Douglas Dawson
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General Sir Douglas Frederick Rawdon Dawson (25 April 1854 – 20 January 1933), GCVO
, KCB
, CMG
, was a British Army
general officer.
He was the second son of the Hon. Thomas Vesey Dawson, an officer of the Coldstream Guards who was killed at the Battle of Inkerman
. His
paternal grandfather was Richard Thomas Dawson, 2nd Baron Cremorne. His older brother, Vesey John Dawson
, was also a British Army officer.
He attended Eton College
, and then joined the Coldstream Guards
in 1874, attending the Staff College
in 1881. He saw service with the Egyptian Campaign of 1882, where he fought at the battles of Mahuta, Kassassin
, Tel el-Kebir and the capture of Cairo. In the Nile Expedition
of 1884-85, he was part of the Guards' Camel Corps, was mentioned in despatches, and saw action at the Battle of Abu Klea
.
He was then appointed a Military Attaché from 1895 to 1901, posted to Austria-Hungary, Serbia, France, Belgium and Switzerland, before returning to the United Kingdom as Master of the Ceremonies
to King Edward VII from 1903-1907 and then as a Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain's Department.
On the outbreak of the First World War he received a War Office appointment as ADPS from 1914 to 1915, and was appointed Inspector of Vulnerable Points at GHQ
from 1916 to 1919, in which role he was again mentioned in despatches. After the War, in 1920, he resigned his position as Comptroller and was appointed State Chamberlain, holding the office until 1924.
Partly as a result of his diplomatic career, he held a number of foreign decorations, including the Iron Crown of Austria (Knight Commander); the Turkish Order of Medjidie (3rd class); the Danish Order of Dannebrog (Grand Cross); the Japanese Grand Cross Sacred Treasure and Grand Cross Rising Sun; the Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy; and the Grand Cross of the Crown of Romania. He also served as the Registrar and Secretary to the Order of the Bath
, and the Secretary to the Order of the Garter
.
He married Aimée Evelyn Pirie, formerly Mrs. Oakley in 1903, who was named Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
in 1918. Sir Douglas and Lady Aimée Dawson lived at Medmenham Abbey in Buckinghamshire
. Their daughter, Rosemary, married Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon Erskine-Crum
; the couple had one son, Brigadier Douglas Erskine Crum.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, KCB
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...
, CMG
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....
, 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...
general officer.
He was the second son of the Hon. Thomas Vesey Dawson, an officer of the Coldstream Guards who was killed at the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
. His
paternal grandfather was Richard Thomas Dawson, 2nd Baron Cremorne. His older brother, Vesey John Dawson
Vesey John Dawson
Major-General Vesey John Dawson , CVO, was a British Army general officer.He was the eldest son of the Hon. Thomas Vesey Dawson, an officer of the Coldstream Guards who was killed at the Battle of Inkerman; his father was the son of Richard Thomas Dawson, 2nd Baron Cremorne, and his mother the...
, was also a British Army officer.
He attended Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and then joined the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in 1874, attending the Staff College
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
in 1881. He saw service with the Egyptian Campaign of 1882, where he fought at the battles of Mahuta, Kassassin
Kassassin
Kassassin is a village of Lower Egypt by rail, west of Ismailia on the Suez Canal. At this place, on 28 August and again on 9 September 1882 the British force operating against Urabi Pasha was attacked by the Egyptians. Both attacks were repulsed....
, Tel el-Kebir and the capture of Cairo. In the 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...
of 1884-85, he was part of the Guards' Camel Corps, was mentioned in despatches, and saw action at the Battle of Abu Klea
Battle of Abu Klea
The Battle of Abu Klea took place between the dates of 16 and 18 January 1885, at Abu Klea, Sudan, between the British Desert Column and Mahdist forces encamped near Abu Klea...
.
He was then appointed a Military Attaché from 1895 to 1901, posted to Austria-Hungary, Serbia, France, Belgium and Switzerland, before returning to the United Kingdom as Master of the Ceremonies
Master of the Ceremonies
The office of Master of the Ceremonies was established by King James I/VI. The master's duties were to receive foreign dignitaries and present them to the monarch at court...
to King Edward VII from 1903-1907 and then as a Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain's Department.
On the outbreak of the First World War he received a War Office appointment as ADPS from 1914 to 1915, and was appointed Inspector of Vulnerable Points at GHQ
GHQ
GHQ from General Headquarters, may refer to:*a high level military command center, see headquarters**GHQ India - headquarters of the British India Army...
from 1916 to 1919, in which role he was again mentioned in despatches. After the War, in 1920, he resigned his position as Comptroller and was appointed State Chamberlain, holding the office until 1924.
Partly as a result of his diplomatic career, he held a number of foreign decorations, including the Iron Crown of Austria (Knight Commander); the Turkish Order of Medjidie (3rd class); the Danish Order of Dannebrog (Grand Cross); the Japanese Grand Cross Sacred Treasure and Grand Cross Rising Sun; the Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy; and the Grand Cross of the Crown of Romania. He also served as the Registrar and Secretary to the Order of the Bath
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...
, and the Secretary to the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
.
He married Aimée Evelyn Pirie, formerly Mrs. Oakley in 1903, who was named Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1918. Sir Douglas and Lady Aimée Dawson lived at Medmenham Abbey in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Their daughter, Rosemary, married Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon Erskine-Crum
Vernon Erskine-Crum
Lieutenant-General Vernon Forbes Erskine-Crum, CIE, MC was a British Army officer, who briefly served as General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the early period of the Troubles.-Regimental career:...
; the couple had one son, Brigadier Douglas Erskine Crum.