Charles W. H. Douglas

Sir Charles Douglas
General Sir Charles W. H. Douglas
Born	17 July 1850(1850-07-17) Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Died	25 October 1914(1914-10-25) (aged 64) London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1869 - 1914
Rank	General
Unit	92nd Highlanders
Commands held	2nd Division Southern Command
Battles/wars	Second Boer War World War I
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

General Sir Charles Whittingham Horsley Douglas, GCB, ADC (17 July 1850 – 25 October 1914), was a British army officer serving as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) during the first months of World War I.

Biography

He was born on 17 July 1850 and educated privately. He was commissioned into the 92nd Highlanders in 1869.^[1]

Douglas served in Afghanistan between 1878 and 1880, went on the Suakin Expedition to Sudan in 1884 and served in South Africa during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902 and then became General Officer Commanding 2nd Division.^[2] He was Adjutant-General to the Forces between 1904 and 1909, General Officer Commanding-in-chief for Southern Command, between 1909 and 1912 and then Inspector-General of Home Forces from 1912 to April 1914.^[1]

On 6 April 1914, Douglas replaced Field-Marshal Sir John French as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) and was thus in service at the outbreak of World War I. He did not have any major impact on the conduct of war during the first two and a half months, leaving strategic control to Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener as War Minister.^[1]

Douglas, who had not been in the best of health, died on 25 October 1914 due to strain and overwork. His place was taken by General Sir James Murray on 30 October 1914.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Edward M Spiers, 2004
2. ^ Army Commands

External links

• The British Army in Great War

Military offices
Preceded by Francis Clery	General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division 1902–1904	Succeeded by Bruce Hamilton
Preceded by Sir Thomas Kelly-Kenny	Adjutant-General to the Forces 1904–1909	Succeeded by Sir Ian Hamilton
Preceded by Sir Ian Hamilton	GOC-in-C Southern Command 1909–1912	Succeeded by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien
Preceded by Sir John French	Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1914–1914	Succeeded by Sir James Murray

Persondata
Name	Douglas, Sir Charles
Alternative names
Short description	Army officer
Date of birth	1850-07-17
Place of birth	Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Date of death	1914-10-25
Place of death	London