Charles Kavanagh

Lieutenant General Sir Charles Toler MacMorrough Kavanagh, (25 March 1864 – 11 October 1950) was a British Army officer who commanded the Cavalry Corps during the First World War, most notably at the Battle of Amiens in 1918.

Early life and military career

Kavanagh was born in March 1864 in Borris, County Carlow, the son of Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, The MacMorrough and Mary Frances Forde-Leathley. He received his education at Harrow School before going on to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1882, from where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 3rd Dragoon Guards of the British Army in February 1884, although he transferred to the 10th Hussars just two weeks later. In March 1889 he was seconded from his regiment and sent to Jamaica where he served for a time as aide-de-camp to the governor of Jamaica, Henry Arthur Blake.

In 1890 he returned to the 10th Hussars to assume command of a troop and was promoted to captain in April 1891. In June 1895 he was appointed adjutant to the 6th Yeomanry Brigade (Prince Albert's Own Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry and Derbyshire Yeomanry Cavalry).

He served in the Second Boer War, which began in October 1899, as commanding officer (CO) of the 10th Hussars, and was promoted to major in January 1900, and then to the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel in November of that year. While in command of a mobile column, Kavanagh vigorously pursued Jan Smuts, who later admitted that Kavanagh had in fact come closer than anyone else in capturing him.

Following the end of the war in May 1902, Kavanagh, now nicknamed Major Push-Along by the men under his command, returned to the United Kingdom in the "SS Dunottar Castle", which arrived at Southampton in July 1902. He was mentioned in dispatches by Lord Kitchener in his final despatch, dated 23 June 1902, and received the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his exemplary services in the war.

He was made second-in-command of the 10th Hussars, now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lord Byng, which was sent to India. While there, Kavanagh played polo for his regiment. In May 1904 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the regiment from Byng, remaining in this appointment until 1908, during which time he was promoted to brevet colonel in August 1905. The next year saw him promoted to colonel. In May 1909, after four years commanding the regiment, he relinquished command and was placed on half-pay. In May 1909 he was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general and succeeded Major General The Hon. Julian Byng as commander of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, then stationed in Aldershot, Hampshire, as part of Aldershot Command.

He commanded the brigade for four years until May 1913 when he went on half-pay. His next assignment came in December in India as commander of the Fyzabad Brigade, part of the 8th (Lucknow) Division. He was promoted once more the next month to temporary brigadier general and assumed command of the brigade from Major General John B. Forster.

First World War

The British entry into World War I in August 1914 found Kavanagh on leave in England. Shortly afterwards, on 10 September, he took over the newly formed 7th Cavalry Brigade and departed with the British Expeditionary Force for service in France, where he would serve with distinction, most notably at the First Battle of Ypres. It was here that his skills in leadership made a difference and brought his brigade up to a high standard. He led a counterattack in early November and which many people believe saved Ypres and the BEF.

In February 1915 Kavanagh was promoted to major-general and three months later he was made the general officer commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Cavalry Division. His time with the division was short, however, and, after playing a distinctive role in the Second Battle of Ypres, Kavanagh became GOC of the 5th Division, one of the original Regular Army divisions of the BEF. Holding this post until March 1916, where he was very active in the front lines and frequently seeing to the wellbeing of his men, he then received promotion to temporary lieutenant-general in April and took command of I Corps from Sir Hubert Gough. Again, however, his period in command was destined to be short, lasting only until July, although in his fairly short time with the corps he managed to irritate many of his division commanders with his interferences into the front lines.

In August Kavanagh was asked to reform the Cavalry Corps which had been broken up earlier in the year. He was to remain as its GOC until after the end of the war, which came to an end on 11 November 1918. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in January 1917 and in 1919 a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, and was also granted the French Legion of Honour that year as well.

Post-war and final years

He retired from the army in March 1920, with the honorary rank of lieutenant general, after well over thirty-five years of continuous service. In retirement he became Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor.Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.

He died on 11 October 1950, at the age of 86.

Family

In 1895 he married Mary Perry; they had two daughters.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kavanagh, Charles
1864 births
1950 deaths
British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
British Army lieutenant generals
British Army cavalry generals of World War I
British people of Irish descent
Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
People educated at Harrow School
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
3rd Dragoon Guards officers
10th Royal Hussars officers
Military personnel from County Carlow
People from Borris, County Carlow
Irish officers in the British Army
British recipients of the Legion of Honour