Major-General Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton, (27 June 1861 – 14 October 1914) was a senior

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 who served with distinction throughout his career, seeing battle in 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 ...

in Egypt and 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 ...

in South Africa, before being given command of the 3rd Division at the outbreak of the

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 ...

. Just two and a half months later, at the height of the race for the Sea, Hamilton was killed by artillery fire while surveying the front line, the first British divisional commander to be killed in action during the conflict. He had received several honours for his service and was popular amongst his men, who nicknamed him "Hammy" and expressed sorrow at his death; each regiment in his division despatched representatives to his funeral, despite being involved in heavy fighting less than a mile away.

Early life

Born on 27 June 1861, Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton was the son of General Henry Meade Hamilton, and one of four brothers to enter military service, including Major General Sir Bruce Meade Hamilton. As children the Hamilton brothers were surrounded by military figures; in addition to their father, their brother-in-law was Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, who was killed in action at the

battle of Majuba Hill The Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the final and decisive battle of the First Boer War that was a resounding victory for the Boers. The British Major General Sir George Pomeroy Colley occupied the summit of the hill on the night ...

in 1881.Lt-Gen. Henry Meade Hamilton
''thePeerage.com'', retrieved 24 August 2007 Hamilton was educated at

Haileybury and Imperial Service College Haileybury is a co-educational public school (fee-charging boarding and day school for 11- to 18-year-olds) located in Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire. It is a member of the Rugby Group and enrols pupils at the 11+, 13+ and 16+ stages of edu ...

and, following attendance at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, entered service with the 2nd Foot Regiment (

Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Arm ...

) in July 1880.Old Haileyburians Who Died in the Service of Their Country 1914
, ''Haileybury School'', retrieved 24 August 2007

Military career

Kitchener at the Peace Conference that ended the Second Boer War

In the early 1880s Hamilton travelled to

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 ...

with his regiment, and there was involved in the Burma Expedition from 1886 to 1888, remaining in the country as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

of his regiment from 1886 to 1890 and winning the campaign medal with two clasps.P.69-70, ''Bloody Red Tabs'', Davies & Maddocks He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in December 1890. By 1896, after having attended the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

, he was back in England, and was appointed an aide-de-camp to Major-General Thomas Kelly-Kenny, commanding an infantry brigade at

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough, Hampshire, Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the village of Aldershot, ...

. In the following year, Hamilton was involved in the

, when he accompanied Sir Herbert Kitchener's army against the Mahdist forces, fighting at the

battle of Atbara The Battle of Atbara also known as the Battle of the Atbara River took place during the Mahdist War. Anglo-Egyptian forces defeated 15,000 Mahdists on the banks of the River Atbara. The battle proved to be the turning point in the reconquest of S ...

, the

battle of Omdurman The Battle of Omdurman, also known as the Battle of Karary, was fought during the Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan between a British–Egyptian expeditionary force commanded by British Commander-in-Chief (sirdar) major general Horatio Herbert ...

and, in November 1899 as Deputy Adjutant general, in the final advance against the

Khalifa ''Khalifa'' or ''Khalifah'' (; commonly "caliph" in English) is a name or title which means "successor", "ruler" or "leader". It most commonly refers to the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups ...

during the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat. He 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 ...

(5 September 1898) and rewarded for his service with the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO) and the Imperial Ottoman Order (Fourth Class) from the

Khedive of Egypt The Khedivate of Egypt ( or , ; ') was an autonomous tributary state of the Ottoman Empire, established and ruled by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty following the defeat and expulsion of Napoleon Bonaparte's forces which brought an end to the short-li ...

. In late 1899 Hamilton left Egypt and was immediately engaged in another war, against the

Boers Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...

in South Africa, where he was again appointed aide-de-camp to Major-General Kelly-Kenny, by now commander of the 6th Division. From January 1900 he was a staff officer with the role of deputy assistant adjutant-general, and performed so well in this position that he was advanced to assistant adjutant-general in July 1900 and recommended to Lord Kitchener as a personal aide-de-camp and military secretary from November 1900. He was engaged in operations in the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( ; ) was an independent Boer-ruled sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeated and surrendered to the British Em ...

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

and

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

and also saw action at the

battle of Paardeberg The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain", 18–27 February 1900) was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near ''Paardeberg Ford (crossing), Drift'' on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free St ...

