Francis Gathorne-Hardy

General Sir John Francis Gathorne-Hardy, GCB, GCVO, CMG, DSO (14 January 1874 – 21 August 1949) was a British First World War General officer who served in Italy and the Western Front.

Sir Francis Gathorne-Hardy
Born	14 January 1874
Died	21 August 1949 (aged 75)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Rank	General
Unit	Second Boer War Great War Second World War
Commands	Northern Command Aldershot Command
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order[1]

Background and early life

Gathorne-Hardy was born in 1874, a younger son of John Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl of Cranbrook, and Cicely Marguerite Wilhelmina Ridgway. He was educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.^[2]

Military career

Gathorne-Hardy joined the British Army as a commissioned second lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards on 10 October 1894,^[3] and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1898.^[2][4] In early February 1900 he was seconded for special service in South Africa,^[5] where he was involved with Army transport duties during the Second Boer War.^[6] He was promoted to captain on 2 May 1900.^[2] During later stages of the war he served with the Lovat Scouts, and only left South Africa after the war had ended, in July 1902.^[7] For his service in the war he received the brevet rank of major on 22 August 1902.^[8] Following his return he was appointed Superintendent of Gymnasia in the Home District in October 1902.^[9][10]

He served as a General Staff Officer in the First World War.^[2] After commands as a General in Egypt and India, he was Commander in Chief at Northern Command from 1931 to 1933 and at Aldershot Command from 1933 to 1937.^[2] He had been promoted to general in October 1933.^[11]

Family

Gathorne-Hardy married Lady Isobel Constance Mary Stanley, daughter of Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby and Lady Constance Villiers, on 10 December 1898.^[12]

References

1. "No. 12776". The Edinburgh Gazette. 23 February 1915. p. 307.
2. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
3. "No. 26559". The London Gazette. 9 October 1894. p. 5668.
4. "No. 26931". The London Gazette. 21 January 1898. p. 376.
5. "No. 27165". The London Gazette. 16 February 1900. p. 1077.
6. "The War - appointments". The Times. No. 36048. London. 25 January 1900. p. 10.
7. "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36836. London. 2 August 1902. p. 6.
8. "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6900.
9. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36901. London. 17 October 1902. p. 8.
10. "No. 27512". The London Gazette. 2 January 1903. p. 7.
11. "No. 33983". The London Gazette. 3 October 1933. p. 6356.
12. The peerage.com

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Cameron Shute	GOC-in-C Northern Command 1931–1933	Succeeded by Sir Alexander Wardrop
Preceded by Sir Charles Harington	GOC-in-C Aldershot Command 1933–1937	Succeeded by Sir John Dill