| Sir Richard Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 26, 1837 |
| Died | September 25, 1931 (aged 94) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Western District |
| Battles/wars |
Crimean War Indian Mutiny Second Opium War Anglo-Zulu War First Boer War 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George |
General Sir Richard Harrison GCB, CMG, DL (26 May 1837 – 25 September 1931)[1] was a British soldier and engineer.
Personal life[]
Born in Essex, he was the second son of Benjamin John Harrison and his wife Emily, daughter of Richard Hall.[2] Harrison was educated at Harrow School.[2] In 1870, he married Amy, the daughter of J. Doyle O'Brien and had by her a son and three daughters.[3] Harrison died at Glampton, near Brixham in 1931, aged 94.[1]
Military career[]
Early years[]
He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and became a lieutenant in 1855.[1] Harrison fought at Scutari during the Crimean War in 1856.[4] During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he took part in the Siege of Lucknow and in the following year, he went into the regions of Rohilkhand and Awadh.[4] Thereafter Harrison was sent to China, taking part in the Second Opium War, where he was present in the Battle of Taku Forts (1860) and its following capture.[4] He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major.[3] In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.[3]
First commandos[]
When in 1879 the Anglo-Zulu War broke out, Harrison was attached to the troops in the Cape Colony and fought in the Battle of Ulundi.[3] Already in the next year the British efforts to bring Southern Africa under its control, led to the First Boer War, during which he had command of a British contingent in Transvaal.[4] Harrison served as assistant adjutant general in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and joined the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he awarded a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[3] Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition, serving as colonel of its staff.[3] Back in England, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command in the next year.[3] He was promoted to major-general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year[3] on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[5]
Later years[]
In 1890, he obtained the command of the Western District and was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1893.[6] Harrison left this post in 1895 and was made a full general.[7] After another two years, he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces[8] and in 1898 was named Inspector-General of Fortifications.[9] In December of the latter year, he was invested a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John.[10] Harrison was nominated Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers on the death of his predecessor in March 1903[11] and was further honoured with the Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June.[12] He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906[13] and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908.[14] In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers[15] and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909.[16] Harrison was selected a Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Devon in 1921.[17] He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Crimea Veteran dead". 29 October 1931. pp. 18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Walford, Edward (1919). The County Families of the United Kingdom. London: Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd. pp. 620.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Who is Who 1926. London: Adam & Charles Black Ltd.. 1926. pp. 1291.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families. vol. I. London: Hurst & Blackett. pp. 886–887.
- ↑ "No. 25939". 25 May 1889. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25939/page/
- ↑ "No. 26393". 18 April 1893. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26393/page/
- ↑ "No. 26622". 7 May 1895. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26622/page/
- ↑ "No. 26906". 2 November 1897. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26906/page/
- ↑ "No. 26961". 26 April 1898. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26961/page/
- ↑ "No. 27032". 13 December 1898. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27032/page/
- ↑ "No. 27550". 8 May 1903. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27550/page/
- ↑ "No. 27568". 23 June 1903. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27568/page/
- ↑ "No. 27971". 27 November 1906. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27971/page/
- ↑ "No. 28205". 15 December 1908. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28205/page/
- ↑ "No. 28202". 4 December 1908. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28202/page/
- ↑ "No. 28225". 19 February 1909. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28225/page/
- ↑ "No. 32193". 14 January 1921. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32193/page/
External links[]
- Portraits of Sir Richard Harrison at the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Recollections of a life in the British Army, Harrison's memoirs
The original article can be found at Richard Harrison (British Army officer) and the edit history here.