35-517: Lieutenant-General Sir Fenton John Aylmer, 13th Baronet , VC , KCB (5 April 1862 – 3 September 1935) was an Anglo-Irish British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross . He was in command of the first failed efforts to break the siege of Kut in 1916. From a military background, Aylmer was commissioned into the Indian Army, and immediately involved in fierce fighting on
70-567: A Gentleman Cadet and was promoted lieutenant on 27 July 1880. He took part in the Burma expedition between 1886 and 1887. Fenton was 29 years old, and a captain in the Corps of Royal Engineers , British Army and Bengal Sappers & Miners ( British Indian Army ), during the Hunza–Nagar Campaign , India when he won the Victoria Cross in 1891 for the following deed: On 2 December 1891 during
105-506: A direct assault on the Ottoman positions on 6 January (the Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad ). After two days of fighting, the Ottoman army withdrew. The British sustained approximately 4,000 casualties – much more than the medical units could cope with. The Ottoman troops, under the generalship of Baron von der Goltz only withdrew some six miles up river and occupied another defensive position near the edge of
140-709: Is a British lieutenant general. Historically, I Corps and II Corps were commanded by British lieutenant generals. Additionally, three lieutenant general appointments also exist within the extant British Army 's Headquarters. They are the Commander Field Army , the Commander Home Command and the Chief of Materiel (Land) in Defence Equipment and Support (double-hatted as the Quartermaster-General to
175-681: Is a superior rank to major general , but subordinate to a (full) general . The rank has a NATO rank code of OF-8 , equivalent to a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy and an air marshal in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. The rank insignia for both the Army and the Royal Marines is a crown over a crossed sabre and baton. During the Reign of Queen Elizabeth II ,
210-708: Is displayed at the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham, Kent , England. Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom) Lieutenant general ( Lt Gen ), formerly more commonly lieutenant-general , is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines . It is the equivalent of a multinational three-star rank ; some British lieutenant generals sometimes wear three-star insignia, in addition to their standard insignia, when on multinational operations. Lieutenant general
245-707: The Ambala cavalry brigade (based at Kasauli). In 1914 the 3rd (Lahore) Division was part of Indian Expeditionary Force A sent to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting in France. The bulk constituted an infantry division as part of Indian Corps , while the Ambala Cavalry Brigade was detached to form part of 1st Indian Cavalry Division in the Indian Cavalry Corps . While in France
280-672: The Second Anglo-Sikh War . In 1852 a military cantonment (known until 1906 as Mian Mir) was established outside the city. General Officer Commanding (GOC): Brigadier-General Sir John Cheape , KCB , Bengal Engineers (appointed 9 July 1852) (absent commanding Bengal Division in Second Anglo-Burmese War ). Lahore: Commanding Station: Brigadier Sir James Tennant, Bengal Artillery Wazirabad : Brigadier J.R. Hearsey Sialkot : Lieutenant-Colonel J.T. Lane, Bengal Artillery Govindgarh ( Bathinda ): During
315-597: The St Edward's Crown , commonly known as the Queen's Crown, was depicted. Before 1953, and again since the accession of King Charles III in 2022, the Tudor Crown , commonly known as the King's Crown, has been used. Ordinarily, lieutenant general is the rank held by the officer in command of an entire battlefield corps . The General Officer Commanding NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
350-496: The siege of Kut . Tigris Corps comprised the Meerut Division, the 12th Indian Division , and a number of other smaller military units. All told he had more than 20,000 men. They left Basra in late December 1915 and arrived at Sheikh Sa'ad on 3 January 1916. While the 12th Indian Division (under command of General George Gorringe ) made a diversionary move near Nasiriyeh, the 7th (under the command of General Younghusband) staged
385-459: The ' Indian Mutiny ' (or 'First War of Independence') some Indian regiments at the Mian Mir cantonments plotted to mutiny but were disarmed under the guns of a British horse artillery battery and infantry battalion to prevent them seizing Lahore Fort. Later the 26th Bengal Native Infantry at Mian Mir did mutiny, murder some of their officers and escape under cover of a dust storm, but Lahore was held for
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#1732872772315420-632: The 12th Indian division, Major-General Gorringe. He did not command in battle again, but served as a divisional commander in India from 1915 to 1917 before retiring from the British Army in 1919. From 1922 till his death he was a colonel commandant of the Royal Engineers . Following his death in 1935 he was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium , where his ashes remain. His Victoria Cross
