William Peyton
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William Eliot Peyton KCB
KCVO
DSO
(7 May 1866 - 14 November 1931) was a British
soldier, a general of the First World War who fought in several other wars.
He was Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary
at the time of the Delhi Durbar
of 1911.
, Peyton was educated at Brighton College
.
, Peyton was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the 7th Dragoon Guards on 18 June 1887, and promoted lieutenant in 1890. He was appointed regimental adjutant
in 1892. In 1896 he transferred to the 15th Hussars
and was promoted captain
.
He was seconded to the Egyptian Army and saw service with the Dongola
Expeditionary Force in 1896, and was Mentioned in Despatches, then in the Sudan
in 1897 and 1898, where he was dangerously wounded and his horse killed under him by a spear. In the Sudan he was again Mentioned in Despatches, and received the Distinguished Service Order
. He was also awarded the Order of the Medjidieh, Fourth Class.
He fought next in South Africa
, 1899-1900, where he served with Alexander Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry, was promoted major and brevet
lieutenant-colonel, again Mentioned in Despatches, and received the Queen's South Africa Medal
with three clasps, but his service was cut short by illness and he was invalided back to England. He passed the Army's Staff College
in December, 1901.
From 1903 until 1907 Peyton commanded the 15th Hussars, being granted the brevet rank of colonel in 1905. In 1907 he went to India to become Assistant Quartermaster-General, India, and, as a temporary brigadier-general
, to command the Meerut Cavalry Brigade from 1908 to 1912. In India, he served as Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the Coronation
Durbar held on 12 December 1911, and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), and from July 1912 was Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, India
.
He returned to England in 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War and took up a new post as chief of staff of the 1st Mounted Division
Territorial Force
. Promoted to major-general
in 1914 (first as temporary promotion, from October as substantive rank), he commanded the 2nd Mounted Division TF on the Gallipoli Peninsula
, seeing action on 21 August 1915 and taking part in the final evacuation of 19 December 1915. The division suffered severe casualties at Suvla
. Peyton then commanded the Western Frontier Force in Egypt
in 1916, leading an expedition against the Senussi and re-occupying Sidi Barrani
and Sollum, again being Mentioned in Despatches. For rescuing the shipwrecked British prisoners of HMS Tara from Bir Hakkim (by a force of armoured cars led by Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
) he received the special thanks of the Admiralty
and was again Mentioned in Despatches.
In May 1916, after success as a combat commander, Peyton was transferred to become Sir Douglas Haig
’s Military Secretary in Flanders
, remaining with Haig until March 1918. The post was at the heart of the operation of the management of appointments, promotions, removals, honours and awards of the British Expeditionary Force. He was knighted in 1917, being made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) when King George V
visited the troops in the field.
In April and May 1918, Peyton nominally commanded the Fifth Army, but it had been defeated on The Somme in March 1918 and renamed the Fourth Army, so there was no Fifth Army, and the command was a reserve HQ at Cécy-en-Ponthieu. On 23 May, the Fifth Army was reconstituted and given to Sir William Birdwood
, and for six weeks (as a temporary lieutenant-general) Peyton took command of X Corps
, but his Corps was held back from the fighting. However, from 3 July 1918 until March 1919 he returned to active service as commander of the British Army
's 40th Infantry Division during operations in France
and Flanders
, leading it through the Hundred Days advance through Flanders.
Peyton's feelings about his postings between May 1916 and July 1918 were expressed silently by his omitting any mention of them from his entry in Who's Who
.
Peyton next returned to India, to command the United Province
district and the 3rd Indian Division at Meerut between 1920 and 1922. He was promoted substantive lieutenant-general in 1921.
He was next posted as Military Secretary to the Secretary of State for War
, from 1922 to 1926, and as Commander-in-Chief of the Scottish Command
, 1926 to 1930. This was his last post before retirement in 1930, and in 1927 he was promoted general
.
A member of the Army and Navy Club
, he died there suddenly on 14 November 1931. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery
, London.
He was unusually tall, with a height of six feet, six inches.
In 1921, Peyton's daughter Ela married Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edward Daymonde Stevenson KCVO (1895–1958) and she died in 1976, leaving one son. Peyton's son-in-law was Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod
, 1953–1958, and Purse Bearer to the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
, 1930-1958.
