115-587: Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy , GCB , GCMG , MVO (11 September 1862 – 6 June 1935), was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada , the 12th since the Canadian Confederation . Known to friends as "Bungo", Byng was born to a noble family at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire , England and educated at Eton College , along with his brothers. Upon graduation, he received
230-793: A Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1906, he was again back in Aldershot, in command of the 1st Cavalry Brigade . It was April 1909 when Byng was promoted to major-general and, though he was placed on half pay, Byng—with added income from editing the Cavalry Journal and serving as the first north Essex District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts —purchased his first house, Newton Hall, in Dunmow , Essex . He would, however, only reside there for two years, as, exactly
345-685: A Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George . Beginning in May 1915, Byng served as GOC of the Cavalry Corps , at which time he was also made a temporary lieutenant-general , which he led during the Second Battle of Ypres . After this, Byng was sent to Gallipoli to head the IX Corps and supervise the successful withdrawal of the British, Australian, and New Zealand forces from there. For this, he
460-501: A beating to any one of them! On Monday he would be in his most enchanting mood; Tuesday he would treat me as a pal and a man; Wednesday he would hardly remember that I existed; Thursday he would be icily polite; Friday he would thaw a little and by Saturday be back in Monday's delightful mood! What could anybody make of such vagaries? Byng was deployed in November 1899 to South Africa , where he
575-513: A bulk petrol storage depot, where everyone had to be searched for matches and tobacco. The treaty was signed on 28 June and no advance beyond the Rhine was required. The Light Division began closing down in October and 53rd (S) Bn was finally disbanded on 25 October 1919. The SR resumed its old title of Militia in 1921 but like most militia units the 6th KRRC remained in abeyance after World War I. By
690-571: A cadet at the nearby Sandhurst, Winston Churchill . Byng also journeyed with his class to see the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian War at Alsace-Lorraine and accompanied to the United States one of his lecturers who was compiling information on a book on Stonewall Jackson . By December 1894, Byng graduated from the Staff College and was immediately appointed to command A Squadron of
805-838: A commission as a militia officer and saw service in Egypt and Sudan before enrolling in the Staff College at Camberley . There, he befriended individuals who would be his contemporaries when he attained senior rank in France. Following distinguished service during the First World War —specifically, with the British Expeditionary Force in France, in the Battle of Gallipoli , as commander of the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge , and as commander of
920-592: A game played by the Ottawa Senators . His wife Lady Byng , also a hockey fan, would donate a trophy to the National Hockey League starting in 1925 to be handed out each year to the player who best exhibited gentlemanly and sportsmanlike conduct on the ice while maintaining a high level of play; the trophy, known as the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy , is still awarded to this day. He was also fond of
1035-564: A gold-tipped baton which they may carry on formal occasions. The vast majority of officers to hold the rank of field marshal were professional soldiers in the British Army, though eleven served as officers in the British Indian Army . At least fifty-seven field marshals were wounded in battle earlier in their careers, of whom 24 were wounded more than once, and eight had been prisoners of war. Fifteen future field marshals were present at
1150-671: A long-lived tradition. In 1888, the Hussars again moved, this time to York , where Byng kept his men busy by raising successful cricket and football teams. Byng was promoted to captain on 4 January 1890, around the time he began to consider entering the Staff College at Camberley . He thus, in order to dedicate his time to preparatory studies, which continued when the regiment moved in 1891 to Ireland , resigned his commission as adjutant and turned down an invitation from Prince Albert Victor to join him in India as an equerry . After being detached for
1265-692: A militia brigade commanded by the Marquess of Buckingham , colonel of the Royal Bucks Militia whose volunteers formed the 1st Provisional Bn. The brigade embarked on 10–11 March 1814 and joined the Earl of Dalhousie 's division that had occupied Bordeaux just as the war was ending. The brigade did not form part of the Army of Occupation after the abdication of Napoleon and returned to England in June. Having been disembodied
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#17328447825811380-535: A popular music-hall act of the day. Byng's greatest glory then came when he led the Canadian victory in April 1917 at the battle of Vimy Ridge , a historic military milestone for the dominion that inspired nationalism at home. In June 1917, and by now holding the temporary rank of general , Byng was rewarded for his success at Vimy Ridge and succeeded General Sir Edmund Allenby in command of Britain's largest field army ,
1495-519: A result, King was once again appointed prime minister. At the 1926 Imperial Conference , King then went on to use Byng and his refusal to follow his prime minister's advice as the impetus for widespread constitutional change throughout the British Commonwealth . Byng himself said of the matter: "I have to await the verdict of history to prove my having adopted a wrong course, and this I do with an easy conscience that, right or wrong, I have acted in
1610-499: A second visit to the King in early October, Byng was sent back to India to command the 10th Royal Hussars at Mhow and was appointed to the rank of a substantive lieutenant colonel on 11 October 1902. In his first two years of marriage, Byng's wife suffered several miscarriages , resulting in the declaration that she would be unable to bear children. By January 1904, Byng had also, while playing polo, broken his right elbow so severely that it
