Charles Woollcombe

Sir Charles Woollcombe

1917 portrait by Francis Dodd
Born 1857
Died 1934 (aged 76 or 77)
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Lieutenant General
Unit Second Boer War
World War I
Commands held Allahabad Brigade
Garhwal Brigade
Highland Division
Eastern Command
2nd Army Central Force
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Lieutenant General Sir Charles Louis Woollcombe KCB KCMG (1857–1934) was a British Army General during World War I.

Military career

Woollcombe originally served with the 1st Devon Militia,[1] before obtaining a Regular commission in the 46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1876.[2] In 1877, he transferred to the 25th Regiment of Foot,[3] which was retitled as the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1887. He took part in the Peshawar Valley expedition and the Khyber Line Force in Afghanistan between 1878 and 1880 and in the Chin Lushai expedition in Burma between 1889 and 1890.[4]

He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for Musketry in Bengal from 1890 and then Brigade Major for the Chitral Relief Force in Buram in 1895.[4] He then served on the North West Frontier in India becoming Assistant Adjutant General of the Mohmand Field Force in 1897.[4] He then took part in the Tirah expedition from 1897 to 1898 and then became Assistant Adjutant General in India in 1899.[4]

He served in the Second Boer War in South Africa and then became Assistant Adjutant General for Musketry in India between 1901 and 1906.[4]

He was Commander of the Allahabad Brigade in India from 1906 and of the Garhwal Brigade in India from 1907-1910.[4] He was appointed General Officer Commanding the Highland Division in 1911.[4]

He served in World War I as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command from 1914 to 1915 when he became GOC of the 2nd Army Central Force.[4] Then in 1916 he became GOC IV Corps.[5] Finally in 1918 he returned to his post as GOC-in-Chief at Eastern Command: he retired in 1920.[4]

References

  1. The London Gazette: no. 24389. p. 6684. 1 December 1876. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 24492. p. 4693. 14 August 1877. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 24492. p. 4694. 14 August 1877. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  5. The long, long trail
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir James Grierson
GOC-in-C Eastern Command
19141915
Succeeded by
Sir Leslie Rundle
Preceded by
Edward Fanshawe
GOC 11th (Northern) Division
July 1916 - December 1916
Succeeded by
Archibald Ritchie
Preceded by
Henry Rawlinson
GOC IV Corps
19161918
Succeeded by
George Harper
Preceded by
Sir William Robertson
GOC-in-C Eastern Command
19181919
Succeeded by
Lord Horne