Beauchamp Doran
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Beauchamp John Colclough Doran, CB, (24 September 1860 – 23 November 1943) was a British Army
officer who commanded the 25th Division
during the First World War. Commissioned in 1880, Doran saw service on the staff and with the Royal Irish Regiment
through a number of colonial campaigns in the late nineteenth century, culminating in command of a mobile column in the Boer War
, where he was seriously wounded. He then commanded a battalion of his regiment, followed by a brigade in the British Expeditionary Force. His brigade was mobilised in 1914, and he saw service during the first months of the First World War before being dismissed in October. He was later reinstated as commander of a brigade in the New Armies, and promoted to the 25th Division before it was sent to France in 1915; he led it on the Western Front
until June 1916, when he was relieved and sent home. From 1916 to 1918 he commanded the Army forces in southern Ireland, and then held an administrative post in France before retiring in 1920.
) in February. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
that same year, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1881. He later participated in the 1884-85 Nile Expedition
, where he was mentioned in despatches and given a brevet promotion to Major, in the Hazara Expedition of 1888, and in the Miranzai Expedition of 1891, where he acted as brigade major
. In November 1891 he was appointed to a staff position overseeing musketry standards in the Bengal Army
, transferring to the Punjab to take up the same post in 1895. In 1897, he was mentioned in despatches for his service in staff duties with the Kohat-Kurram expedition, and again in 1898 for his work as deputy assistant adjutant-general in the Tirah Expedition, both on the North-West Frontier
of India.
During the Boer War
he was first posted on staff duties, as a press censor
, and then made a brigade major. He commanded the garrison at Rustenburg in early 1900, and later oversaw the remount depot at Cape Town. He first saw field service in May 1901, when he was given command of a mounted column; that November, he was severely wounded and had a horse killed under him, but continued with the column until the end of the war. He was given a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel, twice mentioned in despatches, and made a Companion of the Bath.
and then assistant quartermaster-general of Irish Command, but returned to a field position in 1912, when he was appointed to command 8th Infantry Brigade, a regular unit on home service.
Doran was in command of 8th Brigade when the First World War broke out in August 1914, and the British Expeditionary Force was mobilised for service. His younger brother, W. R. B. Doran, also commanded a brigade of the Expeditionary Force; 17th Infantry Brigade in 6th Division. He took the brigade to France and commanded it through the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne
and the First Battle of the Aisne
. On 20 October, one of his battalions - the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment - was surrounded during the Battle of La Bassée
and effectively destroyed for lack of support; on 23 October, he was relieved of command of 8th Brigade and sent home.
The following month, Doran was assigned to command 68th Brigade, a group of volunteer New Army
battalions in 23rd Division. He was promoted to major-general in February 1915, and in May was given command of the 25th Division
, another New Army formation completing its training in England. He took it to France that September, where it moved into a quiet sector of the line in late 1915. It remained in quiet sectors until May 1916, when it was moved south to Vimy Ridge, and was involved in defending against a German attack. Doran was relieved of command the following month, and transferred to home service as the commander of the Southern District in Ireland. In 1919 he was appointed to command No. 5 Area in France as part of the demobilisation of the Army, and retired in 1920. Through the War, he had been mentioned in despatches four times.
for the county of Wexford
, serving from 1920 to 1921, and as a Deputy Lieutenant
for the same county. He lived in Wexford through his retirement, at Ely House; during the unrest leading up to the outbreak of the Irish Civil War
, in May 1922, he was arrested and beaten by men rumoured to represent the Provisional Government
. After Mary's death in 1932, he remarried an American, Florence Fairchild. He died in 1943, aged 83.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Beauchamp John Colclough Doran, CB, (24 September 1860 – 23 November 1943) was a 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 commanded the 25th Division
25th Division (United Kingdom)
The 25th Division of the British Army was raised for the Third New Army during September 1914. It served on the Western Front for most of the First World War. The component units were assembled around Salisbury and moved to Aldershot in May 1915 to complete their training...
during the First World War. Commissioned in 1880, Doran saw service on the staff and with the Royal Irish Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)
The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th Regiment of Foot and the 18th Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in...
through a number of colonial campaigns in the late nineteenth century, culminating in command of a mobile column in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, where he was seriously wounded. He then commanded a battalion of his regiment, followed by a brigade in the British Expeditionary Force. His brigade was mobilised in 1914, and he saw service during the first months of the First World War before being dismissed in October. He was later reinstated as commander of a brigade in the New Armies, and promoted to the 25th Division before it was sent to France in 1915; he led it on the Western Front
Western Front
Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the east and the Allies to the west...
until June 1916, when he was relieved and sent home. From 1916 to 1918 he commanded the Army forces in southern Ireland, and then held an administrative post in France before retiring in 1920.
