Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Frederick Crofton Heath-Caldwell, (''né'' Heath: 21 February 1858 – 18 September 1945) was a senior

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer, who also served in the early

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF). Joining the Royal Engineers in 1877, he saw active service during the

Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt (1882), also known as Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. It ...

, the Mahdist War, and the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he was posted to the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

as Director of Military Training (1914–1916), served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

(1916–1918), and, in what was to be his final military appointment, served as GOC South East Area in the newly created Royal Air Force (1918–1919). In retirement, he was a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

in Chester.

Personal and family life

Heath-Caldwell was the second son of Vice Admiral

Sir Leopold Heath Vice Admiral Sir Leopold George Heath KCB (18 November 1817 – 7 May 1907) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station. Naval career Heath joined the Royal Navy in 1830 and was involved in the capture o ...

. He took the name Heath-Caldwell after inheriting the Linley Wood estate in

Talke Talke is a village in Staffordshire, England, northwest of Newcastle-under-Lyme and southwest of Kidsgrove. Population details taken at the 2011 census can be found under Kidsgrove. Etymology Its unusual name is derived from the even more ...

, Staffordshire in 1913 from a great aunt. In 1889, he married Constance Mary Helsham-Jones, daughter of Colonel Henry Helsham-Jones. They had two sons: Cuthbert Helsham Heath-Caldwell (1889-1979), a decorated Royal Navy officer, and Martin Frederick Heath-Caldwell (1893-1915), who was killed in action during the First World War. A keen sportsman, he played in the 1878 FA Cup Final as part of the

Royal Engineers A.F.C. The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the 'Sappers', of the British Army and based in Chatham, Kent. In the 1870s, it was one of the strongest sides in English foo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heath-Caldwell, Frederick 1858 births 1945 deaths Royal Engineers officers Royal Air Force generals of World War I British Army generals of World War I British Army personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War British Army personnel of the Mahdist War British Army personnel of the Second Boer War English justices of the peace Companions of the Order of the Bath Royal Engineers A.F.C. players Association football midfielders English footballers FA Cup Final players