William Forster (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
William Frederick Forster KH
(17 December 1798 – 8 June 1879) was a senior British Army
officer who went on to be Military Secretary.
, Forster was commissioned into the 85th Regiment of Foot
. In 1830 he was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber
for the Duke of Gloucester
.
He became Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland
in 1854. He was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General in 1855 and then Military Secretary in 1860 retiring from that post in 1871.
He was promoted to General
in 1874.
He was also Colonel
of the 81st Regiment of Foot. He died in 1879.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
William Frederick Forster KH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(17 December 1798 – 8 June 1879) was a senior 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 went on to be Military Secretary.
Military career
Brought up in Berwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
, Forster was commissioned into the 85th Regiment of Foot
85th Regiment of Foot
Three regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 85th Regiment of Foot:*85th Regiment of Foot , raised in 1759*85th Regiment of Foot , raised in 1779*85th Regiment of Foot , raised in 1793...
. In 1830 he was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber
Groom of the Chamber
Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles...
for the Duke of Gloucester
Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh was a member of the British Royal Family, a great-grandson of George II and nephew of George III.-Early life:...
.
He became Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1854. He was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General in 1855 and then Military Secretary in 1860 retiring from that post in 1871.
He was promoted to General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in 1874.
He was also Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 81st Regiment of Foot. He died in 1879.