455-633: The Forces ). Although the senior appointment in the Royal Marines , the Commandant General , has since 1996 held the lower rank of major general , prior to this date the Commandant General was a lieutenant general or full general . However, given that a few more senior positions in the British Armed Forces are open to officers from different services, Royal Marines officers can and do reach
490-668: The Hunza-Nagar Expedition, and was part of the Chitral Expedition in 1895. Further service with the Royal Engineers saw him promoted a brevet Lieutenant-colonel . In July 1901 he was appointed Assistant Quartermaster general in India, and promoted to the substantive rank of colonel . Ten years later, in March 1912, having been promoted to major-general , he became Adjutant-General, India . In 1913 he married Lady Risley,
525-573: The Indian infantry divisions in France as reinforcements for his advance on Baghdad . Coincidentally, on the same day, the Secretary of State for India , Austen Chamberlain , told the Viceroy of India that he was anxious for the Indian infantry to be withdrawn from France before they had to endure another winter. The system for supplying drafts had broken down and the Indian battalions were becoming very weak after
560-628: The Jullunder, Sirhind and Ambala brigades under command. Lahore District/3rd (Lahore) Division at this time was under the command of Major General Walter Kitchener , the CinC's younger brother, who commanded it at the Rawalpindi Parade 1905 . In 1914 the division, with headquarters at Dalhousie, consisted of the Ferozepore, Jullunder (based at Dalhousie) and Sirhind (based at Kasauli ) infantry brigades, and
595-889: The Middle East where it fought against troops of the Ottoman Empire . The Lahore Division first appears in the Indian Army List in 1852, when the short-lived Cis- Jhelum Division was renamed (at the same time the Trans-Jhelum Division at Peshawar was renamed the Punjab Division). The Cis-Jhelum Division in turn had previously been the Saugor Division, a longstanding formation of the Bengal Army. At this period Divisions were primarily administrative organisations controlling
630-533: The Ottoman positions, one attack at the Sinn Abtar Redoubt, the other attack at the Dujaila Redoubt . The attacks were launched on 7 March 1916. Both attacks failed due to lack of initiative and an inability to coordinate the timing of the assaults: they ended up being sequential, not simultaneous as was intended. The British lost some 4,000 casualties. Fenton Aylmer was replaced by the former commander of
665-562: The Suwaikiya Marshes. A British assault on this position on 13 January was partially successful, the position was carried but again with significant losses (some 1,600 casualties) (the Battle of Wadi). By now, a third division had been added to Aylmer's Tigris Corps, the 3rd (Lahore) Division . This new division, along with the weakened 7th Division, attacked Ottoman defensive works at Hanna on 21 January (the Battle of Hanna ). This assault
700-475: The assault on Nilt Fort , British India , Captain Aylmer, with the storming party, forced open the inner gate with gun-cotton which he had placed and ignited, and although severely wounded, fired 19 shots with his revolver, killing several of the enemy, and remained fighting until, fainting from loss of blood, he was carried out of action. He was promoted major on 18 October 1893 in recognition of his services during
735-630: The brigades and stations in their area, rather than field formations, but they did provide field forces when required. The Lahore Division absorbed the Lahore Field Force under Brigadier Sir James Tennant, which had formed part of the Army of the Punjab since 1847. Lahore Fort was occupied by the British after the First Anglo-Sikh War and the city of Lahore was annexed in 1849 at the conclusion of
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#1732872772315770-577: The division was known as the Lahore Division, and its brigades by their names, to avoid confusion with the 3rd British Division . Despatch from India was delayed by the activities of the German raiders Emden and Konigsberg operating in the Indian Ocean, and by the slow speed of the transport vessels. The first two brigades landed at Marseilles on 26 September 1914, but there were further delays while
805-824: The front in Indian Corps' sector. After winter operations (in which the Indian soldiers suffered badly) the division next took part in the Battles of Neuve Chapelle , Aubers Ridge , Festubert and Loos in 1915. Order of Battle May 1915 GOC: Maj-Gen H.D'U. Keary Ferozepore Brigade GOC: Brig-Gen R.G. Egerton, CB Jullundur Brigade GOC: Brig-Gen E.P. Strickland Sirhind Brigade GOC: Brig-Gen W.G. Walker , VC Divisional Troops: As before, with addition of XLIII (Howitzer Bde, RA (40th & 57th Batteries) On 13 August 1915, General Sir John Nixon , commanding Indian Expeditionary Force D in Mesopotamia , requested one of
840-458: The heavy casualties they had suffered. Although the Secretary of State for War , Lord Kitchener , objected to their withdrawal from the Western Front , orders were issued on 31 October for the two divisions of Indian Corps (3rd (Lahore) and 7th (Meerut) Division) to embark at Marseilles for Mesopotamia. They were to leave behind their attached Territorial Force and Special Reserve battalions, and
