General Sir Richard Harrison GCB CMG KStJ DL (26 May 1837 – 25 September 1931[1]) was a British Army officer and engineer.
Personal life
Born in Essex, he was the second son of Benjamin John Harrison and his wife Emily, daughter of Richard Hall.[2] Harrison was educated at Harrow School.[2] In 1870, he married Amy, the daughter of J. Doyle O'Brien and had by her a son and three daughters.[3] Harrison died at Galmpton, near Brixham in 1931, aged 94.[1]
Military career
Early years
He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and became a lieutenant in 1855.[1] Harrison fought at Scutari during the Crimean War in 1856.[4] During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he took part in the Siege of Lucknow and in the following year, he went into the regions of Rohilkhand and Awadh.[4] Thereafter Harrison was sent to China, taking part in the Second Opium War, where he was present in the Battle of Taku Forts (1860) and its following capture.[4] He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major.[3] In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.[3]
First commandos
When in 1879 the Anglo-Zulu War broke out, Harrison was attached to the troops in the Cape Colony and fought in the Battle of Ulundi.[3] Already in the next year the British efforts to bring Southern Africa under its control, led to the First Boer War, during which he had command of a British contingent in Transvaal.[4] Harrison served as assistant adjutant general in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and joined the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[3] Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition, serving as colonel of its staff.[3] Back in England, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command in the next year.[3] He was promoted to major general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year[3] on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[5]
Later years
In 1890, he obtained the command of the Western District and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1893.[6] Harrison left this post in 1895 and was made a full general.[7] After another two years, he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces[8] and in 1898 was named Inspector-General of Fortifications.[9] In December of the latter year, he was invested a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John.[10] Harrison was nominated Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers on the death of his predecessor in March 1903[11] and was further honoured with appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June.[12] He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906[13] and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908.[14] In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers[15] and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909.[16] Harrison was selected a deputy lieutenant of the county of Devon in 1921.[17] He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.[2]
References
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