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General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir William Eliot Peyton 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...
KCVO
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...
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...
(7 May 1866 - 14 November 1931) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier, a general of the First World War who fought in several other wars.
He was Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary
Delhi Herald Extraordinary
Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary was a British officer of arms whose office was created in 1911 for the Delhi Durbar. Though an officer of the crown, Delhi Herald Extraordinary was not a member of the corporation of the College of Arms in London and his duties were more ceremonial than...
at the time of the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1911.
Early life
The third son of Colonel John Peyton, commanding officer of the 7th Dragoon Guards7th Dragoon Guards
The 7th Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards in 1922....
, Peyton was educated at Brighton College
Brighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
.
Career
In 1885, Peyton enlisted in the ranks in the 7th Dragoon Guards, a regiment which his father had commanded between 1871 and 1876. The explanation of this was his failure to pass the entrance examination of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Having risen to sergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, Peyton was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 7th Dragoon Guards on 18 June 1887, and promoted lieutenant in 1890. He was appointed regimental adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
in 1892. In 1896 he transferred to the 15th Hussars
15th The King's Hussars
The 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-Formation:...
and was promoted captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
.
He was seconded to the Egyptian Army and saw service with the Dongola
Dongola
Dongola , also spelled Dunqulah, and formerly known as Al 'Urdi, is the capital of the state of Northern in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. It should not be confused with Old Dongola, an ancient city located 80 km upstream on the opposite bank....
Expeditionary Force in 1896, and was Mentioned in Despatches, then in the Sudan
History of Sudan (1884-1898)
Developments in Sudan during the late 19th century cannot be understood without reference to the British position in Egypt. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened and quickly became Britain's economic lifeline to India and the Far East. To defend this waterway, Britain sought a greater role in Egyptian...
in 1897 and 1898, where he was dangerously wounded and his horse killed under him by a spear. In the Sudan he was again Mentioned in Despatches, and received 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...
. He was also awarded the Order of the Medjidieh, Fourth Class.
He fought next in South Africa
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...
, 1899-1900, where he served with Alexander Thorneycroft’s Mounted Infantry, was promoted major and brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
lieutenant-colonel, again Mentioned in Despatches, and received the Queen's South Africa Medal
Queen's South Africa Medal
The Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
with three clasps, but his service was cut short by illness and he was invalided back to England. He passed the Army's Staff College
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:...
in December, 1901.
From 1903 until 1907 Peyton commanded the 15th Hussars, being granted the brevet rank of colonel in 1905. In 1907 he went to India to become Assistant Quartermaster-General, India, and, as a temporary brigadier-general
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
, to command the Meerut Cavalry Brigade from 1908 to 1912. In India, he served as Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the Coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
Durbar held on 12 December 1911, and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), and from July 1912 was Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
.
He returned to England in 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War and took up a new post as chief of staff of the 1st Mounted Division
1st Mounted Division
The 1st Mounted Division was formed in August 1914 for the home defence of the United Kingdom. It was formed from existing mounted brigades of the Territorial Force, each of three regiments of Yeomanry....
Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
. Promoted to major-general
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
in 1914 (first as temporary promotion, from October as substantive rank), he commanded the 2nd Mounted Division TF on the Gallipoli Peninsula
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
, seeing action on 21 August 1915 and taking part in the final evacuation of 19 December 1915. The division suffered severe casualties at Suvla
Suvla
Suvla is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros.On 6 August 1915 it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as part of the August Offensive during the Battle of Gallipoli...
. Peyton then commanded the Western Frontier Force in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1916, leading an expedition against the Senussi and re-occupying Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani
Sidi Barrani is a town in Egypt, near the Mediterranean Sea, about east of the border with Libya, and around from Tobruk, Libya.Probably named after Sidi Mohammed el Barrani, a Senussi fighter in the early 1900s, the village is mainly a Bedouin community...
and Sollum, again being Mentioned in Despatches. For rescuing the shipwrecked British prisoners of HMS Tara from Bir Hakkim (by a force of armoured cars led by Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
) he received the special thanks of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and was again Mentioned in Despatches.
In May 1916, after success as a combat commander, Peyton was transferred to become Sir Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC, was a British senior officer during World War I. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War...