1725-502: A time in order to serve and gain more experience in the infantry and artillery, Byng sat and passed his entrance exams into the Staff College and secured a nomination in September 1892. A year before Byng entered the college, Albert Victor fell victim to the influenza pandemic that raged around the world, and, at the Prince's funeral on 20 January 1892, Byng commanded the pallbearers (all from
1840-483: A turning point in the war and Byng was honoured on 24 November 1917 by having his temporary rank of general made substantive; however according to the war memoirs of Arthur S. Bullock, the battle failed to breach the Hindenburg Line , due to a lack of reserves, and it was at General Byng's second attempt to take Cambrai in 1918 that the British triumphed, owing to sufficient troops and supplies being in place "to sustain
1955-505: The King–Byng Affair remains debated, though the consensus amongst constitutional historians is that Byng's moves were appropriate under the circumstances. Mackenzie King, however, made much of the scenario and its outcome in the election that eventually followed on 14 September, in which King's Liberal Party won a plurality of seats in the House of Commons, while Meighen lost his seat. As
2070-525: The 1st Middlesex Western Militia at Uxbridge . During the summer of 1778 the West Middlesex Militia under Colonel G.J. Cooke was at Coxheath Camp near Maidstone in Kent , which was the army's largest training camp. Here the completely raw militia were exercised as part of a division alongside regular troops while providing a reserve in case of French invasion of South East England. Afterwards,
2185-654: The Battle of Vitoria , where the Duke of Wellington earned the rank, and ten others served under Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo . However, only thirty-eight held independent commands in the field, and just twelve served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (the pre-1904 professional head of the army) or Chief of the Imperial General Staff during a major war. Four field marshals ( Sir Evelyn Wood , Sir George White , Earl Roberts , and Lord Gort ) had previously received
2300-498: The Bills of mortality ' ( ie the suburban parishes included within the London health district), and the 'County Regiment', recruited from rural parishes. In 1697 the latter was commanded by Colonel R. Shoreditch and consisted of 603 men in six companies, together with a County Troop of Horse with 85 men. These arrangements appear to have continued until at least 1722, but thereafter the militia
2415-540: The British Armed Forces , were usually promoted to the rank upon their appointment. In total, 141 men have held the rank of field marshal. The majority led careers in the British Army or the colonial British Indian Army , rising through the ranks to eventually become a field marshal. Some members of the British Royal Family , most recently Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Charles III , were promoted to
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#17328447825812530-527: The British Armed Forces . At the same time, Guthrie, who relinquished the post of CDS and retired from active service in 2001, was promoted to honorary field marshal. In June 2014, former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Walker of Aldringham was also promoted to honorary field marshal. Although the rank of field marshal is not used in the Royal Marines , the insignia is used on the uniform of
2645-678: The British Isles ), which the Regular Army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manning garrisons, guarding prisoners of war, and for internal security, while their traditional local defence duties were taken over by the Volunteers and mounted Yeomanry . In 1804 the Middlesex Militia was awarded the prefix 'Royal', the regiment becoming the 2nd Royal West Middlesex Regiment of Militia . During
2760-561: The British Third Army —Byng was elevated to the peerage in 1919. In 1921, King George V , on the recommendation of Prime Minister David Lloyd George , appointed him to replace the Duke of Devonshire as Canada's governor general, a post he occupied until the Viscount Willingdon succeeded him in 1926. Byng proved to be popular with Canadians due to his war leadership, though his stepping directly into political affairs became
2875-542: The Canadian Corps –"which was generally regarded, not least by those in it, as one of the crack formations on the Western Front"–and was promoted when, for distinguished service, the King made substantive Byng's rank of lieutenant-general. He led the corps in the Battle of the Somme later in the year. A good soldier, he swiftly became popular with the Canadian troops, who sometimes referred to themselves as 'The Byng Boys' after
2990-568: The Captain General , the ceremonial head of the corps (equivalent to colonel-in-chief ). The rank insignia of a field marshal in the British Army comprises two crossed batons in a wreath of laurel leaves, with a crown above. In some other countries, historically under the sphere of British influence, an adapted version of the insignia is used for field marshals, often with the crown being replaced with an alternative cultural or national emblem. On appointment, British field marshals are awarded
3105-632: The Crimea , the militia began to be called out for home defence. By the beginning of July 1855 the Edmonton Rifles had been embodied at Barnet, where it remained until the militia were disembodied in May 1856 after the Treaty of Paris ended the war. Although the 4th and 5th Middlesex Militia were embodied in 1857 to relieve regular troops for service against the Indian Mutiny , the number of regiments required
3220-601: The Grenadier Guards , commanded a series of attacks while severely wounded during the First World War in 1918. Roberts received his VC for actions during the Indian Mutiny . Wellington, 44 at the time of his promotion, was the youngest non-royal officer to earn the rank of field marshal. Charles Moore, 1st Marquess of Drogheda was the oldest, promoted at the age of 91, while a further twenty-three officers were promoted to field marshal in their eighties. Wellington
