Alexander Hamilton-Gordon (British Army lieutenant-general)

Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon
Born 6 July 1859
Died 13 February 1939 (aged 79)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held IX Corps
Battles/wars Second Afghan War
Second Boer War
First World War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Mention in Despatches (4)

Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon KCB (6 July 1859 – 13 February 1939) was a British general during World War I.

Military career

Hamilton-Gordon was one of ten children of General Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon, K.C.B. and Caroline Herschel. His grandfather was George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855.

Educated at Winchester College, Hamilton-Gordon was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1880.[1] His first military service was in the Second Afghan War in 1880.[1] Hamilton-Gordon later served in the Boer War taking part in actions at Ladysmith, Spion Kop, Vaal Kranz and Tugela Heights.[1] He became Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for Intelligence in South Africa in 1901.[1] He then became an Instructor at the School of Gunnery before moving on to hold various staff officer positions.[1]

In 1910, he took a posting as Director of Military Operations in India, where he served until 1914, when he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Aldershot Command.[1] In 1916, he was given command of IX Corps,[1] serving at the Battle of Messines and the Third Battle of the Aisne. He was relieved in 1918 and retired in 1920.[1]

He died in 1939.

Family

In 1888, he married Isabel Newmarch, with whom he had three children.[2]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Douglas Haig
GOC-in-C Aldershot Command
1914 – 1916
Succeeded by
Sir Archibald Hunter
Preceded by
Julian Byng
GOC IX Corps
1916 – 1918
Succeeded by
Walter Braithwaite
Biography portal
World War I portal