, for which he was mentioned in dispatches three times (31 March 1900, 16 April 1901, 29 July 1902) and awarded the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

with four clasps and

King's South Africa Medal The King's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to all British and Colonial military personnel who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa, and who were in the theatre on or after 1 January 1902 and who had completed 18 m ...

with two clasps.Hamilton, HIW
, ''Anglo Boer War, pre-war DSO recipients'', retrieved 27 October 2007 For his field service, he was appointed aide-de-camp to the King, and given a brevet promotion to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. With the war's successful conclusion, Hamilton returned home in June 1902, carrying the peace despatches from Lord Kitchener to the government and the King, who received him at Windsor Castle. Less than six months later, Hamilton accompanied Kitchener to India, again as his military secretary, and received the substantive rank of colonel on 28 November 1902. In February 1906 he left Kitchener's service and returned to England to assume command of the 7th Infantry Brigade, and with it came the temporary rank of brigadier general, He was made 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 ...

(CB) in June. In October 1908 Hamilton left the 7th Brigade for a temporary promotion to major general and an appointment as chief of the general staff in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

, in succession to Major General John Maxwell. In April 1909 he was made a

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 ...

(CVO). In June his rank of major general became substantive. His last peacetime appointment was in England, commanding the North Midland Division of the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

(TF) from January 1911, taking over from Brigadier General

Hugh Archdale Brigadier-General Hugh James Archdale (15 January 1854 – 31 August 1921) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Cheltenham College, Archdale was commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1875. After serving in Sudan, Bu ...

. Hamilton then received command of the 3rd Division, which his brother Bruce had commanded a decade earlier, from Major General Henry Rawlinson in June 1914.

First World War

At the outbreak of the

, just weeks after becoming GOC, Hamilton immediately took his division to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the II Corps, which was then commanded by General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, who admired Hamilton. During August and September, Hamilton's force was almost continuously engaged, fighting at the

battle of Mons The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force (World War I), British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the First World War. It was a subsidiary action of the Battle of the Frontiers, in which the Allies of World W ...

, Le Cateau and along the lines of the Marne River. In exhausting combat, casualties were massive and Hamilton came close to death on 26 September when a shell landed just feet away from where he and two other generals were discussing operations. Luckily for them however, the munition did not detonate. Despite the often difficult conditions of the fighting, Hamilton shared his men's hardships and was frequently in the front line, earning the affectionate nickname of "Hammy" from his subordinates.Centre for First World War Studies
, ''University of Birmingham'', retrieved 24 August 2007 Hamilton's luck did not last. As British, French and German units raced for the

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

coast during the race for the Sea, Hamilton's division was in the vanguard and was heavily engaged in the opening weeks of October. On 14 October, Hamilton and several aides-de-camp traveled to the village of La Couture near

Béthune Béthune ( ; archaic and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a town in northern France, Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department. Geography Béthune is located in the Provinces of Fran ...

on the front lines to witness the situation and had just dismounted from their horses when a large shrapnel shell detonated yards overhead. The officers who accompanied him were unhurt but a single bullet entered Major General Hamilton's forehead, killing him instantly. One of Hamilton's aides,

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...

, son of the-then Brigadier General Walter Congreve VC (and who would himself go on to win the VC almost two years later), wrote in his diary: Hamilton was buried in the churchyard at La Couture, against the church wall with General Smith-Dorrien in attendance and a representative of each regiment in the division as an honour guard. The only light was provided by car headlamps, and shellfire occasionally forced the chaplain to pause in the service. Indeed, fighting was so close during the brief ceremony that enemy bullets occasionally struck the walls and nearby graves, although none of the mourners were hit. General Smith-Dorrien concluded the service with the words "Indeed a true soldier's grave. God rest his soul."

Legacy

Once the fighting had moved on, Hamilton's body was exhumed and returned to England, before being reburied at St Martin's Church in Cheriton.Major-General Hubert Ian Wetherall Hamilton
''Commonwealth War Graves Commission'', retrieved 24 August 2007 His gravestone quotes a verse from Australian poet

Adam Lindsay Gordon Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...

. A memorial tablet bearing his portrait in profile was placed inside the same church. A large plaque was also dedicated to him anonymously in St Peter's Church at

Marchington Marchington is a small village in East Staffordshire, England. It lies between the towns of Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. Marchington has a small community-run shop, a first school, two churches and two pubs. The population of the village w ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

(where he lived before the war) stating "I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept faith". Years after his death his collected papers, mainly pertaining to the Second Boer War, were donated to the

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives (LHCMA) at King's College London was set up in 1964. The Centre holds the private papers of over 700 senior British defence personnel who held office since 1900. Individual collections range in size fr ...

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 ...

, where they are still available.Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
''King's College London'', retrieved 24 August 2007

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Hubert 1861 births 1914 deaths Burials in Kent British Army major generals British Army generals of World War I British military personnel killed in World War I British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Burmese War British Army personnel of the Mahdist War British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College Queen's Royal Regiment officers People from the Borough of East Staffordshire Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley