James Grierson (British Army officer)

Sir James Grierson
Grierson as a Colonel
Born27 January 1859
Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Died17 August 1914 (aged 55)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1877–1914
RankLieutenant-General
UnitAnglo-Egyptian War
Boxer Rebellion
Second Boer War
World War I
Commands1st Division
Eastern Command
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The grave of Lt General James Moncrieff Grierson, Glasgow Necropolis
Plaque to Sir James Moncrieff Grierson, Glasgow Cathedral

Lieutenant-General Sir James Moncrieff Grierson, KCB, CMG, CVO ADC (Gen.) (27 January 1859 – 17 August 1914) was a British soldier.

Life

He was born in 1859 the son of George Moncrieff Grierson and his wife Allison Lyon Walker.[2]

Grierson was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in October 1877.[3][4]

He served in the Egyptian War including the actions at Kassassin and Tel el Kebir, as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General with the Indian contingent in 1882.[3] He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General for the Sudan expedition and was involved in actions at Suakin, Hasheen and Tamai in 1885.[3] He was Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General for 2nd Brigade during the Hazara expedition in 1888.[3] He was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, Intelligence, at Army Headquarters in 1890 and then became Brigade Major for the Royal Artillery at Aldershot from 1895 to 1896 when he became Military Attaché in Berlin[3] acquiring what Sir John French later described as "an intimate knowledge of the German army."[5]

He served in China during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, and later the same year in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Lt-Col Grierson was in charge of army baggage during Roberts’ march on Bloemfontein.[6]

After returning from the war he became Assistant Quartermaster General for the 2nd Army Corps and Chief Staff Officer to Sir Evelyn Wood, commanding the corps;[7] and was promoted to the substantive rank of colonel on 28 October 1901.[8] In early 1902 he was ordered for temporary duty in the Remount Department.[9] Later that year he returned to his position in the 2nd Army corps, where he was appointed a Brigadier-General on the Staff and Chief Staff Officer of the corps from 4 September 1902.[10][11][12] He was promoted to major general in February 1904.[13]

Grierson was appointed director of military operations (DMO at army headquarters in 1904.[3] As DMO, Grierson and his deputy William Robertson organised the Strategic War Game of 1905, which persuaded them that British intervention (still expected to be deployed to Antwerp at this stage) was necessary to avoid French defeat in the event of a Franco-German war.[14][15] Grierson acted as umpire for the wargame.[16] In January 1906, as the First Moroccan Crisis continued, Grierson was tasked with drawing up detailed plans for deployment of an expeditionary force to Le Havre in the event of war.[17] Grierson and Robertson began talks with the French General Staff and with the French military attaché, Colonel Victor Huguet, and that same year Grierson, Robertson and Huguet toured the Charleroi to Namur area. However, little further progress was made until after Henry Wilson became DMO in 1910.[18][19]

Grierson was then appointed general officer commanding (GOC) of the 1st Division at Aldershot Command in October 1906, taking over from Lieutenant General Arthur Paget.[20]

Promoted in May 1910 to lieutenant general, [21] he became general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) for Eastern Command in 1912.[3]

In the Army Manoeuvres of 1912, he made full use of aircraft reconnaissance to decisively beat Douglas Haig, despite Haig having the odds in his favour.

In the Army Manoeuvres of 1913, Grierson acted as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) for Sir John French. Douglas Haig noted in his diary, "Sir John French's instructions for moving along the front of his enemy (then halted on a fortified position) and subsequently attacking the latter's distant flank, were of such an unpractical nature that his Chief of the General Staff demurred. Some slight modifications in the orders were permitted, but Grierson ceased to be his CGS on mobilization, and was very soon transferred to another appointment in the BEF."[22] Even before leaving the field of the manoeuvres (26 September 1913), French told Wilson that he was not satisfied with Grierson's performance. Murray was appointed chief of staff designate in his place.[23] French himself described Grierson as a "dear old friend and comrade", ..who astonished French soldiers by his knowledge of the history of their regiments and whose "military acquirements were brilliant and in every respect up to date."[5]

Grierson was very overweight and used to go red in the face from bending over, due to high blood pressure. James Edward Edmonds later claimed that Grierson's staff were issued with penknives to bleed him if necessary when his blood pressure got too high.[24] He died of an aneurism of the heart on a train, near Amiens at 7:00 a.m. on 17 August 1914. His replacement as commander of II Corps was Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien. Grierson spoke French fluently and was a personal friend of Haig, the commander of I Corps, so it is possible that relations over the next few days, both between the two British corps and with the French, might have been better had he lived.[25]

Grierson's body was repatriated, a practice allowed at that time, and is buried in the Glasgow Necropolis in PRIMUS 38 with his sister, father and mother. These were full interments.[26] The grave lies north of the path connecting the south-east corner of the upper plateau with the low-lying southern section.

