Charles Ross (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Major-General Charles Ross (10 March 1864 – 21 December 1930), CB, DSO
, was a British Army
officer, active during the Boer War
and the First World War, where he commanded 6th Division from 1915 to 1917. He was the younger brother of Sir Ronald Ross
, who received the 1902 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the method by which malaria
was transmitted.
, would later become a medical researcher, and was eventually awarded the 1902 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on the transmission of malaria.
He was educated at Stubbington
, and joined the Norfolk Regiment in 1884. He was attached to the Egyptian Army
in 1893 and 1894, and attended the Staff College, Camberley
from 1897 to 1899. Shortly after leaving, he was posted to South Africa, following the outbreak of hostilities there, to act as a divisional signalling officer. He was then assigned to intelligence work on the staff, and remained in the country until July 1902, being mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
. In 1904 he was posted to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as an instructor, and in 1905 was transferred to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst as the commander of a cadet company. He remained at Sandhurst until January 1908, when he was posted to the Staff College as an instructor; he was well regarded as a lecturer by his students.
On 14 November 1915, he was appointed to command the 6th Division in the place of Walter Congreve, who had been promoted to command a corps. He commanded the division during the Battle of the Somme, where it was engaged in September and October 1916. He held command until 18 August 1917, when he was relieved. Whilst commanding the division, he was made a Companion of the Bath.
He married Clara Marion Horton, the widow of an officer in the Royal Artillery, in 1905; they had no children.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, 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, active 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 ....
and the First World War, where he commanded 6th Division from 1915 to 1917. He was the younger brother of Sir Ronald Ross
Ronald Ross
Sir Ronald Ross KCB FRS was a British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. He was the first Indian-born person to win a Nobel Prize...
, who received the 1902 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the method by which malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
was transmitted.
Early life
Ross was born in 1864, the third son of General Sir C. C. G. Ross. His eldest brother, RonaldRonald Ross
Sir Ronald Ross KCB FRS was a British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. He was the first Indian-born person to win a Nobel Prize...
, would later become a medical researcher, and was eventually awarded the 1902 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on the transmission of malaria.
He was educated at Stubbington
Stubbington House School
Stubbington House School was founded as a boys' preparatory school, originally located in the Hampshire village of Stubbington, now part of the borough of Fareham.The school was founded, in 1841, by Reverend William Foster, as "Foster's Naval Academy"...
, and joined the Norfolk Regiment in 1884. He was attached to the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
in 1893 and 1894, and attended the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
from 1897 to 1899. Shortly after leaving, he was posted to South Africa, following the outbreak of hostilities there, to act as a divisional signalling officer. He was then assigned to intelligence work on the staff, and remained in the country until July 1902, being mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. In 1904 he was posted to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as an instructor, and in 1905 was transferred to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst as the commander of a cadet company. He remained at Sandhurst until January 1908, when he was posted to the Staff College as an instructor; he was well regarded as a lecturer by his students.
First World War
During the early stages of the war, Ross commanded a brigade.On 14 November 1915, he was appointed to command the 6th Division in the place of Walter Congreve, who had been promoted to command a corps. He commanded the division during the Battle of the Somme, where it was engaged in September and October 1916. He held command until 18 August 1917, when he was relieved. Whilst commanding the division, he was made a Companion of the Bath.
Later life
Ross wrote three books stemming from his academic work: Representative Government and War (1904); The Problem of National Defence (1907); and An Outline of the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905 (1912). He also wrote fiction, publishing at five mystery novels: The Fly-By-Nights; The Haunted Seventh; Every Man's Hand; When the Devil Was Sick; and The Castle Fenham Case.He married Clara Marion Horton, the widow of an officer in the Royal Artillery, in 1905; they had no children.