3335-765: The King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC). Primarily intended for home defence, it served in England and Ireland (and briefly in Southern France) during Britain's major wars. It was converted to the Special Reserve under the Haldane Reforms and supplied reinforcements to the KRRC's fighting battalions during World War I . After a shadowy postwar existence the unit was finally disbanded in 1953. The universal obligation to military service in
3450-573: The Ministry of Defence in 1995 made a number of recommendations for financial savings in the armed forces' budget, one of which was the abolition of all five-star ranks. Part of the rationale was that these ranks were disproportionate to the size of the forces commanded by these officers, and that none of the United Kingdom's close allies, such as the United States (which reserves the rank of general of
3565-588: The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair , held each year in Toronto , and established the Governor General's Cup to be presented at the competition. He was the first Governor General of Canada to appoint Canadians as his aides-de-camp (one of whom was future Governor General Georges Vanier ) and approached his vice-regal role with enthusiasm, gaining popularity with Canadians on top of that received from
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3680-613: The Royal London Militia and numerous Rifle Volunteer Corps from London and Middlesex. The Edmonton Rifles already had links with the regiment, wearing a uniform modelled on that of the 60th, and with some of its officers having formerly served in the 60th. The Rifles Depot was at Winchester in Hampshire , but the Edmonton rifles retained its headquarters in Barnet. The militia now came under
3795-452: The Shire levy was long established in England and its legal basis was updated by two acts of 1557 ( 4 & 5 Ph. & M. cc. 2 and 3), which placed selected men, the ' trained bands ', under the command of Lords Lieutenant appointed by the monarch. This is seen as the starting date for the organised county militia in England . It was an important element in the country's defence at the time of
3910-664: The Spanish Armada in the 1580s, and control of the militia was one of the areas of dispute between King Charles I and Parliament that led to the English Civil War . During the Civil War a great ring of fortifications (the ' Lines of Communication ') was constructed round London, encompassing Westminster and the suburban parishes of Middlesex, whose trained bands came under the London Militia Committee. Middlesex
4025-622: The Third Army , which he was to lead until the cessation of hostilities some seventeen months later and. With his Third Army having missed the Battle of Passchendaele , Byng led the Army in the First Battle of Cambrai in November, conducting the first surprise attack using tanks . The battle–described by historian Robin Neillands as "the great 'might-have-been' of the Great War"–was later considered
4140-577: The Victoria Cross (VC), the United Kingdom's highest and most prestigious award for gallantry 'in the face of the enemy'. Wood, a famously injury-prone officer, was awarded the VC for two actions in 1858, in which he first attacked a group of rebels in India, and later rescued an informant from another group of rebels. White, a cavalry officer , led two charges on enemy guns in Afghanistan in 1879, while Gort, of
4255-439: The War Office rather than their county lords lieutenant and battalions had a large cadre of permanent staff (about 30). Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army. Following the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Militia units to places in an order of battle of corps, divisions and brigades for
4370-418: The royal sign-manual and signet , approved the recommendation of his British prime minister , David Lloyd George , to appoint Byng as his representative in Canada. The designation proved less controversial than his predecessor, the Duke of Devonshire , due partly to the General's popularity, but also because the practice of prior consultation with the Canadian prime minister , at that time Arthur Meighen ,
4485-400: The 'Active Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The 1st Royal East, 2nd Edmonton Rifles and 3rd Westminster Regiments of Middlesex Militia constituted 2nd Brigade of 3rd Division, III Corps . The brigade would have mustered at Maidstone in Kent in time of war. The Childers Reforms of 1881 took Cardwell's reforms further, with
4600-433: The 10th Royal Hussars), which was a significant display of trust shown Byng by the Prince of Wales. Once Byng was enrolled at the Staff College, he found amongst his fellow students men with whom he would be closely associated more than two decades later— Henry Rawlinson , Henry Hughes Wilson , Thomas D'Oyly Snow , and James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane —and in 1894, while en route to visit a friend at Aldershot, travelled with
4715-418: The 60th Rifles. About 1820 the officers' silver buttons had the letters 'W.M.M' (for West Middlesex Militia) below a crown, above which was the word 'Royal'. On becoming rifles the buttons changed to black, with a relief design of a crown and light infantry bugle-horn within a circle inscribed 'Royal Middlesex Rifles'. Once the regiment became part of the KRRC it adopted that regiment's insignia. During
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4830-435: The Canadian royal and viceroyal residence of Rideau Hall , under the then Governor General of Canada the Marquess of Lorne . Evelyn, as she was known, later described her early encounters with Byng: When we met of a morning out riding, if he was free, the fun began—though it wasn't always fun for me because I was bewildered, as he was never the same two days running. Talk of women being mutable—he could have given points and
4945-411: The Edmonton Rifles under the command of Maj Henry Grenfell serving in 1st Brigade along with the Royal East Middlesex , the Royal London and the 2nd Tower Hamlets (the 5th Middlesex were in 2nd Brigade and the 3rd in 3rd Brigade). The regiments camped in the Aldershot area and were exercised round Frensham and Chobham Commons . On 21 September 1871 Viscount Enfield replaced his father as Hon Col of