Recognition

The Sir James Moncrieff Grierson Prize for languages was later established at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Medals and Orders

Grierson at Rheims in 1909 (shown in the centre with hands behind back)

British decorations

Foreign decorations

Publications by Grierson

  • Notes on the Turkish Army Simla 1882 (compiled for the Intelligence Branch, India)
  • A Vocabulary of the Arabic Language Roorkee 1882
  • The War in Turkomania: Skobeleff's Campaign of 1880-81 Translated from the Russian of Major-General N. I. Grodekov. Simla 1884-85
  • The Armed Strength of Russia Two editions: London 1886 and 1892 (compiled for the Intelligence Branch, London)
  • The Armed Strength of Japan London 1886 (compiled for the Intelligence Branch, London)
  • The Armed Strength of the German Empire Two editions: London 1888 and 1892 (compiled for the Intelligence Branch, London)
  • Staff Duties in the Field: With Notes by Lieut.-General H. Brackenbury London 1891
  • Handbook of the Military Forces of Russia London 1894 (compiled for the Intelligence Branch, London)
  • Umpiring at Field Manoeuvres as practised by various foreign armies (Aldershot Military Society Lectures, No. 51) Aldershot 1894
  • Die Heere und Flotten der Gegenwart: II: Grossbritannien und Irland The British Army. Berlin 1897
  • Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859–1908 Edinburgh and London 1909
  • Military Papers and Articles, Translations, Reviews contributed to military journals both British and foreign, and to the daily press.

Further reading

The Life of Sir James Moncrieff Grierson by D.S. Macdiarmid (London: Constable, 1923)

  • Holmes, Richard (2004). The Little Field Marshal: A Life of Sir John French. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-84614-0.
  • Jeffery, Keith (2006). Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson: A Political Soldier. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-820358-2.Harper
  • Terraine, John (1960). Mons, The Retreat to Victory. Wordsworth Military Library, London. ISBN 1-84022-240-9.
  • Travers, Tim (1987). The Killing Ground. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 0-85052-964-6.
  • Tuchman, Barbara (1962). August 1914. Constable & Co. ISBN 978-0-333-30516-4.

References

  1. ^ "Life story: James Moncrieff Grierson, K. | Lives of the First World War".
  2. ^ Grierson grave, Glasgow Necropolis
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  4. ^ "No. 24585". The London Gazette. 24 May 1878. p. 3241.
  5. ^ a b Sir John French (1919). 1914. London: Constable & Co. p. 37.
  6. ^ Holmes 2004, p99
  7. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36645. London. 23 December 1901. p. 8.
  8. ^ "No. 27387". The London Gazette. 13 December 1901. p. 8840.
  9. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36703. London. 28 February 1902. p. 5.
  10. ^ "Army Corps appointments". The Times. No. 36871. London. 12 September 1902. p. 6.
  11. ^ "No. 27474". The London Gazette. 16 September 1902. p. 5964.
  12. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36864. London. 4 September 1902. p. 4.
  13. ^ "No. 27659". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 1904. p. 1793.
  14. ^ Jeffery 2006, p85-6
  15. ^ Tuchman 1962, p55-6
  16. ^ Wilson, Andrew (1968). The Bomb and the Computer. London: Barry & Rockliff.
  17. ^ Holmes 2004, p139-41
  18. ^ Jeffery 2006, p85-6
  19. ^ Tuchman 1962, p55-6
  20. ^ "No. 27956". The London Gazette. 9 October 1906. p. 6791.
  21. ^ "No. 28373". The London Gazette. 17 May 1910. p. 3485.
  22. ^ Warner, Philip Field-Marshal Earl Haig (London: Bodley Head, 1991; Cassell, 2001) pp110–111
  23. ^ Holmes 2004, p149-50
  24. ^ Travers 1987, p14
  25. ^ Terraine 1960, p50-1
  26. ^ CWGC record
  27. ^ "The Coronation Honours". The Times. No. 36804. London. 26 June 1902. p. 5.
  28. ^ "No. 27456". The London Gazette. 22 July 1902. p. 4669.
  29. ^ "No. 27385". The London Gazette. 10 December 1901. p. 8715.
  30. ^ "No. 27393". The London Gazette. 3 January 1902. p. 1.
  31. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36068. London. 17 February 1900. p. 11.
Wikisource has original works by or about:
James Grierson
Military offices
Preceded by
William Nicholson
(As Director General of Mobilisation and Military Intelligence)
 Director of Military Operations
1904–1906 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General Officer Commanding the 1st Division
1906–1910 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC-in-C Eastern Command
1912–1914 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
New Post
 GOC II Corps
August 1914 		Succeeded by

Read other articles:

Another Song for You

Another Song for YouAlbum studio karya Koes PlusDirilisJuni 1975[1]GenrePop, rockDurasi29:19LabelRemacoKronologi Koes Plus Pop Melayu Volume 2(1975)Pop Melayu Volume 21975 Another Song for You(1975) Pop Melayu Volume 3(1975)Pop Melayu Volume 31975 Another Song for You adalah album keduapuluh tujuh dari grup musik Koes Plus yang dirilis pada tahun 1975 di bawah label Remaco. Album ini berisi sepuluh lagu yang seluruhnya berbahasa Inggris. Daftar lagu Sisi ANo.JudulPenciptaVokalDura...

