this post for England, and took retirement in 1925 after 27 years in the army. He pursued his interests during his retirement, being a keen huntsman
and big game hunter as well as an excellent polo
player (in 1910 he co-wrote Hints on Polo Combination). He was also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
. In the late spring of 1932 he took a tour of the Somme battlefield
, including the site of his wound fourteen years earlier. On the 21 May 1932 he was driving near Peronne
when he encountered a farm cart in the road and swerved too vigorously to avoid it, leaving the road and colliding with an electric pylon which severed the left front wheel and threw the car over. Lionel Sadleir-Jackson died shortly afterward at Estrées-en-Chaussees as the result of massive head injuries.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Lionel Warren de Vere Sadleir-Jackson 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....
, DSO & Bar
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...
, FRGS (31 December 1876 – 21 May 1932) was an officer of the 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...
who served 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...
and the First World War with distinction before taking command of the North Russian Relief Force which supervised the withdrawal of allied troops from the North Russia Campaign
North Russia Campaign
The North Russia Intervention, also known as the Northern Russian Expedition, was part of the Allied Intervention in Russia after the October Revolution. The intervention brought about the involvement of foreign troops in the Russian Civil War on the side of the White movement...
in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
A highly decorated officer, Sadleir-Jackson was wounded several times during his military service and later went on to become Inspector of Levies in British territories in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. He retired in 1925 but died in a vehicle accident during a tour of First World War battlefields in 1932.
South Africa
Lionel Sadleir-Jackson was born on New Year's Eve 1876 to Major Henry Sadleir-Jackson of MidletonMidleton
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He joined the South Staffordshire Regiment
South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 38th Regiment of Foot and the 80th Regiment of Foot. In 1959 the regiment was amlagamated with the North Staffordshire Regiment to form the Staffordshire Regiment...
of the Militia as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1896, and was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1897. He later took a regular army commission in the 9th Lancers, reverting to second lieutenant, aged 21 in May 1898. Shortly after receiving his regular commission he was dispatched to 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...
with his regiment to participate in the Second Boer War. During the war he was posted as a staff officer and saw extensive action, including at the battles of Belmont
Battle of Belmont (1899)
The Battle of Belmont is the name of an engagement of the Second Boer War near the town of Belmont, 23 November 1899, where the British under Lord Methuen assaulted a Boer position on a kopje....
, Modder River
Battle of Modder River
The Battle of Modder River was an engagement in the Boer War, fought at Modder River, on 28 November 1899...
and Magersfontein
Battle of Magersfontein
The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein near Kimberley on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State...
and 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....
, culminating in the relief of Kimberley
Siege of Kimberley
The Siege of Kimberley took place during the Second Boer War at Kimberley, Cape Colony , when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal besieged the diamond mining town. The Boers moved quickly to try to capture the British enclave when war broke out between the British and the two...
. For his service in these actions, Sadleir-Jackson was promoted to lieutenant and continued service 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...
and the 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...
.
During 1900 he served on the General Staff in the Orange River Colony
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied and then annexed the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War...
, seeing action at the battles of Bethlehem, Wittebergen and Caledon River, and being Mentioned in Despatches. He was wounded in action but continued on operations in the Colony and in 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...
during 1901. In the same year he was twice more Mentioned in Despatches, the second being for "Gallantry on several occasions". At the war's conclusion in 1902 he was further rewarded with another mention in dispatches, 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 seven clasps and the 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 and the award of 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...
. Two years later he was promoted to captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
and served in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for several years. In 1909 he briefly resigned his commission, but quickly reversed the decision and served as an adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) regiment of the Territorial Army until 1912, when he moved to the Army Signal Corps
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
. In the same year, he married Marion Fulton.
First World War
At the outbreak of the First World War, Sadleir-Jackson was sent to France with the Signal Corps, serving as a staff officer on communications and signals. Early on he received a further Mention in Despatches. For his service in this role, he was promoted to majorMajor (UK)
In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1915. From 20 November 1916–1 June 1917 he was Assistant Director of Signals (with the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel. Following that he was given acting rank and placed in command of the 10th Battalion of the London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
, a Territorial Army formation. He commanded them in the trenches during the summer of 1917 but in October he was promoted to acting Brigadier-General and given overall command of the 54th Brigade, part of the 18th Division. He was again Mentioned in Despatches in December 1917 and then received 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 lieutenant-colonel in early 1918.
