General Sir Havelock Hudson, GCB, KCIE (22 June 1862 – 25 December 1944)[1][2] was a British Indian Army officer who served as General Officer Commanding 8th Division during the First World War.
Sir Havelock Hudson | |
|---|---|
 General Sir Havelock Hudson | |
| Born | 22 June 1862 |
| Died | 25 December 1944 (aged 82) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1881–1924 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Eastern Army in India 8th Division |
| Battles / wars | Boxer Rebellion First World War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire |
Military career
edit
Hudson was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment as a lieutenant on 22 October 1881.[3] He transferred to the Indian Staff Corps in 1885,[4] and became an officer of the 19th Lancers from that year.[5] Promoted to captain on 22 October 1892, he served on the staff during the North West Frontier campaign in 1897.[6] He briefly acted as deputy assistant quartermaster-general at Indian army headquarters from June–August 1900,[7] he then was appointed a staff officer in the China Field Force for the Boxer Rebellion later that year. In 1901 he took part in the second Miranzai expedition.[8]
Hudson commanded the 19th Lancers from 4 February to 27 August 1910.[5] He was appointed a General Staff Officer Grade 1 with the Directorate of Staff Duties and Military Training on 1 July 1910.[9] He was appointed Commandant of the Cavalry School at Sangor in India from 1 July to 30 September 1912 and became Brigadier-General on the General Staff of the Northern Army on 1 October 1912.[8][4]
Hudson served in the First World War as Brigadier-General on the General Staff of the Indian Corps from 1914,[10] then was appointed general officer commanding (GOC) of the 8th Division on the Western Front from 31 July 1915.[11] He led the division in the attack on Ovillers, losing 5,400 men.[10] He relinquished command of the division on 8 December 1916,[4] to William Heneker and was appointed Adjutant General, India from 5 February 1917 until 30 October 1920, by which time the war was over.[8]
Following the Amritsar massacre in 1919 it fell to Hudson, in his capacity as Adjutant-General, to tell Brigadier Reginald Dyer that he was relieved of his command.[12] He was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, the Eastern Army in India on 1 November 1920,[4] before retiring in 1924.[8]
In retirement Hudson was a member of the Council of India.[8]
References
edit- ^ January 1930 Indian Army List Supplement
- ^ Officer Casualties of the Indian Armies 1803–1946 by A. J. Farrington
- ^ "No. 25126". The London Gazette. 11 July 1882. p. 3214.
- ^ a b c d Quarterly Army List March 1922
- ^ a b History of the 19th King George's Own Lancers 1858–1921
- ^ Hart′s Army list, 1901
- ^ "No. 27469". The London Gazette. 29 August 1902. p. 5610.
- ^ a b c d e Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ Indian Army List April 1911
- ^ a b University of Birmingham
- ^ Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mariners, Merchants and the Military Too By Phillip E Jones