Charles James Briggs
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir Charles James Briggs KCB
KCMG
(1865-1941) was a British Army
officer who held high command in World War I
.
Charles James Briggs JP DL
, Brigg's education took place largely abroad, including periods in France
and Germany
. He was commissioned into the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
on 30 January 1886 and served as ADC
to the General Officer Commanding
Egypt
from 1892 to 1893. He became Adjutant
of the 1st Dragoon Guards in November 1894 and Brigade Adjutant of 4th Cavalry Brigade in April 1897. He served in the Second Boer War
as Brigade Major of 3rd Cavalry Brigade and was wounded at the Battle of Magersfontein
. He went on to command 1st Imperial Light Horse and then the Mobile Column before transferring to the 6th Dragoons in July 1904.
He was appointed Commander of the Transvaal Volunteers in 1905 and took part in suppressing the Bambatha Rebellion
in 1906. He was appointed Commander of the South Eastern Mounted Brigade in 1910 and commanded the Blue cavalry in the Army Manoeuvres of 1912
. He served in World War I
initially as Commander of 1st Cavalry Brigade in the British Expeditionary Force where he took part in the action at Nery
. He commanded 3rd Cavalry Division from May 1915, the 28th Division in Salonika from October 1915 and XVI Corps
(later redesignated as the British Salonika Army
) from May 1916.
He was Chief of the British Military Mission to South Russia from February to June 1919 before retiring in February 1923. In retirement he was Colonel
of the King's Dragoon Guards from 16 March 1926 to 31 December 1939.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1865-1941) 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 held high command in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Military career
Born the son of ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Charles James Briggs JP DL
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....
, Brigg's education took place largely abroad, including periods in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was commissioned into the 1st King's Dragoon Guards
1st King's Dragoon Guards
The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I...
on 30 January 1886 and served as ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 1892 to 1893. He became Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the 1st Dragoon Guards in November 1894 and Brigade Adjutant of 4th Cavalry Brigade in April 1897. He served in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
as Brigade Major of 3rd Cavalry Brigade and was wounded at the Battle of Magersfontein
Battle of Magersfontein
The Battle of MagersfonteinSpelt incorrectly in various English texts as "Majersfontein", "Maaghersfontein" and "Maagersfontein". was fought on 11 December 1899, at Magersfontein near Kimberley on the borders of the Cape Colony and the independent republic of the Orange Free State...
. He went on to command 1st Imperial Light Horse and then the Mobile Column before transferring to the 6th Dragoons in July 1904.
He was appointed Commander of the Transvaal Volunteers in 1905 and took part in suppressing the Bambatha Rebellion
Bambatha Rebellion
The Bambatha Uprising was a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in Natal, South Africa, in 1906. The revolt was led by Bambatha kaMancinza The Bambatha Uprising was a Zulu revolt against British rule and taxation in Natal, South Africa, in 1906. The revolt was led by Bambatha kaMancinza...
in 1906. He was appointed Commander of the South Eastern Mounted Brigade in 1910 and commanded the Blue cavalry in the Army Manoeuvres of 1912
Army Manoeuvres of 1912
The Army Manoeuvres of 1912 was the last exercise of its kind conducted by the British army before the outbreak of the First World War. In the manoeuvres, Sir James Grierson decisively beat Douglas Haig, calling into question Haig's abilities as a field commander.J. E. B...
. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
initially as Commander of 1st Cavalry Brigade in the British Expeditionary Force where he took part in the action at Nery
Action at Néry
Néry is set in a north-south oriented valley around a small river, which feeds into the River Autonne to the north; it is overlooked from the east and west by high bluffs. The main landmark was a sugar factory, just south of the village, where L Battery were billeted; the cavalry regiments were...
. He commanded 3rd Cavalry Division from May 1915, the 28th Division in Salonika from October 1915 and XVI Corps
XVI Corps (United Kingdom)
The British XVI Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I.- History :British XVI Corps was formed in Salonika in January 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne. Milne was starved of resources by Sir William Robertson who considered all operations outside the Western Front to be...
(later redesignated as the British Salonika Army
British Salonika Army
The British Salonika Army was a British field army of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Army was formed in Salonika in May 1916 under Lieutenant General George Milne to oppose Bulgarian advances in the region as part of the Macedonian front...
) from May 1916.
He was Chief of the British Military Mission to South Russia from February to June 1919 before retiring in February 1923. In retirement he was Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the King's Dragoon Guards from 16 March 1926 to 31 December 1939.
Decorations
These include:- Knight Commander of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(military division) [K.C.B. cr. 1917] - Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George [K.C.M.G. cr. 1918]
- Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
- Commander of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the White Eagle with Swords (Serbia)
- Grand Commander of the Order of the RedeemerOrder of the RedeemerThe Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
(Greece) - Queen's South Africa MedalQueen's South Africa MedalThe Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
1899-1902 with 5 clasps - King's South Africa MedalKing's South Africa MedalThe King's South Africa Medal was awarded to all troops who served in the Boer War in South Africa on or after 1 January 1902, and completed 18 months service before 1 June 1902. The medal was not issued alone but always with the Queen's South Africa Medal or QSA.The KSA was awarded only to those...
1901-1902 with 2 clasps - Natal Rebellion Medal 1906 with clasp '1906'
- 1914-1915 Star
- British War MedalBritish War MedalThe British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
1914-1920 - Allied Victory MedalVictory Medal (United Kingdom)The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
1914-1919 with oak leaf - Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal 1897
- War Cross with palm (Greece)
- Medal of Military MeritMedal of Military Merit (Greece)The Medal of Military Merit is a military decoration of Greece. It was originally created in 1916 for wartime meritorious service, but post-World War II became a peace-time medal reserved for officers...
, 1st class GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....