Sir Louis Bols | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1867-11-23)23 November 1867 |
| Died | 13 September 1930(1930-09-13) (aged 62) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1887–1920 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Unit | Devonshire Regiment |
| Commands | 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 24th Division 84th Infantry Brigade Dorsetshire Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Chitral Expedition Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath[1] Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (6) |
| Relations | Major GeneralEric Bols (son) |
| Other work | Governor of Bermuda (1927–30) |
Lieutenant-GeneralSir Louis Jean Bols,KCB, KCMG, DSO (23 November 1867 – 13 September 1930) was aBritish Army general, who served aschief of staff ofEdmund Allenby'sThird Army on theWestern Front and in theSinai and Palestine campaign during theFirst World War. From 1927 until his death he served as theGovernor of Bermuda.
Bols was born inCape Town[citation needed] to Louis Guillaume Michael Joseph Bols of Belgium and Mary Wilhelmina Davidson. He was educated atLancing College in England andBishop's College School in Canada.[2]
After graduating from theRoyal Military College, Sandhurst, Bols was commissioned asecond lieutenant in theDevonshire Regiment on 5 February 1887,[3] and was promoted tolieutenant, dated 22 September 1889.[4]
In 1891–92 he served inBurma, including operations in theKachin Hills, and received the operational medal with clasp. In 1895 he served with theChitralRelief Force underSir Robert Low asadjutant andquartermaster at the British Military Depot. Promotion tocaptain followed on 18 January 1897,[5] and he served as adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment from 17 February 1899.[6]
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Following the outbreak of theSecond Boer War in late 1899, his battalion was sent to South Africa, where he served as adjutant of the battalion throughout the war. He was present at theBattle of Colenso (15 December 1899),Battle of Vaal Krantz (5–7 February 1900),Battle of the Tugela Heights (14–27 February 1900) and theRelief of Ladysmith (1 March 1900), and later in operations in theTransvaal andOrange River Colony.[7] For his services in the war, he was twicementioned in dispatches, received theQueen's South Africa Medal, and was appointed a Companion of theDistinguished Service Order (DSO). After peace was declared in May 1902, Bols left South Africa on board the SSBavarian and arrived in the United Kingdom the following month.[8]
Bols, who in January 1905 was promoted from supernumerary captain to captain,[9] was in February made commander of a company ofgentlemen cadets.[10] Made a major in October 1906,[11] he was in January 1907 made abrigade major.[12]
In May 1910 he went to theStaff College, Camberley as a deputy assistant quartermaster general and was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel while in this role,[13] before succeeding Lieutenant ColonelCharles Hull as a GSO2 at the Staff College in February 1912.[14] He transferred from the Devonshires to theDorsetshire Regiment as a lieutenant colonel in February 1914 and took command of the 2nd Battalion of his new regiment,[15] five months before the start of theFirst World War.[16]
At theSecond Battle of Ypres in 1915 Bols, having been promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general in February,[17] held the command of the84th Infantry Brigade, part of the28th Division. That same month saw him made aCompanion of the Order of the Bath.[18] while in June his permanent rank was advanced to brevet colonel.[19] In late September he moved to the newly createdXII Corps to serve as its brigadier general, general staff.[20]
In October that year he was promoted again, now to temporary major general,[21] and served as major general, general staff (MGGS) of theThird Army of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF), commanded briefly by GeneralSir Charles Monro before he was replaced by GeneralSir Edmund Allenby. Bols was to serve with Allenby, both on theWestern Front in 1916 and in 1917, and later in 1917–18 in Palestine.[22]
From January to June 1920 Bols, who had been promoted in January 1917 to substantive major general,[23] served as theChief Administrator of Palestine, and signed over power toHerbert Samuel, the first BritishHigh Commissioner of Palestine, who confirmed in an often-quoted document: "Received from Major-General Sir Louis J. Bols K.C.B.—One Palestine, complete."[2]
Bols went on to become General Officer Commanding43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division in September 1920.[24] From 1927 to his death he wasGovernor and General Officer Commanding of thearmy garrison of theImperial fortresscolony ofBermuda. He also served as colonel of theDevonshire Regiment from 1921 to his death.[25]
Bols died in his 63rd year on 13 September 1930 in a nursing home in the city ofBath,Somerset, while on leave from Bermuda.[26]
Bols married Augusta Blanche Strickland and had two sons, Major-GeneralEric Bols, and Major Kenneth Bols (killed in action in Italy in theSecond World War).[27]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | GOC 24th Division May–September 1917 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief Administrator of Palestine January–July 1920 | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | GOC 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 1920–1924 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Bermuda 1927–1930 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
