Charles Budworth

Major General Charles Edward Dutton Budworth, CB, CMG, MVO (3 October 1869 – 15 July 1921) was a British soldier who served as an artillery officer during the Second Boer War and the First World War.^[1][2]

Early life and family

Budworth was the son of Philip John Budworth, of Greensted Hall, Essex.^[3] His elder brother Richard Budworth played international rugby union football for England.

Budworth married Winifred Nickalls, daughter of Sir Patteson Nickalls, but was widowed in 1914. He remarried Helen Blewitt, daughter of W. E. Blewitt, in 1918. They had two sons.

Military career

Budworth was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery on 15 February 1889, promoted to lieutenant on 15 February 1892, and to captain on 29 March 1899. In October that year he was appointed Adjutant of the Honourable Artillery Company of London (HAC), and on 12 January 1900 he commissioned as a captain in the HAC company of the City of London Imperial Volunteers (CIV) bound for service in the Second Boer War. He left for South Africa the following month,^[4] and returned with most of the corps in October the same year. The CIV was disbanded in December 1900, and he went back to regular service with the Royal Artillery.

During the First World War, he was General Sir Henry Rawlinson's senior artillery adviser, at IV Corps (October 1915 to March 1916) and at Fourth Army from May 1916 until the Armistice in November 1918.^[5] He played a key role in the Allied Hundred Days Offensive at the Battles of Hamel, Amiens, and the final attack on the Hindenburg Line.^[6] He was ten times mentioned in despatches.

In 1919 Budworth was appointed to command 59th (2nd North Midland) Division, which trained drafts for service in Egypt and the Black Sea until it was demobilised.^[7]

Budworth died in Simla, British India, on 15 July 1921 and was buried in Simla Old Cemetery.^[8] At the time of his death he was Inspector of Royal Artillery in India.

References