George White (British Army officer)
| Field Marshal Sir George Stuart White VC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO |
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|---|---|
 Sir George Stuart White |
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| Born | 6 July 1835[1] Rock Castle, Portstewart |
| Died | 24 June 1912 (aged 76)[2] Chelsea Hospital, London |
| Buried at | Broughshane Presbyterian Churchyard, County Antrim |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1851 - 1905 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
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| Other work | Governor of Gibraltar |
Field Marshal Sir George Stuart White VC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, (6 July 1835[1] – 24 June 1912[2]) was an officer of the British Army and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces
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Early life [edit]
White was born at Rock Castle, Portstewart,[3] County Londonderry, son of James White of Whitehall, Co. Antrim and Frances Ann Stewart. His mother was a daughter of George Stewart, Surgeon-General to the British Forces in Ireland, and his wife Frances, daughter of Colonel William Stewart M.P., of Killymoon Castle, Co. Tyrone.
He was educated at Bromsgrove School, Worcestershire and later at King William's College on the Isle of Man.[4] From 1850 White attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst where he achieved the rank of Under Officer.[3]
After graduating from Sandhurst, White was commissioned into the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot in 1853[4] and saw service in the Indian Mutiny.[4]
He fought in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879 as second-in-command of the 92nd Regiment of Foot (later The Gordon Highlanders).[5]
The Victoria Cross [edit]
He was 44 years old when the following deeds took place in Afghanistan for which he was awarded the VC:
For conspicuous bravery during the engagement at Charasiah on the 6th October, 1879, when, finding that the artillery and rifle fire failed to dislodge the enemy from a fortified hill which it was necessary to capture, Major White led an attack upon it in person. Advancing with two companies of his regiment; and climbing from one steep ledge to another, he came upon a body of the enemy, strongly posted, and outnumbering his force by about 8 to 1. His men being much exhausted, and immediate action being necessary, Major White took a rifle, and, going on by himself, shot the leader of the enemy. This act so intimidated the rest that they fled round the side of the hill, and the position was won. Again, on the 1st September, 1880, at the battle of Candahar, Major White, in leading, the final charge, under a heavy fire from the enemy, who held a strong position and were supported by two guns, rode straight up to within a few yards of them, and seeing the guns, dashed forward and secured one, immediately after which the enemy retired.[6]
Later life [edit]
He became the commanding officer of the 92nd Foot in 1881.[4] White commanded a Brigade during the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 as a result of which he was promoted to Major-General and was knighted in 1886.[4] In 1889 he took command at Quetta District.[4]
He became Commander-in-Chief, India in 1893.[4] He was appointed Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1898 holding that post until the following year.[4]
He was commander of the forces in Natal during the opening of the Second Boer War[4] and commanded the garrison at the Siege of Ladysmith 1899–1900,[4] for which he was appointed GCMG.[7] He became Governor of Gibraltar (1900–1904) and was made field marshal in 1903. He was Governor of the Royal Chelsea Hospital from 1905[8] until his death there on 24 June 1912.[9]
He was buried at Broughshane, a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the ancestral home of White, where a memorial now stands.[10]
The medal [edit]
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gordon Highlanders Museum, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Honours and legacy [edit]
- VC Victoria Cross 1879
- CB Companion of the Order of the Bath 1881
- KCB Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 1886
- KCIE Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire 1890
- GCIE Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire 1893
- GCB Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 1897
- GCSI Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India 1898
- GCVO Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order 1900
- GCMG Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George 29 November 1900[7]
- OM Order of Merit 1905
A statue of White is currently located at Portland Place, London, while a memorial plaque hangs inside the Royal Memorial Chapel at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The Sir George White Memorial Flute Band still operates in Broughshane, Ballymena.[11]
Family [edit]
In 1874 he married Amelia Baly, daughter of the Venerable Joseph Baly, Archdeacon of Calcutta, with whom he had one son and four daughters.[5]
His son Jack White after service in the British Army became an Irish republican and socialist who co-founded the Irish Citizens Army along with James Connolly and James Larkin.
References [edit]
- ^ a b "I - The Whites of Whitehall". The life of Field-Marshal Sir George White, V.C. Volume I. Edinburgh, London: W. Blackwood. 1915. p. 9. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ a b "XXI - Last Days: 1911 - 1912". The life of Field-Marshal Sir George White, V.C. Volume II. Edinburgh, London: W. Blackwood. 1915. p. 314. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ a b "II - Childhood and Early Life". The life of Field-Marshal Sir George White, V.C. Volume I. Edinburgh, London: W. Blackwood. 1915. pp. 10–20. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Heathcote, p. 295
- ^ a b Heathcote, p. 296
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 24981. p. 2859. 3 June 1881. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
- ^ a b The London Gazette: no. 27306. p. 2698. 19 April 1901.
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 27813. p. 4631. 4 July 1905. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 28634. p. 5919. 9 August 1912. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ Statue in Portland Place
- ^ "Sir George White band prepares for Broughshane Remembrance Festival". Ballymena Times. 10 November 2012.
- Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: George Stuart White |
- Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Frederick Roberts |
Commander-in-Chief, India 1893 – 1898 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Nairne |
| Preceded by Sir Richard Harrison |
Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1898–1899 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Clarke |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Robert Biddulph |
Governor of Gibraltar 1900 – 1905 |
Succeeded by Sir Frederick Forestier-Walker |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Henry Norman |
Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea 1905–1912 |
Succeeded by Sir Neville Lyttelton |
- British Field Marshals
- British Commander-in-Chiefs of India
- Governors of Gibraltar
- Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Members of the Order of Merit
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
- Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
- Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
- Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
- People educated at Bromsgrove School
- British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
- British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
- 1835 births
- 1912 deaths
- 19th-century Irish people
- Irish officers in the British Army
- 27th Regiment of Foot officers
- Gordon Highlanders officers
- People from Portstewart
- Second Anglo-Afghan War recipients of the Victoria Cross
- British Army personnel of the Mahdist War
- British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Burmese War
- People educated at King William's College
- British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
