George White (British Army officer)

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Field Marshal Sir George Stuart White, Template:Postnominals (6 July 1835 – 24 June 1912) was an officer of the British Army. He was stationed at Peshawar during the Indian Mutiny and then fought at the Battle of Charasiab in October 1879 and at the Battle of Kandahar in September 1880 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. For his bravery during these two battles, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He went on to command a brigade during the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1886 and became commander of Quetta District in 1889 in which role he led operations in the Zhob Valley and in Balochistan. He was commander of the forces in Natal at the opening of the Second Boer War and fought at the Battle of Elandslaagte in October 1899. He commanded the garrison at the siege of Ladysmith: although instructed by General Sir Redvers Buller to surrender the garrison he responded "I hold Ladysmith for the Queen" and held out for another 75 days before being relieved in February 1900. He finished his career as Governor of Gibraltar and then as Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Early career

White was born at Low Rock Castle, Portstewart, County Londonderry. He was the son of James Robert White of Whitehall, Broughshane, County Antrim, and Frances Ann Stewart (daughter of George Stewart (d.1808), Surgeon-General to the British Forces in Ireland, and his wife Frances Stewart of Killymoon Castle).<ref>Durand, p. 9</ref> He was educated at Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire and later at King William's College on the Isle of Man and then at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.<ref name=heath295>Heathcote, p. 295</ref> He was commissioned an ensign in the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot on 4 November 1853.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

White was sent to India in 1854 and, having been promoted lieutenant on 29 January 1855,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> was stationed at Peshawar during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.<ref name=heath295/> He was promoted captain on 10 July 1863<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and transferred to the 92nd Regiment of Foot on 4 August 1863.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He returned to England before being further promoted major on 24 December 1863.<ref name=heath296/> After five years in England he went back to India with his regiment in 1868.<ref name=heath296>Heathcote, p. 296</ref> He was given command of his battalion in 1875 and then fought at the Battle of Charasiab in October 1879 and at the Battle of Kandahar in September 1880 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.<ref name=heath296/>

Victoria Cross

He was 44 years old when the following deeds took place in Afghanistan for which he was awarded the VC: Template:Quote

White's Victoria Cross is displayed at the Gordon Highlanders Museum, Aberdeen, Scotland.<ref name=grave/>

Later career

Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in February 1881 and promoted to lieutenant colonel on 2 March,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> White was briefly Military Secretary to the Viceroy and Governor-General of India before being given command of the 2nd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders in October that year.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He then joined the staff in Egypt as assistant-adjutant and quartermaster-general in February 1885<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> with promotion to colonel on 2 March 1885.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

In September 1885 White was given command of a brigade of the Madras Army<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and led it as the 2nd Brigade of the British Burma Division<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> during the Third Anglo-Burmese War in November 1885.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Promoted to local major general on 1 April 1886,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he led the subsequent occupation of Burma as Commander of the Upper Burma Field Force in mid-1886 and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Promoted to the substantive rank of major general on 1 July 1887,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he was given command of Quetta District in April 1889 and led operations in the Zhob Valley and in Balochistan.<ref name=heath296/><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In the 1890 New Year Honours List White was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Upgraded to a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in March 1893,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he became Commander-in-Chief, India with the local rank of lieutenant general in April,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> which was made substantive on 1 April 1895.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June 1897 and a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India the following January,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> White became Quartermaster-General to the Forces in October 1898.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

White became commander of the forces in Natal in September 1899<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> at the opening of the Second Boer War and fought at the Battle of Elandslaagte in October 1899.<ref name=heath297>Heathcote, p. 297</ref> He then withdrew to Ladysmith where he took command of the garrison during the siege of Ladysmith with his aide-de-camp Clive Dixon (later portraying the siege in watercolour): when his position there became untenable he was instructed by General Sir Redvers Buller to destroy the guns and surrender the garrison on the best terms he could. White responded "I hold Ladysmith for the Queen" and held out for another four months before the town was relieved in late February 1900. His health greatly reduced, White left the city in early March to recover in more peaceful parts of the colony, before he left Cape Town for the United Kingdom later the same month.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> For his service in the war he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) later that year,<ref name=GCMG>Template:London Gazette</ref> having earlier been made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in May 1900.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

White became Governor of Gibraltar in May 1900 and,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> in that role, was promoted to full general on 9 October 1900 and to field marshal on 8 April 1903.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In 1905 he was appointed to a Commission of Inquiry into contracts placed with private contractors during the Second Boer War;<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he was appointed a Member of the Order of Merit later that year.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 17 June 1905<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> until his death there on 24 June 1912.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was buried at Broughshane, a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.<ref name=grave>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A statue of White is currently located at Portland Place, London,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while the Sir George White Memorial Flute Band still operates in Broughshane, Ballymena.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

White was also honorary colonel of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion the Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry)<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and, later, of the Gordon Highlanders.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

Family

In 1874 White married Amelia Maria Baly, daughter of the Venerable Joseph Baly, Archdeacon of Calcutta, with whom he had one son and four daughters.<ref name=heath296/> James Robert (Jack) White, Rose Frances White, May Constance White (Currie), Amy Gladys Stuart White (Lady Napier) and Georgina Mary White. Lady White was invested as a Companion of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India (CI) by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 6 March 1900.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> In the year after her husband's death their unoccupied house at Englefield Green was badly damaged by suffragette arsonists. Elsie Duval and Olive Beamish were the suspects.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Their son Jack White, after service in the British Army, became an Irish republican and socialist who co-founded the Irish Citizen Army along with James Connolly and James Larkin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Honours and awards

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Victoria Cross (VC)	1879
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)	1897
	Order of Merit (OM)	1905
	Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)	1898
	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and St George (GCMG)	1900
	Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)	1893
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)	1900
	Indian Mutiny Medal
	Afghanistan Medal	Clasps: Kandahar, Kabul and Charasia.
	Kabul to Kandahar Star
	Egypt Medal	Clasp: The Nile 1884-85
	India General Service Medal (1854)	Clasp: Burma 1885-87
	Queen's South Africa Medal	Clasps: Defence of Ladysmith, Elandslaagte
File:Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal (military) ribbon.PNG	Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal
File:UK King Edward VII Coronation Medal ribbon.svg	King Edward VII Coronation Medal
File:King George V Coronation Medal ribbon.svg	King George V Coronation Medal
File:Khedives Star.png	Khedive's Star
File:Med. Austria 1912-1913.JPG	Bronze Jubilee Medal for Foreigners	Austria-Hungary 1908