875-613: The naval insignia, the RAF lieutenant general insignia did not have an executive curl . 3rd (Lahore) Division Mesopotamian Campaign Palestine Campaign The 3rd (Lahore) Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army and before 1895, the Bengal Army , first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to
910-587: The north-west frontier. In a singularly heroic action, still in his twenties, he helped rescue Townshend's garrison at Chitral , spearheading the relief column. For his valorous conduct he was awarded the Victoria Cross, and rapid promotion through the officer class. Born the son of Captain Fenton John Aylmer and Isabella Eleanor Darling . Aylmer attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich , as
945-433: The rank of lieutenant general, being posted to Joint Forces or Ministry of Defence postings. Examples include Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fry , Lieutenant-General Sir James Dutton and Lieutenant-General Sir David Capewell . From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of lieutenant general. It was superseded by the rank of air marshal on the following day. Although Sir David Henderson
980-539: The reforms introduced by Lord Roberts as Commander-in-Chief (CinC) India , the Divisions were renamed 1st Class Districts in 1890. In the next round of reforms inaugurated by Lord Kitchener as CinC, they became numbered divisions with their territorial affiliation as a subsidiary title. The title 3rd (Lahore) Division first appears in the Army List between 30 September and 31 December 1904, as part of Northern Command, with
1015-550: The remainder of the conflict by British troops and Indians troops loyal to the government. Over succeeding decades, the stations controlled by Lahore Division varied, and the forces under command were regularly rotated. For example: GOC: Maj-Gen Sir Hugh Henry Gough , VC (appointed 1 April 1887) Aide-de-Camp : Capt H.F.M. Wilson , Rifle Brigade Divisional HQ: Mian Mir (Lahore Cantonment) Mian Mir: Fort Lahore: Multan Brigade: Ferozepore : Amritsar : Dharamsala : Bakloh (near Dalhousie ): Under
1050-571: The simultaneous Battles of La Bassee , 1st Messines and Armentieres along the British part of the Western Front in October–November 1914. The degree to which the division was broken up can be gauged by the 29 October entry in the diary kept by the Indian corps' commander, Lt-Gen Sir James Willcocks : When the troops were relieved in November 1914, the reassembled division defended a section of
1085-571: The three RFA brigades of 18-pounder guns of 3rd (Lahore) Division. The two divisions were relieved in the front line on 6 November and were due at Basra in December, but their departure from Marseilles was delayed because of fear of submarine attack. 3rd (Lahore) Division finally arrived in Mesopotamia in April 1916 and joined Tigris Corps , too late to relieve 6th (Poona) Division at Kut-al-Amara . After
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1120-934: The troops were re-armed with the latest pattern rifle, and the supply train could be improvised, using tradesmen's vans procured locally. The 3rd Lahore Divisional Area was formed in late 1914 to take over the garrison duties of the 3rd Division when it left for France. The 3rd Lahore Divisional Area was disbanded in May 1917, the responsibilities of the area being taken over by the 16th Division. Order of Battle October 1914 GOC: Lieut-Gen H.B.B. Watkis , CB Ferozepore Brigade GOC: Brig-Gen R.G. Egerton, CB Jullundur Brigade GOC: Maj-Gen P.M. Carnegy, CB Sirhind Brigade - arrived at Marseilles from Egypt 30 November, joined 9 December 1914 GOC: Maj-Gen J.M.S. Brunker Divisional Troops: Mounted Troops: Artillery: Engineers Signals Service: Pioneers Supply & Transport: Medical Units: The division finally got into action piecemeal at
1155-532: The widow of Sir Herbert Hope Risley , head of the Indian Civil Service. She was born Elsie Julie Oppermann, daughter of Friedrich Oppermann. Having been promoted to lieutenant general on 11 June 1915, Aylmer was sent to Mesopotamia to take over command of the 7th (Meerut) Division . However, shortly after his arrival, he was put in charge of the Tigris Corps that was assembled as the first effort to end
1190-467: Was a complete failure. The Ottoman troops held their trench lines while some 2,700 British soldiers were killed or wounded. General Aylmer was reinforced with another division, the 13th (Western) Division . The next month was spent resting the troops and probing the Ottoman defensive positions. With time running out on Major-General Townshend 's garrison in Kut , Aylmer finally launched a two pronged attack on
1225-437: Was an RAF lieutenant general, the then RAF Chief-of-Staff Sir Hugh Trenchard never held this rank. Additionally, the retired Royal Navy admiral John de Mestre Hutchison held an honorary RAF commission in the rank of lieutenant general. The RAF lieutenant general rank insignia was similar to the naval rank insignia for a vice-admiral , with a broad band of gold being worn on the cuff with two narrower bands above it. Unlike
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