’s Military Secretary in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, remaining with Haig until March 1918. The post was at the heart of the operation of the management of appointments, promotions, removals, honours and awards of the British Expeditionary Force. He was knighted in 1917, being made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) when King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
visited the troops in the field.
In April and May 1918, Peyton nominally commanded the Fifth Army, but it had been defeated on The Somme in March 1918 and renamed the Fourth Army, so there was no Fifth Army, and the command was a reserve HQ at Cécy-en-Ponthieu. On 23 May, the Fifth Army was reconstituted and given to Sir William Birdwood
William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood
Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, CIE, DSO was a First World War British general who is best known as the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915.- Youth and early career :Birdwood was born...
, and for six weeks (as a temporary lieutenant-general) Peyton took command of X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
, but his Corps was held back from the fighting. However, from 3 July 1918 until March 1919 he returned to active service as commander of the 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...
's 40th Infantry Division during operations in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, leading it through the Hundred Days advance through Flanders.
Peyton's feelings about his postings between May 1916 and July 1918 were expressed silently by his omitting any mention of them from his entry in Who's Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
.
Peyton next returned to India, to command the United Province
United Province
The United Provinces, was a province of British India and later of Independent India, which came into existence on 1 April 1937 in result of the shortening of United Provinces of British India...
district and the 3rd Indian Division at Meerut between 1920 and 1922. He was promoted substantive lieutenant-general in 1921.
He was next posted as Military Secretary to the Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, from 1922 to 1926, and as Commander-in-Chief of the Scottish Command
Scottish Command
-History:The Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in the early 1950s.Since 1936 the General Officer Commanding Scottish Command has also always been appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle....
, 1926 to 1930. This was his last post before retirement in 1930, and in 1927 he was promoted general
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
.
A member of the Army and Navy Club
Army and Navy Club
The Army and Navy Club in London is a gentlemen's club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.-Foundation and membership:...
, he died there suddenly on 14 November 1931. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.
He was unusually tall, with a height of six feet, six inches.
Family
On 27 April 1889, Peyton married Mabel Maria, daughter of late Lt-General the Hon. E. T. Gage CB, third son of Henry Gage, 4th Viscount Gage, and of Ella Henrietta Maxse, a granddaughter of the 5th Earl of Berkeley. With Mabel, he had one daughter, Ela Violet Ethel. After his wife's death in 1901, Peyton married again, in 1903, Gertrude, the daughter of Major-General A. R. Lempriere and the widow of the late Captain Stuart Robertson of the 14th Hussars. They had one son, and his second wife died in 1916.In 1921, Peyton's daughter Ela married Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edward Daymonde Stevenson KCVO (1895–1958) and she died in 1976, leaving one son. Peyton's son-in-law was Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod
Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod is the Gentleman Usher to the Order of the Thistle, established in 1687.- Office Holders from 1714 :*1714–1761 Sir Thomas Brand*1762–1787 Robert Quarme*1787–1800 Matthew Robert Arnott*1800–1842 Robert Quarme the younger...
, 1953–1958, and Purse Bearer to the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereign's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of...
, 1930-1958.
Honours
- Mentioned in Despatches, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1915, 1916
- Khedive's Medal with two clasps, 1896
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe 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...
, 1898 - Order of the Medjidieh, Fourth Class, conferred by the Khedive of EgyptKhediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
with the authority of the Sultan of Turkey, 1899 - Queen's South Africa MedalQueen's South Africa MedalThe Queen's South Africa Medal was awarded to military personnel who served in the Boer War in South Africa between 11 October 1899 and 31 May 1902. Units from the British Army, Royal Navy, colonial forces who took part , civilians employed in official capacity and war correspondents...
with three clasps - Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 1911 - Commander of the Legion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
, 1913 - Order of the NileOrder of the NileThe Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
, 2nd Class, 1916 - Commandeur de l'Ordre de Leopold, 1916
- Colonel of the 15th The King's Hussars15th The King's HussarsThe 15th The King's Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, before being amalgamated into the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-Formation:...
, 10 December 1916 - Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, 1917
- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 1917
- Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(Belgium), 1918 - Colonel of the 15th/19th The King's Hussars, 1922
- Honorary Colonel of the Warwickshire YeomanryWarwickshire YeomanryThe Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own...
, 17 February 1926
External links
- Portraits of General Sir William Eliot Peyton at npg.org.uk
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