Lieutenant GeneralSir James Ronald Edmondston Charles,KCB,CMG,DSO(26 June 1875 – 24 December 1955) was a seniorBritish Armyofficer in theRoyal Engineers.[1]
Sir Ronald Charles | |
|---|---|
 Sir Ronald Charles by Bassano Ltd, 1930 | |
| Born | 26 June 1875[1] Calcutta,British India |
| Died | 24 December 1955(aged 80) Somerset,England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1894–1934 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Commands | Royal Military Academy, Woolwich WaziristanForce 25th Division |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches |
Family
editCharles was born inCalcutta,British India, the son of Thomas Edmondston Charles, later honorary physician to KingEdward VII,[2][3]and Ada Henrietta Charles.[4]He had two older sisters,BessieandEthel,who both studied architecture and became the first women members of theRoyal Institute of British Architects.[5]
Military career
editCharles was educated atWinchester Collegeand theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst,[1]and wascommissionedinto theRoyal Engineersin 1894.[6]He served in theSecond Boer War(1899–1901), wasmentioned in despatches(31 March 1900),[7]and received theDistinguished Service Orderin November 1900.[8]He was part of the Bazar Valley and Mohmand Field Forces in 1908.[6]
Charles spent most of theFirst World Warin theGeneral Staffuntil being promoted to command a re-constituted25th Divisionin August 1918.[9]He was appointed commander of theWaziristanForce in India in 1923 and then becamecommandantof theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwichin 1924.[6]He wasDirector of Military Operations and Intelligenceat theWar Officefrom 1926 andMaster-General of the Ordnancefrom 1931.[10]He retired in 1934.[6]
Charles' nickname among the troops was 'Don Carlos', deriving from his commanding personality and his height of 6’ 4 ".[9]He was also commandant of theRoyal Engineersfrom 1931 to 1945 andChief Royal Engineerfrom 1940 to 1946.[6]
Civilian roles
editFrom 1934 to 1953, Charles was a director ofBritish Aluminium Company,[11]appointed for his high level connections and knowledge of defence procurement procedures gained at the War Office and as Master General of the Ordnance.[12]
References
edit- ^abc"Obituary: Lt.-Gen. Sir Ronald Charles".The Times.28 December 1955. p. 11.
- ^Addison, Henry Robert; Oakes, Charles Henry; Lawson, William John; Sladen, Douglas Brooke Wheelton (1906).Who's who.A. & C. Black. p. 317.Retrieved7 May2019.
- ^"Deaths in the Services".The Lancet.J. Onwhyn: 702. 10 March 1906.doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(01)80307-x.
- ^Walker, Lynne (2004)."Charles, Ethel Mary (1871–1962), architect".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/63129.Retrieved23 August2020.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^"Ethel Charles nomination papers".Architecture.Retrieved17 September2021.
- ^abcdeLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^"No. 27282".The London Gazette.8 February 1901. pp. 844–846.
- ^"No. 27359".The London Gazette.27 September 1901. p. 6309.
- ^abCentre for First World War Studies
- ^"No. 33785".The London Gazette(Supplement). 29 December 1931. p. 3.
- ^"Appendix: Background of key BACo Top Management Team"(PDF).Glasgow University.Retrieved17 September2021.
- ^Perchard, Andrew (2010)Land and Empire: Politics and the British Aluminium Company.University of Strathclyde. Retrieved: 17 September 2021.
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