Charles Egerton

Field Marshal Sir Charles Comyn Egerton (10 November 1848 – 20 February 1921) was a senior Indian Army officer from the Egerton family. Early in his career he took part in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the Hazara Expedition and operations in the Khyber Pass. He went on to command the Bannu column during operations in Waziristan in 1894 and to serve as senior staff officer for the Tochi Expedition in 1897. Egerton took command of the troops in British Somaliland fighting the Dervish leader Sayid Abdullah Hassan in June 1903; he had a significant success at Jidbali in January 1904 killing 1,000 of Hassan's men. His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding Secunderabad District in 1904 before retiring in 1907. Military career Born the third son of Major-General Caledon Egerton and Margaret Egerton (née Cumming) and educated at Rossall School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Egerton was commissioned into the 31st Regiment of Foot on 9 June 1867. He immediately transferred to the 76th Regiment of Foot in India. Promoted to lieutenant on 19 October 1869, he joined the Indian Staff Corps on 11 December 1872 before being promoted to captain on 8 June 1879 on appointment to a squadron in the 3rd Punjab Cavalry. Egerton served with his regiment in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879 and was mentioned in despatches. He became Assistant Adjutant-General of the Punjab Frontier Force on 30 November 1886 and, having been promoted to major on 8 June 1887, he took part in the Hazara Expedition in 1888 and in operations in the Khyber Pass in 1891 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 30 May 1891. Promoted to lieutenant colonel on 1 September 1891, he became Second-in-Command of his regiment in 1892 and commanded the Bannu column during operations in Waziristan in 1894 before becoming Assistant Quartermaster-General at Bengal Command on 21 June 1895. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and then promoted to colonel on 1 September 1895.