Lieutenant-General Sir John Sharman Fowler, KCB, KCMG, DSO (29 July 1864 – 20 September 1939) was a British Army engineer officer who specialised on telegraph on signals, and who was later Commander of British Forces in China.[1]
Lieutenant-General Sir John Fowler | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1864 Navan, County Meath, Ireland |
| Died | 20 September 1939 (aged 75) Harrogate, Yorkshire, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1886–1925 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | British Forces in China |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War First World War Chitral Expedition |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches |
| Relations | Sir Alexander Godley (brother-in-law) |
Early life and education
editFowler was born in Navan, County Meath, the second son of Robert Fowler and Letitia Coddington.[2][3] He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. His elder sister Louisa married Sir Alexander Godley.[1]
Military career
editFowler was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in January 1886.[4][5] He took part in the Izazai expedition in 1892, was promoted to captain on 24 September 1895, and went to Chitral in the North West Frontier of India in 1896.[5] He also took part in the Tirah Expeditionary Force in the North West Frontier of India in 1897.[5] He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1898 to 1899.[6]
Fowler served in the Second Boer War as a member of the South Africa Field Force,[5] and attached to the 2nd Division Telegraph Battalion, and was mentioned in despatches (dated 8 April 1902).[7] Following the end of the war in June 1902, he received a brevet promotion to major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902,[8] and returned home with his division on the SS Britannic from Cape Town to Southampton in October that year.[9] After his return, he was stationed with the 1st Division Telegraph Battalion, at Aldershot.[10]
Fowler also served in the First World War as Director of Army Signals for the British Expeditionary Force.[5] He was promoted to major general in January 1917[11] and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1918.[12]
In 1921 he was appointed General Officer Commanding the Straits Settlements and the following year he was appointed Commander of British Forces in China.[13] He retired in 1925.[5]
Fowler was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Signals from 1923 to 1934.[5]
Personal life
editFowler married Mary Olivia Henrietta Brooke in Ireland on 10 August 1904.[14] They had two daughters.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Obituary: Lieut.-Gen. Sir John Fowler". The Times. 21 September 1939. p. 10.
- ^ Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864–1958
- ^ Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620–1911
- ^ "No. 25546". The London Gazette. 5 January 1886. p. 64.
- ^ a b c d e f g Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ Hall, Brian N. (2017). Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914-1918. Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1107170551.
- ^ "No. 27443". The London Gazette. 17 June 1902. pp. 3967–3974.
- ^ "No. 27448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1902. pp. 4191–4194.
- ^ "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning Home". The Times. No. 36899. London. 15 October 1902. p. 8.
- ^ Hart´s Army list, 1903
- ^ "No. 29886". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1916. p. 15.
- ^ "No. 13186". The Edinburgh Gazette. 1 January 1918. p. 9.
- ^ Hong Kong Legislative Council
- ^ Daisy von Pless Taniec na wulkanie s. 89 ISBN 9788386225996