5060-454: The First World War, while one, Sir William Robertson , held every rank in the British Army, from private soldier to field marshal. Footnotes Works cited Royal West Middlesex Militia The Royal West Middlesex Militia , later the Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment , was an auxiliary regiment reorganised in Middlesex in the Home counties of England during the 18th Century from earlier precursor units. It later became part of
5175-431: The Germans on 21 August, where, on 27 September, it managed to break through the Hindenburg Line before continuing on to Maubeuge , which was reached on 10 November, the day before the Armistice with Germany. As a result of the success at Cambrai, Byng was made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1919 New Year's Honours . In the United States, Byng's exploits during the First World War were commemorated near
5290-446: The K4 battalions into 2nd Reserve units, providing drafts for the K1–K3 battalions in the same way that the SR was doing for the Regular battalions. The battalion became 15th (Reserve) Bn and 92nd Bde became 4th Reserve Brigade . In May 1915 the battalions moved to Belhus Park , and then in September to Seaford in Sussex with 4th Reserve Bde, where they trained drafts for the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th (Service) Bns of
5405-406: The KRRC and send them as reinforcement drafts to the Regular battalions serving overseas (the 1st, 2nd and 4th on the Western Front , the 3rd at Salonika ). The 5th and 6th (Reserve) Bns also formed the 14th and 15th (Reserve) Bns of the KRRC at Sheerness to supply reinforcements to the Kitchener's Army units ( see below ). From 1917 to the Armistice with Germany the 6th Bn was at Queenborough in
5520-417: The KRRC. On 1 September 1916 the 2nd Reserve battalions were transferred to the Training Reserve (TR) and 15th KRRC became 18th Training Reserve Battalion . The training staff retained their KRRC badges. The battalion was with 4th Reserve Bde at Northampton when on 27 October 1917 it was transferred to the Rifle Brigade as 53rd (Young Soldier) Bn , and continued carrying out initial training until,
5635-443: The Prince's offer could not be refused. Byng himself was delighted at the opportunity, as both his uncle, Lord Chesham , and his cousin, Charles Cavendish , had served in the regiment. By raising money through buying polo ponies cheaply, using his excellent horsemanship to train them, and then selling them on at a profit, Byng was able to transfer to the 10th Royal Hussars on 27 January 1883, and less than three months later he joined
5750-401: The Regular Army, and arms and accoutrements would be supplied when the county had secured 60 per cent of its quota of recruits. Middlesex was given a quota of 1600 men to raise, but failed to do so – possibly because the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex , the Duke of Newcastle , was Leader of the Opposition , who had opposed the Militia Acts. A patriotic ballad of the time declared: All over
5865-403: The Royal West Middlesex did so for two years. From November 1813 the militia were also invited to volunteer for limited overseas service, primarily for garrison duties in Europe. Twenty-one officers and 560 other ranks of the Royal West Middlesex volunteered for this service, and formed the bulk of the 3rd Provisional Battalion, commanded by their own lieutenant-colonel, Edward Bayly. It served in
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#17328447825815980-410: The Thames & Medway Garrison. After Lord Kitchener issued his call for volunteers in August 1914, the battalions of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd New Armies ('K1', 'K2' and 'K3' of ' Kitchener's Army ') were quickly formed at the regimental depots. The SR battalions also swelled with new recruits and were soon well above their establishment strength. On 8 October 1914 each SR battalion was ordered to use
6095-405: The United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act 1852 , enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which
6210-425: The War of American Independence the counties were given an order of precedence determined by ballot each year. For the Middlesex Militia the positions were: The order balloted for at the start of the French Revolutionary War in 1793 remained in force throughout the war. Middlesex's precedence of 22nd applied to all three regiments. Another ballot for precedence took place at the start of the Napoleonic War: Middlesex
6325-405: The annual training of some militia regiments was held at Aldershot in conjunction with the regular division stationed there. The Edmonton Rifles were included in the experiment in 1868, carrying out their training in camp, and the four weeks ended with a divisional field day. In September 1871 the British Army held Autumn Manoeuvres for the first time. 3rd Division was made up of militia regiments,
6440-464: The army for officers who have commanded large armies in major wars), used such ranks. The recommendation was not taken up in full, but the practice of promoting service chiefs to five-star ranks was stopped, and the ranks are now reserved for special circumstances. Sir Peter Inge was, in 1994, the last active officer to be promoted to the rank. Inge relinquished the post of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) in 1997, and his successor, Sir Charles Guthrie ,
6555-403: The attack day and night until the Germans were broken". The Germans launched their spring offensive on 21 March 1918, which continued over the following weeks and managed to inflict heavy losses on Byng's Third Army, although it was able to retreat without breaking his line. By the summer of 1918 the tide of the war began to turn in favour of the Allies . Byng's Third Army launched an attack on
6670-419: The beginning of August and then to Brighton for two weeks before returning to Broadwater Common. The camp broke up in the autumn and the regiments went to their separate winter quarters. The French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars saw a new phase for the English militia: they were embodied for a whole generation, and became regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in
6785-403: The catalyst for widespread changes to the role of the Crown in all of the British Dominions . After his viceregal tenure, Byng returned to the UK to be appointed Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and was promoted within the peerage to become Viscount Byng of Vimy. Three years after attaining the rank of field marshal, he died at his home, Thorpe Hall , on 6 June 1935. Byng was born at