Early career
The eldest son of General Sir John Doran, Beauchamp Doran joined the 16th Regiment of Foot in January 1880, transferring to the 18th Foot (shortly to become the Royal Irish RegimentRoyal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)
The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th Regiment of Foot and the 18th Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in...
) in February. He served with the 1st Battalion in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
that same year, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1881. He later participated in the 1884-85 Nile Expedition
Nile Expedition
The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition , was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to the Sudan to help Egyptians evacuate from Sudan after Britain decided to abandon the country in the face of a...
, where he was mentioned in despatches and given a brevet promotion to Major, in the Hazara Expedition of 1888, and in the Miranzai Expedition of 1891, where he acted as brigade major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
. In November 1891 he was appointed to a staff position overseeing musketry standards in the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
, transferring to the Punjab to take up the same post in 1895. In 1897, he was mentioned in despatches for his service in staff duties with the Kohat-Kurram expedition, and again in 1898 for his work as deputy assistant adjutant-general in the Tirah Expedition, both on the North-West Frontier
North-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
of India.
During the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
he was first posted on staff duties, as a press censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, and then made a brigade major. He commanded the garrison at Rustenburg in early 1900, and later oversaw the remount depot at Cape Town. He first saw field service in May 1901, when he was given command of a mounted column; that November, he was severely wounded and had a horse killed under him, but continued with the column until the end of the war. He was given a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel, twice mentioned in despatches, and made a Companion of the Bath.
Senior command
After the end of hostilities in South Africa, Doran returned home to marry Mary MacGeough Bond, a widow; the couple would be married for thirty years before Mary's death, but with no children. In 1904, he was posted to command his battalion, the 1st Royal Irish Regiment, with a brevet promotion to colonel in 1905. He moved to staff duties in 1908, as assistant adjutant-general of Southern CommandSouthern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
and then assistant quartermaster-general of Irish Command, but returned to a field position in 1912, when he was appointed to command 8th Infantry Brigade, a regular unit on home service.
Doran was in command of 8th Brigade when the First World War broke out in August 1914, and the British Expeditionary Force was mobilised for service. His younger brother, W. R. B. Doran, also commanded a brigade of the Expeditionary Force; 17th Infantry Brigade in 6th Division. He took the brigade to France and commanded it through the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
and the First Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
. On 20 October, one of his battalions - the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment - was surrounded during the Battle of La Bassée
Battle of La Bassée
The Battle of La Bassée was a battle between British and German forces in northern France in October 1914, and was part of the Race to the Sea....
and effectively destroyed for lack of support; on 23 October, he was relieved of command of 8th Brigade and sent home.
The following month, Doran was assigned to command 68th Brigade, a group of volunteer New Army
Kitchener's Army
The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob, was an all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in the First World War...
battalions in 23rd Division. He was promoted to major-general in February 1915, and in May was given command of the 25th Division
25th Division (United Kingdom)
The 25th Division of the British Army was raised for the Third New Army during September 1914. It served on the Western Front for most of the First World War. The component units were assembled around Salisbury and moved to Aldershot in May 1915 to complete their training...
, another New Army formation completing its training in England. He took it to France that September, where it moved into a quiet sector of the line in late 1915. It remained in quiet sectors until May 1916, when it was moved south to Vimy Ridge, and was involved in defending against a German attack. Doran was relieved of command the following month, and transferred to home service as the commander of the Southern District in Ireland. In 1919 he was appointed to command No. 5 Area in France as part of the demobilisation of the Army, and retired in 1920. Through the War, he had been mentioned in despatches four times.
Retirement
In retirement, Doran was appointed the High SheriffHigh Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
for the county of Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
, serving from 1920 to 1921, and as a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the same county. He lived in Wexford through his retirement, at Ely House; during the unrest leading up to the outbreak of the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, in May 1922, he was arrested and beaten by men rumoured to represent the Provisional Government
Provisional Government of Southern Ireland
The provisional Government of Southern Ireland was the provisional government for the administration of Southern Ireland between 16 January 1922 and 6 December 1922. The government was effectively a transitional administration for the period between the ratifying of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the...
. After Mary's death in 1932, he remarried an American, Florence Fairchild. He died in 1943, aged 83.