Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe, KCB
, KCMG, (30 October 1860 – 24 March 1957) was a British Army
general of the First World War, who commanded V Corps
on the Western Front
and the 18th Indian Division
in the Mesopotamian Campaign
. He was one of three brothers (Edward
, Hew, and Robert
) who all rose to command divisions or corps during the war.
Fanshawe joined the 19th Hussars in 1882, and after seeing active duty in North Africa became the aide-de-camp to Sir Evelyn Wood VC, a prominent senior officer; he would later marry Wood's eldest daughter. He served with his regiment during the Boer War
, and then commanded a cavalry regiment, followed by brigades in the Home Forces and in India.
Following the outbreak of the First World War, Fanshawe commanded a cavalry division and then the Cavalry Corps
in France, before assuming command of V Corps
in late 1915. He was removed from command in mid-1916, however, as a result of political manoeuvering following the attempt to find a scapegoat for the failed attack on St. Eloi in March 1916. He later commanded the 18th Indian Division
in Mesopotamia, and was with it at the end of the war in the Middle East. He retired from the Army in 1920, and served as the ceremonial colonel of the Queen's Bays.
and then served in the militia
, joining the 19th Hussars in 1882. He was the middle son of three brothers with significant military careers; Edward (b. 1859) joined the artillery and Robert
(b. 1863) joined the infantry, all three rising to command corps or divisions during the First World War.
He served in Egypt with his regiment until 1884, when he was promoted to Captain, and then in the Sudan with the Nile Expedition
until 1885. In 1890, he left regimental duties to be appointed as the aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood VC, the commanding officer of Aldershot Command
. During his time working for Wood, he met his eldest daughter Pauline; the couple married in 1894, and would have two sons and a daughter. One son, Evelyn
, later commanded an armoured brigade during the Second World War. He returned to his regiment in 1893, with a promotion to Major, and stayed with them until 1897, when he was appointed to a two-year term as an assistant military secretary in India.
Fanshawe served throughout the Boer War
, where he received a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel and was mentioned in despatches twice; following the war, in 1903, he was confirmed in his promotion to lieutenant-colonel and given command of the Queen's Bays. He held command of the regiment until 1907, when he was promoted to take over the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. After three years as a brigadier in the home forces, he was transferred to India in 1910, to command the Presidency Brigade in the Indian Lucknow Division. In 1913, he was promoted to major-general, with command of the Jubbulpore Brigade in the Mhow Division
.
, a composite force drawn from the cavalry regiments of the various divisions, in December 1914. The following September he was transferred to command the Cavalry Corps
, though by this point of the war, there was little role for cavalry in static trench warfare, and he moved to V Corps
, a front-line corps, in October. During his time at the Cavalry Corps, his son Evelyn
. served as his aide-de-camp
.
At V Corps, Fanshawe oversaw the initial attack on St. Eloi in late March 1916; the initial attack under his command by 3rd Division was initially successful, but terrible ground conditions made it hard for them, or for the relieving troops in the Canadian Corps, to hold ground, and after a month of heavy losses, the line stabilised at the original positions. Such a situation would normally result in the responsible divisional commanders being sacked and replaced; it was 2nd Canadian Division
under Richard Turner
which had failed to hold the ground, but, for political reasons, the high command felt it impossible to sack a Canadian commander. Instead, Aylmer Haldane, the commander of 3rd Division, was lined up as a scapegoat; Fanshawe tried to intervene with Field-Marshal Haig
, but, as a result, was sacked himself on 4 July. His replacement at V Corps was, somewhat unusually, his elder brother Edward
.
Later in 1916, he took over the 58th (2/1st London) Division on home service, and in 1917 was given command of the 18th Indian Division
, serving in the Mesopotamian campaign
. He commanded it through the end of the war, including at the Battle of Sharqat
, the final engagement of the campaign in the Middle East.
in Oxfordshire, living near Thame
, and was the ceremonial colonel of the Queen's Bays from 1921 to 1930.
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, (30 October 1860 – 24 March 1957) 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 of the First World War, who commanded V Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and the 18th Indian Division
18th Indian Division
The 18th Indian Division was formed during World War I in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army, for service in Mesopotamia and Persia, in what was called the Mesopotamia Campaign...
in the Mesopotamian Campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. He was one of three brothers (Edward
Edward Fanshawe (British Army officer)
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Arthur Fanshawe KCB was a British Army general of the First World War, who commanded the 11th Division at Gallipoli and the V Corps on the Western Front during the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres, and the 1918 Spring Offensive...
, Hew, and Robert
Robert Fanshawe (British Army officer)
Major-General Sir Robert Fanshawe KCB, DSO was a British Army general during the First World War, who commanded the 48th Division from 1915 to 1918...
) who all rose to command divisions or corps during the war.
Fanshawe joined the 19th Hussars in 1882, and after seeing active duty in North Africa became the aide-de-camp to Sir Evelyn Wood VC, a prominent senior officer; he would later marry Wood's eldest daughter. He served with his regiment 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 then commanded a cavalry regiment, followed by brigades in the Home Forces and in India.
Following the outbreak of the First World War, Fanshawe commanded a cavalry division and then the Cavalry Corps
Cavalry Corps (United Kingdom)
The Cavalry Corps was a formation of the British Army during World War I. and part of the British Expeditionary Force. The corps was formed in France in October 1914, under General Sir Edmund Allenby...
in France, before assuming command of V Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
in late 1915. He was removed from command in mid-1916, however, as a result of political manoeuvering following the attempt to find a scapegoat for the failed attack on St. Eloi in March 1916. He later commanded the 18th Indian Division
18th Indian Division
The 18th Indian Division was formed during World War I in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army, for service in Mesopotamia and Persia, in what was called the Mesopotamia Campaign...
in Mesopotamia, and was with it at the end of the war in the Middle East. He retired from the Army in 1920, and served as the ceremonial colonel of the Queen's Bays.