6900-408: The colloquial term for an undistinguished boy. Byng was from a military family, his grandfather having served with Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo . With three brothers already in the army and another already put up for the 7th Queen's Own Hussars , Byng's father did not think he could afford a regular army commission for his youngest son. Thus, at the age of 17, Byng was instead sent into
7015-417: The contractors changed. It was also at this time that Byng became acquainted with the Lord Rowton , who, along with the Guinness Trust , was trying to improve housing for skilled workers in London . Byng accompanied Rowton around the poorest areas of the city and suggested that retired senior soldiers from the rank-and-file be hired to maintain order in the Rowton Houses that Rowton had set up, thus starting
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#17328447825817130-444: The county shifted and in July 1760, the lieutenancy began forming three regiments (Western, Eastern and Westminster) and the arms and accoutrements were supplied from the Tower of London on 7 and 12 August. By then the war was going in Britain's favour and the threat of invasion had lifted: no further militia were required, and the Middlesex regiments were not actually embodied before the war ended in 1762. Parliament did however provide
7245-586: The end of the war. Early in 1919 it was decided to send the young soldier battalions to the occupation force in Germany (the British Army of the Rhine ) to take the place of fighting battalions that were being demobilised. On 8 February 53rd (YS) Bn Rifle Brigade was converted into a service battalion and on 21 March it sailed from Tilbury to Antwerp under Lt-Col Hon Nigel Gathorne-Hardy . It travelled by train to Düren , south-west of Cologne , where it went into billets. Here it joined 6th Bde of 2nd Division , but on 7 April it moved by train to Bedburg , where it
7360-428: The family seat of Wrotham Park , in Hertfordshire , as the seventh son and 13th and youngest child of George Byng, 2nd Earl of Strafford (who, due to the size of his family, ran a relatively frugal household) and Harriet Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of Charles Cavendish, 1st Baron Chesham . Until the age of 17, Byng was enrolled at Eton College , although he did not enter the sixth form . At Eton Byng first received
7475-591: The highest rank in the British Army since 1736. A five-star rank with NATO code OF-10 , it is equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy or a Marshal of the Royal Air Force in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A Field Marshal's insignia consists of two crossed batons surrounded by yellow leaves below the Tudor Crown . Like Marshals of the Royal Air Force and Admirals of the Fleet, Field Marshals traditionally remain officers for life, though on half-pay when not in an appointment or retired. The rank has been used sporadically throughout its history, and
7590-496: The honour, though three ( Wilhelm II , German Emperor; Franz Joseph I , Emperor of Austria-Hungary; and Hirohito , Emperor of Japan) were stripped of it when their countries became enemies of Britain and its allies in the two world wars. Also awarded the rank were one Frenchman ( Ferdinand Foch ) and one Australian ( Sir Thomas Blamey ), honoured for their contributions in World War I and World War II respectively, and one South African statesman ( Jan Smuts ). A report commissioned by
7705-459: The hussars. Only three years later, though, the regiment returned to Aldershot and Byng left to become adjutant of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, shortly before becoming the Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General (DAAG) of the Aldershot Command , and was promoted to the rank of major on 4 May 1898. Later that same year, Byng met at a local party Marie Evelyn Moreton , the only daughter of Sir Richard Charles Moreton, who had himself served as comptroller at
7820-619: The interests of Canada and implicated no one else in my decision." Byng returned to England on 30 September 1926, and in January 1928 was created Viscount Byng of Vimy, of Thorpe-le-Soken in the County of Essex. Later that year, he was appointed as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and, before his retirement in 1931, introduced a number of changes to the force, including a system of promotion based on merit rather than length of service, improvement in discipline, retirement of inefficient senior officers, an irregularity to policemen's beats (which had previously allowed criminals to work out
7935-410: The land they'll find such a stand, From our English Militia Men ready at hand, Though in Sussex and Middlesex folks are but fiddlesticks, While an old fiddlestick has the command (the 'old fiddlestick' was Newcastle, who was also powerful in Sussex ). Claiming insufficient numbers of qualified officers, Newcastle suspended the execution of the Act in Middlesex for two years. However, opinion in
8050-445: The linoleum factory. However, on 18 June the Light Division began moving to the Cologne area in case the German delegates rejected the Treaty of Versailles and Allied troops were ordered to occupy the Ruhr . On 21 June 53rd (S) Bn crossed the Rhine to Mülheim , where its picquets examined the passes of every German crossing into or out of the Occupied, zone, The battalion also guarded a former chemical weapons factory at Leverkusen, and
8165-420: The men he had commanded on the European battlefields. Lord Byng also named and inaugurated the first annual Warriors' Day Parade military parade in Toronto in 1921. While it had been acceptable prior to the turn of the 20th century for Canadian governors general to involve themselves in political affairs, being, as they were, representatives of the King in his British Council , Byng's tenure as governor general
8280-530: The men received full army pay. Under the Act, militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances: The Royal West Middlesex was designated a Light Infantry regiment in 1852. The following year the Middlesex Militia was expand from three to five regiments. The recruiting area of the Royal West Middlesex was effectively split, with the new 5th regiment taking over
