Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet

Sir Charles Monro, Bt
General Sir Charles Monro
Born	15 June 1860 born at sea on the Maid of Judah
Died	7 December 1929 (aged 69) Westminster, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1878–1920
Rank	General
Commands held	13th Infantry Brigade 2nd London Division 2nd Division I Corps 3rd Army Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 1st Army British Army in India
Battles/wars	First World War Third Anglo-Afghan War
Awards	Baronet Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Other work	Governor of Gibraltar

File:CharlesMonroBrompton.jpg

Funerary monument, Brompton Cemetery, London

General Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, 1st Baronet GCB GCSI GCMG (15 June 1860 – 7 December 1929) was a British Army general officer during the First World War and Commander-in-Chief, India for the latter part of the conflict. From 1923 to 1929 he served as Governor of Gibraltar.

Early military career

Educated at Sherborne School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Monro was commissioned into the 2nd Regiment of Foot as a second lieutenant on 13 August 1879. He was promoted to lieutenant on 15 May 1881 and to captain on 24 July 1889. Promoted to major on 23 February 1898, he served in the Second Boer War and was successively appointed a brigade major and a deputy assistant adjutant general on 15 April 1899. He was present at the Battle of Paardeberg in 1900. Promoted to temporary lieutenant-colonel in 1900, he was brevetted to lieutenant-colonel on 29 November 1900. On 28 March 1903, he was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel and appointed commandant of the School of Musketry. Promoted to colonel in 1906, he was appointed Commander of 13th Infantry Brigade in Dublin on 12 May 1907, with the temporary rank of brigadier-general. Promoted to major-general on 31 October 1910, on 31 March 1912 he became General Officer Commanding 2nd London Division.

First World War

On 5 August 1914, at the start of the First World War, Monro was deployed to France as General Officer Commanding 2nd Division and played an important part in the First Battle of Ypres. On 27 December 1914 he became General Officer Commanding I Corps, with the temporary rank of lieutenant-general. On 15 July 1915, he was made General Officer Commanding Third Army, with the temporary rank of general. He was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant-general on 28 October. In October 1915, during the later stages of the Gallipoli Campaign, General Ian Hamilton was dismissed as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and replaced by Charles Monro. Monro subsequently ordered the evacuation of troops from Gallipoli.

In 1916 Monro briefly commanded the British First Army in France before becoming Commander-in-Chief India later that year. As Commander-in-Chief, India Monro had responsibility for the Mesopotamian campaign. Robertson told him to “keep up a good show” (1 August 1916) in Mesopotamia but not to make any further attempt to take Baghdad, but this was overruled by Curzon and Chamberlain on the War Committee. Monro inspected Maude’s forces on his way out to India, and after receiving his favourable report the War Committee authorised Maude to attack (18 September 1916). On 1 October 1916, Monro was promoted to the substantive rank of general as a reward for his wartime service.

Later life

In May 1921, Monro was created a Baronet, of Bearcrofts in the Shire of Stirling. In 1923 Monro was appointed Governor of Gibraltar. Monro died in 1929 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. His baronetcy became extinct upon his death.

Honours

British

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (GCMG): 1 January 1916
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB): 1 January 1919 (KCB: 18 February 1915; CB: 1906 Birthday Honours)
• Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI): 3 June 1919
• Baronet of Bearcrofts in the Shire of Stirling: 12 May 1921

Others

• Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour of France: 10 September 1915
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun of the Empire of Japan: 17 May 1919

Further reading

• Woodward, David R. "Field Marshal Sir William Robertson", Westport Connecticut & London: Praeger, 1998, ISBN 0-275-95422-6
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External links

Military offices
Preceded by Henry Lawson	General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division August 1914 – December 1914	Succeeded by Henry Horne
Preceded by Douglas Haig	GOC I Corps December 1914 – July 1915	Succeeded by Hubert Gough
Preceded by new creation	Commander of the British Third Army July 1915 – September 1915	Succeeded by Sir Edmund Allenby
Preceded by Sir John Maxwell	General Officer Commanding the British Troops in Egypt and Commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force October 1915 – January 1916	Succeeded by Sir Archibald Murray
Preceded by Sir Henry Rawlinson	Commander of the British First Army January 1916 – October 1916	Succeeded by Sir Henry Horne
Preceded by Sir Beauchamp Duff	Commander-in-Chief, India 1916–1920	Succeeded by The Lord Rawlinson
Preceded by Sir Edward Hamilton	Colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1920–1929	Succeeded by Sir Wilkinson Bird
Preceded by B. T. L. Thomson	Honorary Colonel of the 23rd London Regiment 1922–1928	Succeeded by The Lord Astor of Hever
Government offices
Preceded by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien	Governor of Gibraltar 1923–1928	Succeeded by Sir Alexander Godley
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by New Creation	Baronet (of Bearcrofts) 1920–1929	Succeeded by Extinct
Heraldic offices
Preceded by Sir George Callaghan	King of Arms of the Order of the Bath 1920–1929	Succeeded by Sir William Pakenham