Early career
Fanshawe was born in 1860, the son of the Reverend Henry Leighton Fanshawe, of Chilworth, Oxfordshire. He attended Winchester CollegeWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and then served in the militia
Militia (United Kingdom)
The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland....
, joining the 19th Hussars in 1882. He was the middle son of three brothers with significant military careers; Edward (b. 1859) joined the artillery and Robert
Robert Fanshawe (British Army officer)
Major-General Sir Robert Fanshawe KCB, DSO was a British Army general during the First World War, who commanded the 48th Division from 1915 to 1918...
(b. 1863) joined the infantry, all three rising to command corps or divisions during the First World War.
He served in Egypt with his regiment until 1884, when he was promoted to Captain, and then in the Sudan with 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...
until 1885. In 1890, he left regimental duties to be appointed as the aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood VC, the commanding officer of Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
. During his time working for Wood, he met his eldest daughter Pauline; the couple married in 1894, and would have two sons and a daughter. One son, Evelyn
Evelyn Fanshawe
Sir Evelyn Dalrymple Fanshawe CB, CBE was a British Major General and the Director of the International Refugee Organisation in the British Zone of Germany from 1948-1952....
, later commanded an armoured brigade during the Second World War. He returned to his regiment in 1893, with a promotion to Major, and stayed with them until 1897, when he was appointed to a two-year term as an assistant military secretary in India.
Fanshawe served throughout 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 received a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel and was mentioned in despatches twice; following the war, in 1903, he was confirmed in his promotion to lieutenant-colonel and given command of the Queen's Bays. He held command of the regiment until 1907, when he was promoted to take over the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. After three years as a brigadier in the home forces, he was transferred to India in 1910, to command the Presidency Brigade in the Indian Lucknow Division. In 1913, he was promoted to major-general, with command of the Jubbulpore Brigade in the Mhow Division
5th (Mhow) Division
The 5th Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army and part of the Southern Army which was formed in 1903 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909...
.
First World War
Fanshawe was in India with his brigade on the outbreak of the First World War; whilst it remained in India, he was sent to France and given command of the 1st Indian Cavalry Division1st Indian Cavalry Division
The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army. The division sailed for France from Bombay on October 16, 1914 , under the command of Major General H D Fanshawe. The division was re designated the 4th Cavalry Division in November 1916. During the war the Division...
, a composite force drawn from the cavalry regiments of the various divisions, in December 1914. The following September he was transferred to command the Cavalry Corps
Cavalry Corps (United Kingdom)
The Cavalry Corps was a formation of the British Army during World War I. and part of the British Expeditionary Force. The corps was formed in France in October 1914, under General Sir Edmund Allenby...
, though by this point of the war, there was little role for cavalry in static trench warfare, and he moved to V Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
, a front-line corps, in October. During his time at the Cavalry Corps, his son Evelyn
Evelyn Fanshawe
Sir Evelyn Dalrymple Fanshawe CB, CBE was a British Major General and the Director of the International Refugee Organisation in the British Zone of Germany from 1948-1952....
. served as his aide-de-camp
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...
.
At V Corps, Fanshawe oversaw the initial attack on St. Eloi in late March 1916; the initial attack under his command by 3rd Division was initially successful, but terrible ground conditions made it hard for them, or for the relieving troops in the Canadian Corps, to hold ground, and after a month of heavy losses, the line stabilised at the original positions. Such a situation would normally result in the responsible divisional commanders being sacked and replaced; it was 2nd Canadian Division
2nd Canadian Division
The 2nd Canadian Division was an infantry formation that saw service in the First World War. A 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was raised for the Second World War.-History:...
under Richard Turner
Richard Ernest William Turner
Lieutenant General Sir Richard Ernest William Turner VC, KCB, KCMG, DSO was a Canadian army officer during the Boer War and World War I, and a recipient of the Victoria Cross...
which had failed to hold the ground, but, for political reasons, the high command felt it impossible to sack a Canadian commander. Instead, Aylmer Haldane, the commander of 3rd Division, was lined up as a scapegoat; Fanshawe tried to intervene with Field-Marshal Haig
Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I.Douglas Haig may also refer to:* Club Atlético Douglas Haig, a football club from Argentina* Douglas Haig , American actor...
, but, as a result, was sacked himself on 4 July. His replacement at V Corps was, somewhat unusually, his elder brother Edward
Edward Fanshawe (British Army officer)
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Arthur Fanshawe KCB was a British Army general of the First World War, who commanded the 11th Division at Gallipoli and the V Corps on the Western Front during the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres, and the 1918 Spring Offensive...
.
Later in 1916, he took over the 58th (2/1st London) Division on home service, and in 1917 was given command of the 18th Indian Division
18th Indian Division
The 18th Indian Division was formed during World War I in 1917 from units of the British Indian Army, for service in Mesopotamia and Persia, in what was called the Mesopotamia Campaign...
, serving in the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
. He commanded it through the end of the war, including at the Battle of Sharqat
Battle of Sharqat
The Battle of Sharqat was between the British and the Ottoman Empire in the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I, which became the final conflict that ended as a result of the signing of armistice....
, the final engagement of the campaign in the Middle East.
Later career
After the Armistice, Fanshawe was given command of an administrative area in France. He retired from the Army in 1920, with a knighthood and the honorary rank of lieutenant-general. In retirement, he served as a justice of the peaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Oxfordshire, living near Thame
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
, and was the ceremonial colonel of the Queen's Bays from 1921 to 1930.