Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

Sir Arthur Thomas Sloggett, (24 November 1857 – 27 November 1929) was a medical doctor and

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer. He served as

Director General Army Medical Services Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

in 1914 and Director-General of the Medical Services of the British Armies in the Field during

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Biography

He was the son of the late Inspector-General W. H. Sloggett, R.N., and of his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Cornish-Crossing J.P., of Stoke Damerel, Devon. Sloggett was educated at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. Entering into the army as surgeon on 5 February 1881, he was soon promoted to Surgeon Captain and then Surgeon Major on 5 February 1893. In the Dongola Campaign of 1896, he served as senior medical officer of British Troops, was

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

in November 1896, and was specially promoted to surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel on 18 November 1896. During the

Mahdist War The Mahdist War (; 1881–1899) was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later th ...

, he served as Senior Medical Officer of the 1st Brigade, British Division, and took part in the battle of Omdurman. He was dangerously wounded, when his horse was shot from under him, and he himself was shot through the chest by a bullet. For his services in the

Nile Expedition The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition (1884–1885), was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to Sudan to help the Egyptians withdraw their garr ...

he was mentioned in despatched in September 1898, and was specially promoted to the higher rate of pay of Lieutenant-Colonel on 16 October 1898. He also received the Egyptian medal with a clasp; a third class of the

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie (, August 29, 1852 – 1922) was a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the order was awarded in five classes, with the Firs ...

; and the fourth class of the Osmanieh. He was appointed a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusulem on 7 March 1900. Sloggett then served in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

from 1899 to 1902, first in charge of the Imperial Yeomanry hospital, afterwards as principal medical officer of a general hospital, and then as commandant of Deelfontein district and as Deputy Administrator for Cape Colony. He took part in operations in the Transvaal, the Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony. He was mentioned in dispatches in 1901, and received the Queen’s medal with three clasps, the King’s medal with two clasps, and was invested as a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

on 9 September 1903. He was promoted to Surgeon-General on 13 May 1908, and then between 24 July 1908 and 30 December 1911 was Principal Medical Officer,

6th (Poona) Division The 6th (Poona) Division was a division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903, following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. World War I The 6th (Poona) Division served in the Mesopotamian campaign. Led by Major General Ba ...

in Bombay,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. In 1910 he was invested as a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

on 31 December 1911. He was appointed Principal Medical Officer at headquarters in India and Director of Medical Services in India. Sloggett also became an Honorary Surgeon to the King. On 1 June 1914, he was appointed Director General of the Army Medical Services, with the rank of Lieutenant-General. 1917 A T Sloggett

Two months after his appointment as Director-General, the

started. He was sent to France on 28 October 1914, taking up the roll of Director-General of Medical Services of the British Expeditionary Force and Chief Commissioner of the

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society () is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with 1 ...

Society and St John Ambulance Association. The responsibility of dealing with and organising the whole of the medical services at home and abroad became too much for him and caused him to become ill. It was decided, therefore, that Sloggett should remain the Director-General on active service abroad and

Sir Alfred Keogh Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Henry Keogh, (3 July 1857 – 30 July 1936), was an Irish medical doctor in the British Army. He served as Director-General Army Medical Services twice; from 1905 to 1910 and 1914 to 1918. Early life Keogh was bo ...

rejoined the services from retirement to become Director-General on the duties at home. Sloggett remained in France for nearly four years, until June 1918, when his four years’ term of office as Director-General came to an end. For his service during the war he was mentioned in dispatches seven times. He was made a

Knight of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

and awarded the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1915, the Order of King Leopold of Belgium, Commander (3rd class) in 1916, and was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and a

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

in 1917. In 1917, he was also elected a

Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...

of England. Sir Arthur Thomas Sloggett died suddenly while walking with his son near Regent's Park. He is buried in

St Peter's Church, Petersham St Peter's Church is the parish church of the village of Petersham, London, Petersham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, Diocese of Southwark in the Church of England. The main body o ...

, together with his wife Helen (d 1939).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloggett, Arthur 1857 births 1929 deaths Burials in South East England British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of the Mahdist War British Army lieutenant generals Alumni of King's College London Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 3rd class Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 20th-century English medical doctors Royal Army Medical Corps officers British Army generals of World War I