8395-482: The militia and on 12 December 1879 commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 2nd (Edmonton) Royal Middlesex Rifles (later the 7th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps ). He was promoted to lieutenant on 23 April 1881. During this period, Byng also developed a liking for theatre and music halls , and by the age of twenty had taken an interest in the banjo . At a meeting of the Jockey Club in 1882, Byng's father
8510-594: The militia formally joining their linked regiments. The 60th Rifles became the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC), and the Edmonton Rifles became the 7th (Royal 2nd Middlesex Militia) Battalion on 1 July 1881. After the disasters of Black Week at the start of the Second Boer War in December 1899, most of the Regular Army was sent to South Africa, and many militia units were embodied to replace them. The 7th KRRC
8625-492: The militia was replaced by the Special Reserve , a semi-professional force similar to the previous militia reserve, whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for regular units serving overseas in wartime. The 7th (Royal 2nd Middlesex Militia) Bn, KRRC, became the 6th (Extra Reserve) Battalion on 26 June 1908. At the same time the battalion left Barnet and moved to the Rifles Depot at Upper Barracks, Winchester . On
8740-522: The money to continue training the militia in peacetime (two periods of 14 days or one period of 28 days each year). The militia were called out in 1778 after the outbreak of the War of American Independence , when the country was threatened with invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain. The three regiments of Middlesex Militia were 'embodied' for permanent duty for the first time on 31 March 1778, with
8855-524: The newly created 3rd Cavalry Division . This he did in late September, and, with his division, soon departed for the Western Front , landing at Ostend on 8 October, to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Both he and his division soon saw action at the First Battle of Ypres towards the end of the month, which lasted over four weeks. His actions there were rewarded in March 1915 with appointment as
8970-405: The nickname "Bungo"—to distinguish him from his elder brothers "Byngo" and "Bango"—but his time at the college was undistinguished, and he received poor reports; indicative of his attitude towards academics, he once traded his Latin grammar book and his brother Lionel's best trousers to a hawker for a pair of ferrets and a pineapple . Byng later claimed that he had been the school's worst "Scug",
9085-481: The north-western part of the county in Elthorne Hundred , one of the ancient subdivisions of the county, centred on Uxbridge, while the existing 2nd regiment took over Edmonton Hundred , the most northerly division of Middlesex, then centred on Barnet . The regiment was therefore redesignated the 2nd or Edmonton Royal Rifle Regiment of Middlesex Militia on 7 March 1853 and adopted Rifle green uniforms. At first
9200-573: The outbreak of World War I the 6th KRRC mobilised at Winchester under Lt-Col the Hon J.R. Brownlow, a retired regular major, who had commanded the battalion since 1 October 1912. Within a few days it proceeded (with the 5th (Reserve) Bn) to its war station at Sheerness , where it served in the Thames and Medway Garrison. As well as its defensive duties, its role was to equip the Reservists and Special Reservists of
9315-512: The outbreak of World War II in 1939, no officers remained listed for the 6th Bn. The Militia was formally disbanded in April 1953. When they were embodied in 1778 all the regiments of the Middlesex Militia had blue facings (usually associated with 'Royal' regiments), long before the 'Royal' title was conferred in 1804. When it became a rifle regiment in 1853 the West Middlesex adopted a Rifle green uniform with red facings, similar to that of
9430-574: The promotion prospects of more junior officers. Byng therefore retired from the army in November 1919 and moved to Thorpe Hall . In April 1921, he unveiled the Chipping Barnet War Memorial , near to his family seat of Wrotham Park. After Byng was made in July 1921 a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, it was announced on 2 August that King George V had, by commission under
9545-458: The rank after shorter periods of service. Three British monarchs ( George V , Edward VIII , and George VI ) assumed the rank on their accessions to the throne, while Edward VII and Charles III were already field marshals, and two British consorts, Albert, Prince Consort and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , were appointed by their respective queens. Other ceremonial appointments were made as diplomatic gestures. Twelve foreign monarchs have held
9660-560: The regiment in Lucknow , India . It was while the regiment was on the way home to Great Britain in 1884 that the Hussars were diverted to the Sudan to join the Suakin Expedition , and on 29 February Byng, along with the rest of his regiment, rode in the first line of the charge at the first Battle of El Teb . The attack, which resulted in the deaths of both of Byng's squadron's other officers,
9775-495: The regiment was called out again on 29 June 1815 during the short Waterloo Campaign and served in the UK until it was disembodied on 25 August 1816. After Waterloo there was a long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots were still held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and the permanent staffs of sergeants and drummers were progressively reduced. Sir John Gibbons, 4th Baronet ,
9890-525: The regiment was sent to the usual winter quarters, spread out amongst inns over several towns and villages. The regiment was ordered to enlarge these quarters, even though Col Cooke complained that his men were already so dispersed that he could not be held responsible for their discipline and 'oeconomy' (internal economy). He had 32 men absent with leave because there were no quarters for them, 40 could not be given medical care, and one detachment had to march in from 3–4 miles (4.8–6.4 km) away every time there
10005-491: The regiment was stationed at Enfield but in 1855 it built a new Militia Barracks at Barnet . As part of the 1852 reforms, the post of colonel in the militia was abolished, but existing colonels such as Viscount Enfield retained their positions. Enfield's eldest son, the Hon George Byng , was commissioned as his lt-col on 30 October 1853. War having broken out with Russia in 1854 and an expeditionary force sent to
