Sir Charles Tyrwhitt Dawkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1858-11-22)22 November 1858 Farmington, Gloucestershire |
| Died | 4 October 1919(1919-10-04) (aged 60) Millbank, Westminster, England |
| Buried | Over Norton Park, Oxfordshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1878–1919 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | King's Shropshire Light Infantry |
| Battles / wars | Second Anglo-Afghan War Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches (7) |
| Alma mater | Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
Major-GeneralSir Charles Tyrwhitt Dawkins,KCMG, CB (22 November 1858 – 4 October 1919) was aBritish Army officer who fought in theSecond Anglo-Afghan War andSecond Boer War and wasDeputy Quartermaster General during theFirst World War. He died of illness contracted while on active service in France.[1]
Dawkins was born inFarmington, Gloucestershire, the second son of Rev. James Annesley Dawkins ofOver Norton Park, Rector ofDaylesford, Worcestershire, and son ofHenry Dawkins (MP). His mother, Augusta Charlotte Tyrwhitt-Drake, was the fourth daughter ofThomas Drake Tyrwhitt-Drake, ofShardeloes, Buckinghamshire,[2] and sister ofEdward Tyrwhitt-Drake.[3] Dawkins was educated atRugby School from 1874 to 1876, where he was a member of the shooting team.[4] He then attended theRoyal Military College, Sandhurst.
Dawkins began his military career in 1878 when he wasgazetted as agentleman cadet to theKing's Shropshire Light Infantry.[5] He was immediately deployed to theSecond Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880). He served with theKurram Valley Field Force and theZaimusht expedition (29 November – 16 December 1879) under Brigadier-GeneralJohn Tyler, taking part in the assault ofZawa.[1][6]
In 1884, Dawkins was appointed aide-de-camp to his future father-in-law,Sir Hercules Robinson, Governor of theCape of Good Hope.[7] From 1895 to 1897, he served as Military Secretary and Acting Imperial Secretary under Robinson.[4] Dawkins was appointed aCompanion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the1897 Diamond Jubilee Honours.[8]
Dawkins then served throughout theSecond Boer War (1899–1902). He was severely wounded in South Africa and twicementioned in despatches. He took part in the actions atPoplar Grove,Driefontein and Houtnek, and in many other operations in theOrange River Colony andCape Colony. Towards the end of the war, he was in command of the 2nd battalion of the KSLI. He was given the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel, and theQueen's amndKing's South Africa Medals with six clasps.[1]
Dawkins wasAssistant-Quartermaster-General,Eastern Command, from 1910[9] to 1914.[4] On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, he was appointed to the General Headquarters Staff inMontreuil-sur-Mer, and was made a temporary brigadier general in October and then a major general in June 1915.[10] He was mentioned five times in despatches throughout the war, dated October 1914, May 1915, April 1916, January 1917, and November 1917, appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath in 1915,[11] and knighted as aKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the1918 New Year Honours.[4][12] He was also awarded a series of foreign honours, including theOrder of St Vladimir, 4th Class with Swords andOrder of St. Anne, 1st Class with Swords from Russia,[13][14]Commander of the Order of Leopold andCroix de Guerre from Belgium,[15][16] and theCommander of the Order of Agricultural Merit from France.[17]
Dawkins remained in France following theArmistice of 11 November 1918. In April 1919, he was placed on retirement pay on account of poor health contracted on active service in France.[18] Six months later, he died atQueen Alexandra Military Hospital, Westminster, from illness contracted on active service in France.
In 1887, Dawkins married Hon. Neredah Leeta Robinson, youngest daughter ofHercules Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead, British colonial administrator, and Nea Annesley, daughter ofArthur Annesley, 10th Viscount Valentia. Neredah was a bridesmaid for her sister Nora at herfamed wedding to Alexander Kirkman Finlay. They had one son, Charles George Hereward Dawkins (1888–1946), who inherited Over Norton.[19]