Ivor Thord-Gray
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Ivor Thord-Gray (April 17, 1878 - August 18, 1964) was a Swedish adventurer and soldier.
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[edit] Overview
Born in Stockholm 17th April 1878 as Thord Ivar Hallström. In 1893 he joined the Merchant Marine and sailed on three ships before going ashore in Cape Town, South Africa, December 1895.
He wrote a book about his experiences in the Mexican war, "Gringo Rebel: Mexico 1913-1914".[1]
[edit] Achievements
[edit] Africa
- Worked as a Prison Guard on Robben Island 1896
- In 1897 he enlisted in the Cape Mounted Riflemen and fought the Boer War 1899-1902
- Served in the South African Constabulary 1902-1903
- Transvaal Civil Service 1903-1906
- Captain in the Lydenburg Militia 1904
- Joined Royston's Horse as a Lieutenant and fought the Zulu War 1906 being promoted Captain.
- Captain of Nairobi Mounted Police 1907
[edit] Asia
- Captain Philliphine Constabulary ("US Foreign Legion") 1908-1909
- Planter in Malaya 1909-1911. Served a short time in the Chinese revolution 1913
[edit] Mexico
- Joined Mexican Revolution as Captain and Commander of Pancho Villa's artillery 1913
- Promoted Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel 1914.
- Chief of Staff 1st Mexican Army 1914.
[edit] Britain
- Joined British Army 1914 as a Major and second in command of 15th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers
- Lieutenant-Colonel and Commanding officer of 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers 1915, 1/26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers 1916
- Lieutenant-Colonel Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF-S) to Siberia 1918.
[edit] Russia
- Transferred to Russian "White" Army February 1919 as Colonel
- Commanding Officer of 1st Siberian Assault Division
- Major General November 1919 and High Representative of the Russian (Koltschak) Government to the Allied Expeditionary Corps in Vladivostok
[edit] United States
- Established a Bank in New York 1925 and became an US Citizen in 1934
- In August 1935 he was appoínted Major-General and Chief-of-Staff to Governor David Sholtz of Florida
- Died in Coral Gables, Florida, August 18, 1964.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Thord-Gray, Ivor (1960 (2nd ed)). Gringo Rebel: Mexico 1913-1914. Miami Press. ASIN: B0007FRTXY.
[edit] Possible sources
Not verified enough to be listed as "sources" yet:
- Article in Swedish asserting his presence in the Boer war
- Article in English repeating many of the same claims
- Ivor Thord-Gray at the Great War Forum
Some 1000 letters and documents regarding Ivor Thord-Gray are extant in the Kungliga Biblioteket (Royal Library) in Stockholm listed as "Thord Ivar Hallströms handlingar".