10120-596: The regiment, and Maj Henry Grenfell was promoted to Lt-Col Commandant. Under the 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, the militia were brigaded with their local Regular and Volunteer battalions on 1 April 1873. For the Edmonton Rifles this was in Brigade No 51 & 52 (60th Rifles) in Home District, grouped with the four Regular battalions of the 60th Rifles , together with
10235-569: The same amount of time after taking command of the East Anglian Infantry Division of the Territorial Force (TF) in October 1910. In October 1912 Byng became general officer commanding (GOC) British Troops in Egypt , where he remained until the outbreak of the First World War in the summer of 1914. Kitchener, then on leave on England and soon to become Secretary of State for War, recalled Byng back to Britain to become GOC of
10350-469: The summer of 1805, when Napoleon was massing his 'Army of England' at Boulogne for a projected invasion, the regiment was part of a militia brigade under Maj-Gen Alexander McKenzie defending Hull . On 1 September 1805, the regiment had 865 men in 10 companies under the command of Lt-Col Sir David Rae, 2nd Baronet . Legislation was passed in 1811 permitting English militia regiments to serve in Ireland, and
10465-563: The surplus to form a service battalion of the 4th New Army ('K4'). Accordingly, the 6th (Extra Reserve) Bn at Sheerness formed the 15th (Service) Bn on 25 October. It was assigned to 92nd Brigade of 31st Division alongside 14th (Service) Bn and began training for active service. In November they moved to billets in Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex . On 10 April 1915 the War Office decided to convert
10580-554: The system), police boxes , the extensive use of police cars , and a central radio control room. In July 1932, Byng was once more promoted in the British military to the rank of field marshal —the highest rank an officer can attain—before he died suddenly of an abdominal blockage at Thorpe Hall on 6 June 1935. Lord Byng of Vimy was buried at the 11th Century Parish Church of St. Leonard in Beaumont-cum-Moze . Field marshal (United Kingdom) Field marshal ( FM ) has been
10695-462: The town of Ada, Oklahoma , when in 1917 a post office and power plant were named after him, leading to the later emergence of the town of Byng . Further, Byng was in his own right elevated on 7 October 1919 to the peerage as Baron Byng of Vimy, of Thorpe-le-Soken in the County of Essex. The next month, though he was offered Southern Command , but turned it down on the grounds that he did not wish to harm
10810-637: The worst 'black spot' for militia recruitment: in August 1793 the Western Regiment was 90 men short of the number it should have embodied. Only 11 out of 477 men in the regiment were balloted men serving as principals, all the others being hired substitutes. In June 1793 both the East and West Middlesex regiments marched to join a large militia training encampment at Broadwater Common, Waterdown Forest, outside Tunbridge Wells . The whole camp moved to Ashdown Forest at
10925-495: Was mentioned in despatches . In June 1885, the regiment was relocated to the South Cavalry Barracks at Aldershot , where the Prince of Wales' eldest son, Prince Albert Victor , joined the regiment and thereafter the Prince of Wales and his other son, Prince George , became frequent visitors. Byng struck up a friendship with both Albert Victor and George, but did not socialise with them much outside of army circles. Byng
11040-643: Was 20th. The militia order of precedence for the Napoleonic War remained in force until 1833. In that year the King drew the lots for individual regiments and the resulting list remained in force with minor amendments until the end of the militia. The regiments raised before the peace of 1763 took the first 47 places but the three Middlesex regiments raised in 1760 were included in the second group (1763–83), presumably because they were not actually embodied until 1778. The Royal West Middlesex Militia became 58th. The 2nd Royal West Middlesex seems to have been treated as
11155-510: Was a parade. The Peace of Paris ended the war in 1783, but the militia had already been disembodied in 1782. From 1784 to 1792 the militia were assembled for their 28 days' annual peacetime training, but to save money only two-thirds of the men were actually mustered each year. Nicholas Bayly was appointed Colonel of the West Middlesex Militia on 15 April 1788. The militia were already being embodied when Revolutionary France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. Middlesex remained
11270-504: Was allowed to decline. Under threat of French invasion during the Seven Years' War a series of Militia Acts from 1757 re-established county militia regiments, the men being conscripted by means of parish ballots (paid substitutes were permitted) to serve for three years. There was a property qualification for officers, who were commissioned by the lord lieutenant. An adjutant and drill sergeants were to be provided to each regiment from
11385-445: Was also the only field marshal to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . No officer whose career was spent in the British Army has ever reached the rank of field marshal without having served in the cavalry , infantry , Royal Armoured Corps , Royal Artillery , or Royal Engineers . One non-British officer has been appointed field marshal in the British Army; Ferdinand Foch of France, in recognition of his contributions in
11500-462: Was appointed as the regimental adjutant on 20 October 1886, only nine days before the death of his father, who left Byng a watch and £3,500. The regiment then moved again in 1887 to the barracks at Hounslow , where, after suspecting that contractors were selling him inferior meat, Byng spent several early mornings at the Smithfield market to learn the meat trade, eventually proving his case and having
11615-547: Was appointed colonel of the Royal West Middlesex on 11 July 1831, and from 27 December 1837 his lieutenant-colonel was the Rt Hon George Byng , who had been a captain in the Rifle Brigade . Gibbons died in 1844 and was succeeded as colonel on 29 April 1844 by Byng, who took the courtesy title of Viscount Enfield from 1847 when his father, Field Marshal Sir John Byng , was created Earl of Strafford. The Militia of
