Arthur Wynne (British Army officer)

General Sir Arthur Singleton Wynne, GCB, DL (5 March 1846 – 6 February 1936), was a senior British Army officer from the Anglo-Irish gentry who served as Military Secretary.

Sir

Arthur Wynne
General Sir Arthur Wynne
Born(1846-03-05)5 March 1846
Died6 February 1936(1936-02-06) (aged 89)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom British Empire
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1863–1911
RankGeneral
Commands6th Division
Eastern District
10th Division
Cape Colony District
11th Infantry Brigade
Battles / warsSecond Anglo-Afghan War
Mahdist War
Second Boer War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches
Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class
GCB insignia

Military career

edit

Commissioned into the 51st Regiment of Foot in 1863,[1] Wynne became Adjutant of his regiment in 1868.[2] In 1877, Wynne became Superintendent of Army Signalling during the Jowaki campaign.[1] He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War from 1878 and was Commander of Field Telegraphs with the Karum Valley Field Force.[1] In 1885 he was awarded the Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class, by the Khedive of Egypt for "service in Sudan",[3] and by 1889 he was Deputy Assistant-Adjutant-General at Army Headquarters.[4] By 1891 Wynne was Assistant-Adjutant-General at the Curragh.[5] He then joined the General Staff at Malta before transferring to Aldershot.[1]

Wynne served in the Second Boer War and was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General for the Natal Field Force in South Africa,[6][1] and after the Battle of Spion Kop he was given command of the 11th Infantry Brigade in place of General Sir Edward Woodgate, who died from wounds sustained in action;[7][8] During the Battle of the Tugela Heights in February 1900 Wynne was slightly injured,[9] and his command was given to Colonel Walter Kitchener.[10] He returned to duty the following month.[11] After recovering, he was appointed in command of the Cape Colony District until his return to Great Britain in early 1902.[12] He was mentioned in despatches (including by Lord Kitchener, dated 23 June 1902).[13]

Following his return to Great Britain, Wynne was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General to the Forces on 14 May 1902,[14] General Officer Commanding 10th Division within IV Army Corps and General Officer Commanding Eastern District in 1904 and General Officer Commanding 6th Division in 1905.[15] He was promoted to lieutenant general in December 1905,[16] and went on to be military secretary to the secretary of state for war and secretary of the selection board in October 1906, taking over from Colonel Spencer Ewart.[17] He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in June 1907.[18]

In retirement Wynne was promoted General and appointed Keeper of the Jewel House, holding the office from 1911 to 1917.[19] From 1913 to 1927 he also held the colonelcy of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He lived at Haybergill near Warcop in Cumberland and served as Deputy Lieutenant of Westmoreland.[20]

Family

edit

A descendant of the Welsh Wynne family from Merioneth via Lieutenant-General Owen Wynne (1665–1737), he was a great-grandson of the Rt Hon. Owen Wynne, MP (1723–1789), of Hazelwood House, County Sligo. His father was John Wynne (1799–1884), of Wynnstay House, Roebuck, County Dublin,[21] and his mother was Anne Warren, daughter of Admiral Sir Samuel Warren.[22]

He married Emily Mary Turner (1862–1959), daughter of Charles Turner, of Warcop House, Westmorland, on 8 September 1886. General Sir Arthur and Lady Wynne had three sons, all of whom saw service in the British Army:[22]

  • Owen Wynne (1887–1974), OBE, Colonel RE;
  • Graeme Wynne (1889–1964), OBE, Major KOYLI;
  • Arthur Wynne (1893–1964), AFC, Captain RAF.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e Brigadier-General Wynne Thames Star, 1900
  2. ^ "No. 23386". The London Gazette. 2 June 1868. p. 3124.
  3. ^ "No. 25515". The London Gazette. 29 September 1885. p. 4557.
  4. ^ "No. 25946". The London Gazette. 18 June 1889. p. 3289.
  5. ^ "No. 26167". The London Gazette. 30 May 1891. p. 2922.
  6. ^ "No. 27126". The London Gazette. 13 October 1899. p. 6178.
  7. ^ Churchill, W.S. London to Ladysmith via Pretoria, London: Longmans, Green & Co. 1900, ch. XX
  8. ^ "The War – Appointments". The Times. No. 36056. London. 3 February 1900. p. 12.
  9. ^ "The War – Casualties". The Times. No. 36075. London. 26 February 1900. p. 10.
  10. ^ Churchill, W.S. London to Ladysmith via Pretoria, London: Longmans, Green & Co. 1900, ch. XXII
  11. ^ "The War - Casualties". The Times. No. 36102. London. 29 March 1900. p. 8.
  12. ^ "No. 27408". The London Gazette. 18 February 1902. p. 1037.
  13. ^ "No. 27459". The London Gazette. 29 July 1902. pp. 4835–4837.
  14. ^ "No. 27433". The London Gazette. 13 May 1902. p. 3179.
  15. ^ Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "No. 27861". The London Gazette. 8 December 1905. p. 8814.
  17. ^ "No. 27956". The London Gazette. 9 October 1906. p. 6791.
  18. ^ "No. 28034". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 June 1907. p. 4430.
  19. ^ "No. 28539". The London Gazette. 6 October 1911. p. 7281.
  20. ^ "No. 32518". The London Gazette. 15 November 1921. p. 9058.
  21. ^ www.landedestates.ie
  22. ^ a b Burkes Irish Family Records. London: Burkes Peerage. 1976. pp. 1227–1228.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC Eastern District and 10th Division
(renamed 6th Division in 1905)

1904–1906
Succeeded by
Preceded by Military Secretary
1906–1911
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Frederick Deshon
Colonel of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
1913–1927
Succeeded by
  NODES
Note 1