Charles Gordon (British Army officer)
Charles Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 April 1878 Earlston, Scotland |
| Died | 23 July 1917 (aged 39) St. Eloi, Belgium |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1897–1917 |
| Rank | Brigadier-General |
| Unit | Black Watch |
| Commands | 123rd Brigade |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Mentioned in Despatches (3) Knight Commander of the Order of Prince Danilo I (Montenegro) |
Brigadier-General Charles William Eric Gordon (25 April 1878 – 23 July 1917) was a British Army officer. He was killed in action in 1917 whilst commanding the 123rd Brigade.
Early life
Gordon was born in Earlston, Berwickshire, Scotland, the son of Colonel William Gordon and Edith Rouse Gordon of Wethersfield Place, Braintree, Essex.[1] Gordon was educated Harrow School. He was gazetted a second lieutenant with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in 1897. In 1899, he transferred to the 2nd Battalion.
Military career
Gordon fought through the Second Boer War with the 2nd Battalion, taking part in the advance on Kimberley, the Battle of Paardeberg, and several other engagements.[2] After the war, he went to India with his battalion for ten years, including three years as regimental adjutant.
Promoted to major in 1915,[3] Gordon was severely wounded at the Battle of Loos shortly after. In 1916, he commanded a battalion at the Battle of the Somme. Later that year, he was appointed brigadier-general. On 23 July 1917, Gordon and Captain George Frederick Pragnall, his brigade major, were killed by a German shell in Belgium.
References
- ^ Walford, Edward (1 January 1860). The county families of the United Kingdom; or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Dalcassian Publishing Company. p. 550. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ^ https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/1006/6034/100660345.23.pdf
- ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29284/data.pdf