11730-449: Was asked about his sons by his long-time friend, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales . Upon hearing that Byng had not yet found a permanent career, the Prince offered a place for him in his own regiment, the 10th Royal Hussars . This was the most expensive regiment in the army, and the Earl of Strafford could only afford to give Byng two hundred of the six hundred pounds he would need each year, but
11845-485: Was billeted in a linoleum factory. Together with 51st and 52nd (S) Bns, Rifle Brigade, it now constituted 3rd (Light) Bde of the Light Division (as 2nd Division had been redesignated). The battalion settled down to peacetime training and sport. Lieutenant-Col W.W. Seymour arrived to command 53rd (S) Bn. On 15 May two companies moved out into a tented camp just outside the town, which was considered better accommodation than
11960-539: Was embodied from 23 January to 31 July 1900. However, unlike some militia battalions it did not serve overseas. After the Boer War, there were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (militia, yeomanry and volunteers) to take their place in the six army corps proposed by St John Brodrick as Secretary of State for War . However, little of Brodrick's scheme was carried out. Under the sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908,
12075-462: Was feared he would have to quit the Army. After four months' treatment in England, though, he was pronounced to be again fit for duty and in May became the first commandant of the new cavalry school at Netheravon . The posting was to be only a brief one, as, on 11 May 1905, Byng was made commander of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade at Canterbury , with the simultaneous temporary rank of brigadier general and substantive rank of colonel. After appointment as
12190-455: Was left with a single regiment recruited from the rural parishes outside the lines, largely in the north and west of the county. This regiment saw some service during the war. The English Militia was re-established under local control in 1662 after the Restoration of the monarchy . Middlesex had three regiments: the 'Red Regiment of Westminster', the 'Blewe Regiment' recruited from 'within
12305-458: Was notable in that he became the first to step directly into political matters since the country had gained a degree of further autonomy following the First World War. In the summer of 1926 he denied the recommendation of his prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King , who sought to have parliament dissolved in order to avoid a vote of non-confidence in his government. The Governor General's course of action in what came to be colloquially known as
12420-507: Was on 1 January 1916 elevated within the Order of the Bath to the rank of Knight Commander, but was not allowed much rest, as he spent the next month commanding the Suez Canal defences before returning to the Western Front to lead the XVII Corps . He assumed command of the corps on 27 February, when he was re-granted the temporary rank of lieutenant-general. By May, he found himself in command of
12535-536: Was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel and in February 1902 to brevet colonel . The beginning of 1902 brought more significant events for Byng, with his return to England in March, an audience with King Edward VII the following month, at which he was appointed to the Royal Victorian Order as a member 4th class (MVO), and his marriage to Moreton at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge , on 30 April 1902. Following
12650-493: Was revived. Byng had not been Meighen's first choice for presentation to the King, since he preferred someone with more civilian credentials. Nevertheless, Byng was eventually chosen because he was both willing and available. The Governor General travelled the length and breadth of the country, meeting with Canadians wherever he went. He also immersed himself in Canada's culture and came to particularly love ice hockey , rarely missing
12765-474: Was smaller, and the Edmonton Rifles were not called upon. On 5 December 1859, Col Viscount Enfield, now 2nd Earl of Strafford, became the regiment's Honorary Colonel , and his son George, now Viscount Enfield by courtesy, became Lt-Col Commandant. The militia regiments were routinely called out for their annual training. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. From 1867
12880-470: Was the first officer not to be promoted upon appointment as CDS, although he was promoted to the honorary rank of field marshal in June 2012. The most recent promotions to field marshal came in 2012, eighteen years after the moratorium on routine promotions to the rank, when Queen Elizabeth II promoted Prince Charles, her son and heir apparent, to the five-star ranks in all three services, in recognition of support provided for her in her capacity as Head of
12995-493: Was to act as a provost marshal , but was instead immediately given the local rank of lieutenant colonel and tasked with raising and commanding the South African Light Horse during the Second Boer War . Byng thereafter served on the front lines, during which time he ended up in command of a group of columns, was mentioned in despatches five times (including by Lord Kitchener on 23 June 1902), and in November 1900
13110-516: Was unsuccessful, and fighting continued, with Byng's horse being killed under him on 13 March at the Battle of Tamai . Most of the rebels were then dispersed shortly after, and on 29 March the regiment re-embarked for Britain, arriving on 22 April, and proceeding to their new base at Shorncliffe Army Camp in Kent . During the summer of 1884, Byng spent much of his time playing polo and training recruits and horses, and in July, for his services in Sudan, he
13225-617: Was vacant during parts of the 18th and 19th centuries (when all former holders of the rank were deceased). After the Second World War, it became standard practice to appoint the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (later renamed Chief of the General Staff ) to the rank on his last day in the post. Army officers occupying the post of Chief of the Defence Staff , the professional head of all
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