Herbert Cyril Thacker
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Herbert Cyril Thacker, CB
CMG DSO
(16 September 1870 – 2 June 1953) was a Canadian
soldier and Chief of the General Staff
, the head of the Canadian Army
from 1927 until 1929.
, India
. His attended Upper Canada College
in Toronto
and, in 1887, he graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada
. Commissioned in the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1891, he conducted survey work in western Canada for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He was promoted to Lieutenant
in 1893.
His service in the Second Boer War
of 1900 in the Canadian Field Artillery led to the award of the Queen’s medal with three clasps.
From 1904 to 1905 he had the unique Canadian assignment as a military attaché with the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War
but he was joined by other colonials. Along with other Western military attachés, Thacker had two complementary missions - to assist the Japanese and to observe the Japanese forces in the field during the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1907, his appointment as Director of Artillery at Ottawa accompanied a promotion as Commanding Officer
of the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery (RCGA), and he became one of the 65 to live in the Commanding Officers’ Residence at Royal Artillery Park in Halifax. In 1911 he became Inspector of Coast Defense Artillery.
At the outbreak of World War I
, Thacker joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (CEF), sailing for Europe with the 1st Canadian Division
. Thacker went on to command the 2nd Canadian Divisional Artillery from 1914 to 1915. After General Sir Henry E. Burstall
was promoted, Thacker commanded the 1st Canadian Divisional Artillery from September 1915 through the end of World War and the CEF return to Canada.
After the war, Thacker was appointed the District Officer Commanding Military District 6, returning with his family to live at Royal Artillery Park. His career was capped with service as Chief of the General Staff
from 1927 to 1929.
Thacker retired from military service in 1929. He died in Victoria, British Columbia
, in June 1953.
He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class
by the Japanese government for his services during the Russo-Japanese War. He also received the Japanese War medal
for service during that campaign.
For service in World War I, he was made a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in 1916. Thacker was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) in 1918. He was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1919.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Herbert Cyril Thacker, CB
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 DSO
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...
(16 September 1870 – 2 June 1953) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier and Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the General Staff was the most senior member of the Canadian Army from 1904 until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command with the unification of Canada's military forces. The position was renamed Chief of the Land Staff in 1993....
, the head of the Canadian Army
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
from 1927 until 1929.
Military career
Thacker was born the son of Major-General J. Thacker of the Bombay Staff Corps in 1870 in PoonaPune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His attended Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and, in 1887, he graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
. Commissioned in the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1891, he conducted survey work in western Canada for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1893.
His service 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...
of 1900 in the Canadian Field Artillery led to the award of the Queen’s medal with three clasps.
From 1904 to 1905 he had the unique Canadian assignment as a military attaché with the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
but he was joined by other colonials. Along with other Western military attachés, Thacker had two complementary missions - to assist the Japanese and to observe the Japanese forces in the field during the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1907, his appointment as Director of Artillery at Ottawa accompanied a promotion as Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery (RCGA), and he became one of the 65 to live in the Commanding Officers’ Residence at Royal Artillery Park in Halifax. In 1911 he became Inspector of Coast Defense Artillery.
At the outbreak of 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...
, Thacker joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (CEF), sailing for Europe with the 1st Canadian Division
1st Canadian Division
Formed in August 1914, the 1st Canadian Division was a formation of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The division was initially made up from provisional battalions that were named after their province of origin but these titles were dropped before the division arrived in Britain on October 14,...
. Thacker went on to command the 2nd Canadian Divisional Artillery from 1914 to 1915. After General Sir Henry E. Burstall
Henry Edward Burstall
Sir Henry Edward Burstall, was a Canadian general.-Education:Born at Domaine Cataraqui, Quebec City, Quebec, the son of the wealthy merchant John B. Burstall and Fanny Bell Forsyth, daughter of Joseph Bell Forsyth , the first Chancellor of Bishop's University and the builder of Domaine...
was promoted, Thacker commanded the 1st Canadian Divisional Artillery from September 1915 through the end of World War and the CEF return to Canada.
After the war, Thacker was appointed the District Officer Commanding Military District 6, returning with his family to live at Royal Artillery Park. His career was capped with service as Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the General Staff was the most senior member of the Canadian Army from 1904 until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command with the unification of Canada's military forces. The position was renamed Chief of the Land Staff in 1993....
from 1927 to 1929.
Thacker retired from military service in 1929. He died in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, in June 1953.
Honors
For his service in the Boer War, Thacker was awarded the Queen's Medal with three clasps (1900).He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
by the Japanese government for his services during the Russo-Japanese War. He also received the Japanese War medal
Military Medals of Honor (Japan)
was a military decoration for meritorious service to the Empire of Japan, formerly awarded to all military personnel who participated in battles in a war...
for service during that campaign.
For service in World War I, he was made a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in 1916. Thacker was 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...
(DSO) in 1918. He was created a Companion of 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...
(CB) in 1919.
See also
- Library and Archives Canada: CEF Attestation paper
External links
- Herbert Cyril Thacker at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...