 

Zéro déchet

Le mouvement zéro déchet s'oppose aux modes de traitement des déchets polluants et à ceux qui détruisent inutilement des ressources. L'un des principes du zéro déchet est d'éviter les produits jetables en les remplaçant par des alternatives réutilisables. Le zéro déchet (de l'anglais zero waste) est un mouvement de protection de l'environnement qui vise à réduire le gaspillage de ressources, la quantité déchets émis et leur toxicité. Il s'oppose à la production d'objets à ...

 

Health in Afghanistan

Overview of health in Afghanistan Health in Afghanistan remains poor but steadily improving.[1] It has been negatively affected by the nation's environmental issues and the decades of war since 1978.[2] The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) oversees all matters concerning the health of the country's residents. The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Afghanistan is fulfilling 72.5% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.&#...

Berudu

Kecebong beralih ke halaman ini. Untuk julukan pendukung Joko Widodo, lihat Cebong. Berudu kodok. Berudu atau kecebong adalah tahap pra-dewasa (larva) dalam daur hidup amfibia. Berudu eksklusif hidup di air dan berespirasi menggunakan insang, seperti ikan. Tahap akuatik (hidup di perairan) inilah yang membuat amfibia memperoleh namanya (amphibia = hidup [pada tempat] berbeda-beda). Kebanyakan berudu herbivora, memakan alga dan bagian-bagian tumbuhan. Beberapa spesies merupakan omnivora (pemak...

 

BYD K series

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2016) Motor vehicle BYD K series (ebus)BYD K9 ebus in ShenzhenOverviewManufacturerBYD AutoProduction2010–presentAssemblyChina: Changsha; DalianBrazil: Campinas[1]Canada: Newmarket, OntarioFrance: Beauvais[1]Hungary: Komárom[1]United States: Lancaster, California[1]Thailand: Bangna, Bangkok[1]Body and chassisClassBattery el...

 

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

Children's book by Dr. Seuss This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) The Cat in the Hat Comes Back Front coverAuthorDr. SeussIllustratorDr. SeussCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishGenreChildren's literaturePublisherRandom HousePublication dateSeptember 12, 1958Media typePrint (ha...

Economics of corruption

Political corruption Forms and concepts Bribery Cronyism Economics of corruption Electoral fraud Elite capture Influence peddling Kleptocracy Mafia state Nepotism Pyrrhic defeat theory Slush fund Simony State capture State-corporate crime Throffer Anti-corruption International Anti-Corruption Court Group of States Against Corruption International Anti-Corruption Academy International Anti-Corruption Day United Nations Convention against Corruption Corruption by country Africa Angola Botswana ...

 

Mahmoud Ezzat

Acting Brotherhood leader (born 1944) For other people named Mahmoud Ezzat, see Mahmoud Ezzat (disambiguation). Mahmoud Ezzatمحمود عزتMahmoud Ezzat in 2013Acting General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in EgyptIn office20 August 2013 – 28 August 2020Preceded byMohammed BadieSucceeded byIbrahim Munir Personal detailsBornMahmoud Ezzat Ibrahim (1944-08-13) 13 August 1944 (age 79)Zagazig, Sharqia Governorate, Egypt[1]Political partyMuslim Brotherhood in EgyptChildr...

 

Museum of Bath Architecture

Museum of Bath ArchitectureLocation within Somerset and the United KingdomEstablished1984LocationThe Paragon, BathCoordinates51°23′12″N 2°21′37″W / 51.3868°N 2.3603°W / 51.3868; -2.3603OwnerBath Preservation TrustWebsitemuseumofbatharchitecture.org.uk The Museum of Bath Architecture (formerly known as the Building of Bath Museum and the Building of Bath Collection) in Bath, Somerset, England, occupies the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, where it provides ...

Голубянки

Голубянки Самец голубянки икар Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ПервичноротыеБез ранга:ЛиняющиеБез ранга:PanarthropodaТип:ЧленистоногиеПодтип:ТрахейнодышащиеНадкласс:ШестиногиеКласс...