With this force, Sadleir-Jackson weathered the German attacks of the spring of 1918
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
and was heavily embroiled in the second battle of the Somme
Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
, particularly the battle of Albert
Battle of Albert (1918)
Battle of Albert was the third battle by that name fought during World War I, following the First Battle of Albert, and the Second Battle of Albert, with each of the series of three being fought roughly two years apart...
on the 21 August 1918. In heavy fighting around the town of Albert
Albert, Somme
Albert is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume.-History:Albert was founded as a Roman outpost called Encre, in about 54 BC...
, Sadleir-Jackson's men took their objectives led from the front by their Brigadier, who was wounded in the knee by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire near Bellevue Farm. Although Sadleir-Jackson attempted to return to British lines he collapsed and was brought in by his men, the wound proving serious enough to keep him in England until after the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
. For his conduct during the attack he was presented with a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his Distinguished Service Order in September 1918:
Russia
In the autumn of 1918, Sadleir-Jackson was rewarded for his war service with the presentation of the Legion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Star. The following year he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Despite these accolades, Sadleir-Jackson volunteered again in late 1918 to command the 2nd Brigade of the Russian Relief Force, a motley collection of units from the British Army, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Australian volunteers, French and US troops and White Russians. This force was intended to hold the vital Northern ports of Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
open for Allied cargo ships supplying the White Russian armies fighting in the region as part of the Allied intervention
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
In the event, Sadleir-Jackson found himself operating independently and frequently in overall charge of the North Russia Campaign
North Russia Campaign
The North Russia Intervention, also known as the Northern Russian Expedition, was part of the Allied Intervention in Russia after the October Revolution. The intervention brought about the involvement of foreign troops in the Russian Civil War on the side of the White movement...
which suffered from poor morale and supply and a lack of political direction. In a matter of months the situation was so critical that by September 1919 the entire force was evacuated, abandoning the region to the Bolshevik armies. Nevertheless, in the months of fighting which became particularly desperate in August 1919, Sadleir-Jackson's men performed well and fought hard, two Australian volunteers in the 45th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers even winning the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
: Corporal Arthur Percy Sullivan
Arthur Percy Sullivan
Arthur Percy Sullivan VC was a banker, soldier, and an Australian 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.-Early life:Arthur Percy Sullivan was born on 27 November 1896, at...
and Sergeant Samuel George Pearse. Sadleir-Jackson performed well in enough to be again Mentioned in Despatches and be given a brevet promotion to colonel at the close of the campaign.
Retirement
Returning from Russia exhausted, he was appointed to command a brigade of the Territorial Army from 20 June 1920–5 August 1921, receiving a substantive promotion to colonel to coincide with the start of the appointment. After this Sadleir-Jackson was transferred to a very different climate. Stationed in the newly-gained British colonial territories in the Middle East he became Inspector of Levies for the freshly raised colonial forces there, including the Assyrian LeviesAssyrian Levies
The Iraq Levies was the first Iraqi military forces established by the British in British controlled Iraq. The Iraq Levies were a most noteworthy feature of the Kingdom of Iraq, and especially of northern Iraq during the years of the mandate, and no account of the Assyrians or indeed of Iraq itself...
. In 1923 he left this post for England, and took retirement in 1925 after 27 years in the army. He pursued his interests during his retirement, being a keen huntsman
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
and big game hunter as well as an excellent polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player (in 1910 he co-wrote Hints on Polo Combination). He was also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
. In the late spring of 1932 he took a tour of the Somme battlefield
Somme River
The Somme is a river in Picardy, northern France. The name Somme comes from a Celtic word meaning tranquility. The department Somme was named after this river....
, including the site of his wound fourteen years earlier. On the 21 May 1932 he was driving near Peronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
when he encountered a farm cart in the road and swerved too vigorously to avoid it, leaving the road and colliding with an electric pylon which severed the left front wheel and threw the car over. Lionel Sadleir-Jackson died shortly afterward at Estrées-en-Chaussees as the result of massive head injuries.