William Thwaites
Sir William Thwaites | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 June 1868 Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 22 June 1947 (aged 79) Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1887–1929 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Territorial Army British Army of the Rhine 47th (2nd London) Division 46th (North Midland) Division 141st (5th London) Brigade |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
General Sir William Thwaites, KCB, KCMG (9 June 1868 – 22 June 1947) was a British Army officer who served as commander of the British Army of the Rhine.[1]
Early life and education
Thwaites was born in Kensington, the son of William Thwaites of Durham Villas. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire and at Heidelberg before passing into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[1][2]
Military career
Thwaites was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1887.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 February 1890 and to captain on 10 October 1897.[4] He served in the Second Boer War 1899–1900 as an Adjutant in 33rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery,[3] and took part in operations in Natal in late 1899, including engagements at Rietfontein and Lombard′s Knop and the defence of Ladysmith. For his service he was mentioned in despatches.[4] Following his return to the United Kingdom, he served as divisional adjutant in Kildare until late 1902,[5][6] after he was promoted to major on 20 August 1902.[7]
He served in the First World War on the Western Front in France and Belgium, becoming commander of the 141st (5th London) Brigade in 1915.[3] He was then promoted to the temporary rank of major general[8] and made general officer commanding (GOC) of the 46th (North Midland) Division in July 1916.[3] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1917.[9] His major general's rank became substantive in June 1918.[10]
After the war Thwaites became Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office from 1918, and then Director of Military Operations and Intelligence from 1922.[3] In 1923 he became General Officer Commanding 47th (2nd London) Division and in 1927 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief British Army of the Rhine:[3] he was the last person to hold this post until after the Second World War.[11] He was Director General of the Territorial Army from 1931 to 1933,[3] and retired on 1 October 1933, when he was appointed an extra Aide-de-Camp General to King George V.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Obituary: Gen. Sir. W. Thwaites". The Times. 23 June 1947. p. 7.
- ^ Burke, Sir Bernard, ed. (1939). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (97th ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 2928.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Thwaites, Sir William". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ a b Hart′s Army list, 1904
- ^ Hart′s Army list, 1903
- ^ "No. 27519". The London Gazette. 27 January 1903. p. 531.
- ^ "No. 27513". The London Gazette. 6 January 1903. p. 107.
- ^ "No. 29693". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 August 1916. p. 7659.
- ^ "No. 29886". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1916. p. 2.
- ^ "No. 30716". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1918. p. 6455.
- ^ World Statesmen
- ^ "No. 33983". The London Gazette. 3 October 1933. p. 6355.
Further reading
- Davies, Frank; Maddocks, Graham (2014) [1995]. Bloody Red Tabs: General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914–1918. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-78346-237-7.
- 1868 births
- 1947 deaths
- British Army generals
- People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
- British Army generals of World War I
- Royal Artillery officers
- Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- People from Kensington
- British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
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