major general september april british_army officer world war commanded indian brigade western territorial brigade dublin appointed command 38th welsh division western position held retiring ill health originally joining army junior officer active posting late 1890s served attachment west african frontier force closely followed service boer war commanded company defence efficient regarded administrator commanded series detached stations addition regimental duties years eventually rising command outbreak world war commanded battalion western formation superior officer promoted early succeeded commander brigade led withdrawn france posted second line brigade training united_kingdom sent dublin following rising presided number resulting courts martial including signatories later year ordered france command 38th welsh division formation suffered heavy losses remained division years helping efficient fighting unit division significant successes days offensive late point longer command home earlier year died shortly war aged early life born richmond surrey september father teacher small number boarding pupils come army family taught bristol moving private tuition mother born germany family come later describe half french childhood moved richmond southampton father headed education department taught returning france studied regarded generally promising pupil marks highest administrative academic subjects lower drawing physical education left august joined second lieutenant battalion sailed posting bermuda weeks arrival departure delayed remaining london marry ceremony took place october registry office biographer notes clearly child born half months wedding early wedding unusual junior officer period average army officers marry mid wife spent year half bermuda daughter born april moved nova scotia battalion transferred shortly arrival march promoted lieutenant march second daughter joan born april year later battalion transferred time west_indies appointed adjutant officer responsible administration wing battalion force companies stationed jamaica late battalion moved south_africa shortly arrival returned england promoted captain december west_africa boer war late service west_africa officers recruited newly raised attached described anxious work threw fully organisation force months arrival battalion able deployed successfully operations local slave traders active service saw mention despatches saw early appearance skill administration management mark later career left west_africa january successful posting ill health officers sent died contracted malaria suffering attack spent months leave recover sailed command company 1st stationed south_africa joined company early october saw action battalion days outbreak second boer war battle hill october battle 30th boer forces surrounded battle began month siege battalion remained town broken occasional skirmish relief column arrived end february following advance stationed october second prolonged period garrison duty broken occasional raids battalion area responsibility extended april appointed commandant railway station associated staff following battalion railway line july transferred new post railway station responsible civilian concentration camp outside town camps frequently crowded badly supplied reports survived camp clear efficient administration applied home posting december adjutant battalion volunteers approved august subject released duties south_africa transfer delayed leave home june sailed board troops returning coronation edward vii twice mentioned despatches war received queen south africa medal awarded home service india august took appointment adjutant 1st spend years primarily administrative post senior regular officer attached battalion responsible organisation training end tenure promoted major september left india months later join regular 1st battalion shortly arrival appointed command fourth administrative posting years returned england battalion end moved camp summer applied chief constable leicester meant leaving army succeed job went lawyer army officer career police settled life home posting active social sporting calendar fellow officer battalion won garrison tennis cup years running recorded good showing sports diverse soccer passed exams tactical fitness command battalion given command battalion promoted lieutenant colonel september world war august outbreak world war india commanding 2nd service 20th brigade 7th division division sent france seeing action trenches october december force command staged successful attack german trenches attack overshadowed beginning german attack following day remained reserve brigadier commanding promoted command january january given temporary rank assuming command led wave attack battle march attacking battalions reached objectives delayed strong resistance clearing german trenches brigade halted let second wave pass attack men awarded victoria_cross commended corps commander general wrote learned respect trust judgement manner handled brigade good report written brave modest men write force taken heavy losses trailing battalion flank 39th rifles lost half men officers brigade repulsed heavy attack morning march settled relatively static position second wave attacks success saw action night leading battalions met heavy resistance forced attack corps rested quiet sector september deployed initial attack divisions leading attack indian brigade battalions 2nd right flank whilst attack successfully crossed man land cover barrage right flank brigade caught defensive wire battalion successfully way german trenches brigade lost momentum dug withdrawn result major action command indian troops end november left france ireland transferred command 1st lincoln 2nd division january second line division formed new volunteers volunteered overseas service result generally priority given line counterpart tasked home defence duties formed duplicate lincoln leicester brigade second line battalions regiment rushed ireland response april new brigade saw active service following rising believed british authorities responsible tried military courts ninety sentenced death eventually executed senior officer chaired number courts martial including seven signatories appears found task difficult trial reported commented hardest tasks condemn death finest characters come wrong state things makes man like rebel don wonder pupils 38th welsh division june ordered leave brigade france described news unexpected posting like july removed command 38th welsh division failure hitherto limited attacks early stages battle poor communication division corps headquarters named preferred replacement corps commander overruled command temporarily given division successfully took objective severe losses week command 7th taken permanent command division raised strong sense liberal patronage officers personally appointed result political convenience taken priority military selecting officers new officer outside welsh liberal able sack subordinates saw fit division standard improved significantly saw service ridge early stages battle september onwards kept relatively quiet defensive sectors division trained period april able mount limited brigade size attack whilst involved heavy losses clear success way possible years earlier late relieved command replaced younger officer apparently incompetence age described achievements excellent illness according fallen ill dog command 38th division build past training fight days offensive great success november appointed command ireland service war appointed aide camp king companion order bath commander awarded belgian french died liver cancer heart failure april queen military hospital london survived wife daughters leaving small estate memorial regimental chapel leicester cathedral march result research circumstances death accepted commemoration commonwealth war graves commission united kingdom book remembrance june grave found cemetery 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Charles Blackader