 

Pittura napoletana del Seicento

Voce principale: Pittura napoletana. Jusepe de Ribera, San Gennaro esce illeso dalla fornace (particolare, 1643-1647, cappella del Tesoro di san Gennaro, Napoli). Bernardo Cavallino, Santa Cecilia (1645, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Massimo Stanzione, Ritratto di donna napoletana in costume popolare (1635, Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco Con la definizione pittura napoletana del Seicento, comunemente nota anche come Seicento napoletano, si intende il periodo storico entro il quale la pittur...

 

美国众议院

此條目需要补充更多来源。 (2021年7月4日)请协助補充多方面可靠来源以改善这篇条目，无法查证的内容可能會因為异议提出而被移除。致使用者：请搜索一下条目的标题（来源搜索：美国众议院 — 网页、新闻、书籍、学术、图像），以检查网络上是否存在该主题的更多可靠来源（判定指引）。 美國眾議院 United States House of Representatives第118届美国国会众议院徽章 众议院旗...

Ahmadiyya in Egypt

Islam in Egypt This article is about the movement originating in the Indian subcontinent. For the Egyptian Sufi order of Ahmad al-Badawi, see Badawiyya. Ahmadiyya by country Africa Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Côte d'Ivoire DR of Congo Republic of Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius ...

 

Народная республика

Карта государств, использующих название «народная республика»:  Современные народные республики Бывшие народные республики Народная республика или народно-демократическая — официальное название, обычно используемое некоторыми нынешними или бывшими коммуни�...

 

Alaska Milk Corporation

Filipino dairy products manufacturer Alaska Milk CorporationTrade nameAlaskaFormerlyHolland Milk Products, Inc. (1972–1994)Company typeJoint venture (1972–94)Private (1994–95)Public (1995–2012)Subsidiary (since 2012)Traded asPSE: AMC (1995–2012)IndustryDairyFounded1972; 52 years ago (1972)FounderWilfred Uytengsu Sr.HeadquartersPaseo de Roxas, Makati, Metro Manila, PhilippinesArea servedPhilippinesKey peopleWilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. (chairman)Marco G. Bertacca (ma...

Wat Pathum Khongkha

Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand Wat Pathum Khongkha RatchaworawihanวัดปทุมคงคาราชวรวิหารStupas at the temple.ReligionAffiliationBuddhismSectTheravāda, Mahā NikāyaLocationLocation1620 Song Wat Rd, Samphanthawong, Samphanthawong, BangkokCountryThailandShown within ThailandGeographic coordinates13°44′11″N 100°30′30.39″E / 13.73639°N 100.5084417°E / 13.73639; 100.5084417 13°44′11″N 100°30′39″EArchitect...

 

Phil Edmonds

English cricketer Phil EdmondsEdmonds batting against New Zealand, February 1978Personal informationFull namePhilippe-Henri EdmondsBorn (1951-03-08) 8 March 1951 (age 73)Lusaka, Northern RhodesiaNicknameGoat, HenryHeight6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)BattingRight-handedBowlingSlow left arm orthodoxRoleBowlerInternational information National sideEnglandTest debut (cap 464)14 August 1975 v AustraliaLast Test11 August 1987 v PakistanODI debut (cap...

 

Tønsbergs TF

Norwegian sports club Logo. Tønsbergs Turnforening, often called Tønsberg Turn is a Norwegian sports club from Tønsberg, Vestfold. It has sections for team handball, speed skating, figure skating, gymnastics and pétanque. General history The club was founded on 9 June 1864.[1] In November 1981 it lost its track and field section, as it merged with IF Tønsberg-Kameratene to form Tønsberg FIK.[2] In 1985 the association football section merged with Tønsberg-Kameratene to ...

Hipoclorito de sodio

 Hipoclorito de sodio Nombre IUPAC HipoclorosoGeneralOtros nombres Hipoclorito sódicoFórmula estructural Fórmula molecular NaClOIdentificadoresNúmero CAS 7681-52-9[1]​ChEBI 32146ChEMBL CHEMBL1334078ChemSpider 22756PubChem 24340UNII DY38VHM5ODKEGG D01711 InChIInChI=InChI=1S/ClO.Na/c1-2;/q-1;+1Key: SUKJFIGYRHOWBL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Propiedades físicasApariencia Verde (líquido, diluido). Blanco (Sólido)Densidad 1110 kg/m³; 1,11 g/cm³Masa molar 74,44 g/molPunto...

 

Fenchurch Street

Street in the City of London This article is about the road. For the railway terminus, see Fenchurch Street railway station. Midway down Fenchurch Street, looking west. 20 Fenchurch Street is under construction Fenchurch Street is a street in London, England, linking Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street in the west. It is a well-known thoroughfare in the City of London financial district and is the site of many corporate offices and headquarters. The name Fenc...