John Fowler (British Army officer)

Lieutenant-General Sir John Sharman Fowler, KCB, KCMG, DSO (29 July 1864 – 20 September 1939) was a British Army engineer officer who specialised on telegraph on signals, and who was later Commander of British Forces in China.^[1]

Lieutenant-General Sir John Fowler
Born	(1864-07-29)29 July 1864 Navan, County Meath, Ireland
Died	20 September 1939(1939-09-20) (aged 75) Harrogate, Yorkshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1886–1925
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	British Forces in China
Battles / wars	Second Boer War First World War Chitral Expedition
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches
Relations	Sir Alexander Godley (brother-in-law)

Early life and education

Fowler was born in Navan, County Meath, the second son of Robert Fowler and Letitia Coddington.^[2][3] He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. His elder sister Louisa married Sir Alexander Godley.^[1]

Military career

Fowler was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in January 1886.^[4][5] He took part in the Izazai expedition in 1892, was promoted to captain on 24 September 1895, and went to Chitral in the North West Frontier of India in 1896.^[5] He also took part in the Tirah Expeditionary Force in the North West Frontier of India in 1897.^[5] He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1898 to 1899.^[6]

Fowler served in the Second Boer War as a member of the South Africa Field Force,^[5] and attached to the 2nd Division Telegraph Battalion, and was mentioned in despatches (dated 8 April 1902).^[7] Following the end of the war in June 1902, he received a brevet promotion to major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902,^[8] and returned home with his division on the SS Britannic from Cape Town to Southampton in October that year.^[9] After his return, he was stationed with the 1st Division Telegraph Battalion, at Aldershot.^[10]

He was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in January 1911.^[11]

Fowler also served in the First World War as Director of Army Signals for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).^[5] A temporary colonel in August 1914,^[12] he was promoted to temporary brigadier general in October 1914,^[13] he was made a major general in January 1917^[14] and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1918.^[15]

In 1921 he was appointed General Officer Commanding the Straits Settlements and the following year he was appointed Commander of British Forces in China.^[16] He retired in 1925.^[5]

Fowler was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Signals from 1923 to 1934.^[5]

Personal life

Fowler married Mary Olivia Henrietta Brooke in Ireland on 10 August 1904.^[17] They had two daughters.^[1]

Fowler died in Harrogate, Yorkshire, aged 75.^[1]

References

1. "Obituary: Lieut.-Gen. Sir John Fowler". The Times. 21 September 1939. p. 10.
2. Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864–1958
3. Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620–1911
4. "No. 25546". The London Gazette. 5 January 1886. p. 64.
5. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
6. Hall, Brian N. (2017). Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914-1918. Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1107170551.
7. "No. 27443". The London Gazette. 17 June 1902. pp. 3967–3974.
8. "No. 27448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1902. pp. 4191–4194.
9. "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning Home". The Times. No. 36899. London. 15 October 1902. p. 8.
10. Hart´s Army list, 1903
11. "No. 28457". The London Gazette. 17 January 1911. p. 415.
12. "No. 28875". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 August 1914. p. 6581.
13. "No. 28976". The London Gazette. 13 November 1914. p. 9380.
14. "No. 29886". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1916. p. 15.
15. "No. 13186". The Edinburgh Gazette. 1 January 1918. p. 9.
16. Hong Kong Legislative Council
17. Daisy von Pless Taniec na wulkanie s. 89 ISBN 9788386225996

Military offices
Preceded by Sir George Kirkpatrick	Commander of British Forces in China 1922–1925	Succeeded by Charles Luard