Vere Bonamy Fane
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Sir Vere Bonamy Fane KCB KCIE (1863–1924) was an officer in the British Army
and British Indian Army
. He served in the Boxer Rebellion
and First World War.
in the Manchester Regiment in November 1884 and in March 1888 transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps of the British Indian Army
. Promoted to Captain
in November 1895 he served on the staff of the Indian Cavalry Bridge that formed part of the China Field Force during the Boxer Rebellion
. Mentioned in Despatches during the campaign by Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee
Fane was promoted to Major and became a brevet Lieutenant Colonel in 1903. He was further brevetted to Colonel in 1909 when he was appointed Commandant
(Commanding Officer) of the 21st Punjabi Regiment
. Substantive promotions to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel followed and on the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed as temporary Brigadier General
commanding the Jhelum Brigade. Fane was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1914.
In 1915 Fane was commanding officer of the Bannu Brigade
on the North West Frontier and in recognition for his actions during the attack on Miranshah
in March he was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. Fane was promoted to Major General on 3 September 1916, and served in the campaigns in Palestine
and Mesopotamia
. His service in these campaigns earned him promotion to Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, and two awards from foreign governments; the Croix de Guerre and the Order of the Nile (2nd class)
. He was also Mentioned in Despatches twice more, on 15 August 1917, and on 27 August 1918.
On 5 July 1918 Fane became Colonel of the 21st Punjabis (a ceremonial appointment), and in 1920 also Colonel of the Manchester Regiment. He continued to serve with the Indian Army, being a district commander in Burma. Two further honours followed, promotion to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in January 1921 and appointment as Knight of Grace of Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
. At his own request he relinquished his appointment with the army in Burma in April 1924 but died shortly after and was buried in Fulbeck
, Lincolnshire.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Sir Vere Bonamy Fane KCB KCIE (1863–1924) was an officer in 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...
and British Indian Army
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...
. He served in the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
and First World War.
Career
Vere Fane was commissioned as a LieutenantLieutenant
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 the Manchester Regiment in November 1884 and in March 1888 transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps of the British Indian Army
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...
. Promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in November 1895 he served on the staff of the Indian Cavalry Bridge that formed part of the China Field Force during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
. Mentioned in Despatches during the campaign by Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee
Alfred Gaselee
Sir Alfred Gaselee, GCB, GCIE, was a soldier who reached the rank of General in the British Indian Army.-Personal life:...
Fane was promoted to Major and became a brevet Lieutenant Colonel in 1903. He was further brevetted to Colonel in 1909 when he was appointed Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
(Commanding Officer) of the 21st Punjabi Regiment
21st Punjabis
The 21st Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 21st Punjabis in 1903 and became 10th Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 14th Punjab...
. Substantive promotions to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel followed and on the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed as temporary Brigadier General
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
commanding the Jhelum Brigade. Fane was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1914.
In 1915 Fane was commanding officer of the Bannu Brigade
Bannu Brigade
The Bannu Brigade was formed after the 1903 reforms of the British Indian Army by Herbert Kitchener when he was Commander-in-Chief, India. The brigade was part of the Northern Army and deployed along the North West Frontier...
on the North West Frontier and in recognition for his actions during the attack on Miranshah
Operations in the Tochi
The Operations in the Tochi were carried out by Indian Army during World War I on the North West Frontier. The Tochi river flows East from the tribal territories, through North Waziristan, to join the Kurram and the Indus rivers...
in March he was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. Fane was promoted to Major General on 3 September 1916, and served in the campaigns in Palestine
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. His service in these campaigns earned him promotion to Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire, and two awards from foreign governments; the Croix de Guerre and the Order of the Nile (2nd class)
Order of the Nile
The Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
. He was also Mentioned in Despatches twice more, on 15 August 1917, and on 27 August 1918.
On 5 July 1918 Fane became Colonel of the 21st Punjabis (a ceremonial appointment), and in 1920 also Colonel of the Manchester Regiment. He continued to serve with the Indian Army, being a district commander in Burma. Two further honours followed, promotion to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in January 1921 and appointment as Knight of Grace of Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. At his own request he relinquished his appointment with the army in Burma in April 1924 but died shortly after and was buried in Fulbeck
Fulbeck
Fulbeck is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the A607, north from Grantham and north-west from Sleaford. To the north is Leadenham, and to the south is Caythorpe.-Toponymy:...
, Lincolnshire.