Sir Hugh Jamieson Elles | |
|---|---|
 1917 portrait byWilliam Orpen | |
| Born | (1880-05-27)27 May 1880 British India |
| Died | 11 July 1945(1945-07-11) (aged 65) London, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1899–1938 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Service number | 349 |
| Unit | Royal Engineers Royal Tank Corps |
| Commands | 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division 9th Infantry Brigade Royal Tank Corps |
| 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 Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches Army Distinguished Service Medal (United States) |
Lieutenant GeneralSir Hugh Jamieson Elles,KCB, KCMG, KCVO, DSO (27 May 1880 – 11 July 1945) was aBritish Army officer and the first commander of the newly formedTank Corps during theFirst World War.
Born inBritish India on 27 May 1880, Hugh Jamieson Elles was the younger son ofSir Edmond Elles. Returning toEngland, he was educated atClifton College,[1] and theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwich, after which he wascommissioned as asecond lieutenant into theRoyal Engineers in June 1899. He served inSouth Africa during the latter part of theSecond Boer War and then undertook regimental duty inAldershot. In 1913 he attended theStaff College, Camberley.[2]
On the outbreak of theFirst World War in August 1914, he was posted to the staff of the4th Division and departed for France soon afterwards. He served atLe Cateau, then took part in theRetreat to the Seine and thebattle of the Aisne, where theGerman Army was halted. He then moved north with theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF) toFlanders, taking part in theBattle of Armentières in October 1914. In February 1915, he was promoted tobrevetmajor and served as thebrigade major of the10th Brigade. He was wounded during the brigades'counterattack, on 25 April 1915, during theSecond Battle of Ypres.[3]
In August 1915, after recovering from his injuries, Elles was one of three officers specially selected byGeneralSir William Robertson, soon to beChief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, to liaise with troops at the front and pass the information directly to the British General Headquarters (GHQ). He was promoted to major in November 1915.[4] In January 1916, as aGeneral Staff Officer (GSO), Elles was sent by GeneralSir Douglas Haig, theCommander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the BEF on theWestern Front, to investigate the firsttanks or "caterpillars" being built in England. He attended the first trials of"Mother" and reported back to Haig on its success. During the summer of 1916, Elles, who in June had been awarded theDistinguished Service Order (DSO),[5] was tasked to report back from theSomme, where the tanks were first used. Promoted to the temporary rank ofcolonel, Elles was appointed to head the Heavy Branch (the first tank units) of theMachine Gun Corps in France on 29 September 1916.[3]
Having seen the tanks achieve little success during theBattle of Passchendaele because of the exceptionally wet ground conditions of the autumn 1917, he pressed Haig to use massed tanks on the drier, open ground atCambrai. On 20 November 1917 he personally led 350 tanks intobattle at Cambrai in aMark IV tank calledHilda, named after a favourite aunt.[6] Elles, promoted to brevet colonel in June 1918,[7] continued to command the Tank Corps untilGermany's surrender in November 1918.[2]
For his services during the war he was awarded theArmy Distinguished Service Medal by theGovernment of the United States. The citation for the medal reads:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Hugh J. Elles, Royal British Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States, during World War I. While Commanding the Tank Corps, British Expeditionary Forces, General Elles rendered invaluable service to the American Expeditionary Forces and to the cause in which the United States has been engaged.[8]
After the war, and after being promoted to substantive colonel in July 1919,[9] he commanded the Tank Corps Training Centre from 1919 to 1923[2] and was Inspector of Tank Corps at theWar Office. He then commanded the9th Infantry Brigade being posted to HQEastern Command asChief of Staff in August 1926.[10]
In May 1930 he was appointed director of military training at theWar Office[2][11] and then, in 1933, becamegeneral officer commanding of the42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, aTerritorial Army formation, although this only lasted for a few months.[2] In April 1934, he was appointedMaster-General of the Ordnance in the rank oflieutenant general;[2] he was also the head of the Mechanisation Branch for which his previous service made him particularly suitable. He retired in 1938 and was Civil Defence Commissioner for South West England during theSecond World War.[2]
Elles was married three times, his first two wives dying before him. He died inLondon on 11 July 1945.[2]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | GOC 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division 1933–1934 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Master-General of the Ordnance 1934–1938 | Vacant |
| International | |
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| National | |
