Robert Cotton Money
Encyclopedia
Major-General Robert Cotton Money, MC
, CB
(21 July 1888 – 16 April 1985) was a British Army
officer, who commanded 15th (Scottish) Division during the early part of the Second World War.
Money was born in 1888, the only child of Robert Cotton Money, an officer in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
. He was educated at Wellington College
before entering the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He passed out of Sandhurst and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1909.
At the outbreak of the First World War he was posted to the 1st Battalion, which was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force as rear-area security troops. Money, an amateur photographer, took a number of photographs of the battalion as it deployed and saw combat in 1914 and early 1915, including images of the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of Le Cateau
, the Action at Néry
, and the Battle of the Marne
. He later served in India, and remained in the Army after the Armistice, rising to command the 1st Battalion from 1931 to 1934.
He married Daphne Gartside Spaight in 1917; the couple had one son and one daughter. His son was killed in action in 1940, serving with the 2nd Cameronians in the Battle of France
. Following his retirement they eventually settled in the village of Cholesbury
, Buckinghamshire
where they continued to live for the rest of their lives. Daphne died in 1968, and Money remarried in 1978—at the age of ninety—to Evelyn Grosstephan.
He commanded a brigade in the Army of India
at Lucknow
from 1936 to 1939, from where he was appointed to command the Senior Officers' School
in 1939. In 1940–41, he commanded the 15th (Scottish) Division, then a home defence unit drawn from the Territorial Army. He was later appointed to command a district in India, and retired from the Army in 1944, to take up a post at the Ministry of Transport. He finally retired from government service in 1952.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, 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...
(21 July 1888 – 16 April 1985) 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 commanded 15th (Scottish) Division during the early part of the Second World War.
Money was born in 1888, the only child of Robert Cotton Money, an officer in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
. He was educated at Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
before entering the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He passed out of Sandhurst and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1909.
At the outbreak of the First World War he was posted to the 1st Battalion, which was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force as rear-area security troops. Money, an amateur photographer, took a number of photographs of the battalion as it deployed and saw combat in 1914 and early 1915, including images of the Retreat from Mons, the Battle of Le Cateau
Battle of Le Cateau
The Battle of Le Cateau was fought on 26 August 1914, after the British, French and Belgians retreated from the Battle of Mons and had set up defensive positions in a fighting withdrawal against the German advance at Le Cateau-Cambrésis....
, the Action at Néry
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...
, and the Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Marne
There were two Battles of the Marne, taking place near the Marne River in Marne, France during World War I:* First Battle of the Marne * Second Battle of the Marne...
. He later served in India, and remained in the Army after the Armistice, rising to command the 1st Battalion from 1931 to 1934.
He married Daphne Gartside Spaight in 1917; the couple had one son and one daughter. His son was killed in action in 1940, serving with the 2nd Cameronians in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. Following his retirement they eventually settled in the village of Cholesbury
Cholesbury
Cholesbury is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, on the border with Hertfordshire. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, about east of Wendover, north of Chesham and from Berkhamsted....
, 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....
where they continued to live for the rest of their lives. Daphne died in 1968, and Money remarried in 1978—at the age of ninety—to Evelyn Grosstephan.
He commanded a brigade in the Army of India
Army of India
The Army of India consisted of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India between 1903 and 1947.Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909...
at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
from 1936 to 1939, from where he was appointed to command the Senior Officers' School
Senior Officers' School
The Senior Officers' School is a British military establishment established in 1920 for the training of Commonwealth senior officers of all services in inter-service cooperation...
in 1939. In 1940–41, he commanded the 15th (Scottish) Division, then a home defence unit drawn from the Territorial Army. He was later appointed to command a district in India, and retired from the Army in 1944, to take up a post at the Ministry of Transport. He finally retired from government service in 1952.