Sydney Earnest Christian

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Sydney Earnest Christian
April 17, 1868 – May 17, 1931
Allegiance	Australian Army
Years of service	1891-1918
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	Second Boer War World War I Anzac Cove Fromelles *Battle of the Somm
Awards	CMG

Sydney Earnest Christian, CMG (17 April 1868 – 17 May 1931) was an Australian Army colonel and temporary Brigadier General in World War I. He retired in 1918 with the rank of honorary brigadier-general.

1 Early life and career
2 World War I
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Early life and career

Sydney Christian was born on 17 April 1868, the son of a pastoralist. He was educated at King's School, Geelong Grammar and Parramatta Grammar. Early in life Christian considered a military career and qualified for entry to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, but did not enrol, instead he returned to the family property.

Christian was commissioned as a lieutenant in New South Wales volunteer force in 1891. On 18 February 1895 he joined the New South Wales Permanent Military Forces as a lieutenant in 'A' Field Battery and became aide de camp to Major General Hutton, the commander of the colonies military forces.

When war broke out in South Africa, the New South Wales government offered the services of its only field battery. The unit consisting of five officers and 174 other ranks equipped with six 15-pounder field guns and embarked for South Africa on 30 December 1899. The battery was the only Australian artillery unit to serve in South Africa and the only one to serve in the Sudan in 1885.

The battery served in the Orange Free State and the Cape Colony. It was frequently split into its two gun sections, which were sometimes deployed far apart. Detached, Christian's section saw action at Petrusville on the southern border of the Orange Free State in November 1900. The section then moved to Pretoria and helped clear the Transvaal. It rejoined the rest of the battery in August 1901. For his part, Christian was mentioned in dispatches by Lord Kitchener as "a very good gunner and horsemaster". The battery returned to Australia on 15 September 1901.

Christian became an artillery staff captain in New South Wales and Victoria. He was confirmed in the rank in 1905. In 1907 he spent a year on exchange duty in England with the Royal Artillery. In January 1909, he became chief instructor for militia artillery in New South Wales and Queensland, gaining a reputation as a hard taskmaster. On 30 November 1910, Christian was promoted to major and given command of the 1st Field Battery, one of the Army's few regular units

[edit] World War I

Christian was appointed to the AIF with the rank of major on 18 August 1914 as commander of the 1st Field Artillery Brigade. Christian was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October and sailed for Egypt in October 1914.

One gun from each battery of the brigade was landed at Anzac on 26 April 1915 and dragged into position where they fired approximately 800 rounds at the enemy. Due to a shortage of battery positions they were returned to the ships. Christian's brigade was instead landed at the Cape Helles front on 4 and 5 May 1915 where it came under the control the Companion, Royal Artillery (CRA) of the British 29th Division. Christian was evacuated sick on 9 May 1915. The brigade remained at Gallipoli until October, when it finally returned to Anzac. For his service at Gallipoli, Christian was awarded a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG) and mentioned in dispatches.

On 21 February 1916, Christian was promoted to colonel and temporary brigadier general and given command of the new 5th Division Artillery. The 5th Division moved to France in June 1916, and the artillery was firing over the heads of their infantry in the attack at Fromelles in July, where Christian commanded a force of 114 18-pounders and 24 4.5-inch howitzers of the 4th, 5th and British 31st Divisions, and around 20 British and Canadian trench mortars.

In October, the 5th Division Artillery moved to the Somme front where it fired in support of the New Zealand Division. It rejoined I Anzac Corps for the fighting at Flers in November.

Christian became ill in January 1917 and was evacuated. General Birdwood, commander of I Anzac Corps, had become disappointed with Christian's performance. While acknowledging his technical ability, Birdwood felt that Christian had become fat and lazy. Accordingly, Christian was invalided to Australia, where he was discharged from the AIF. Christian retired from the Army in January 1918 with the rank of honorary brigadier general.