DEATH OF SIR EVELYN WOOD

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19813, 3 December 1919, Page 7

DEATH OF SIR EVELYN WOOD

A BRITISH FIELDMARSHAL. NOTABLE CAREER OF VETERAN SOLDIER. By Telegraph— Press Association-Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received December 3, 11.35 n.m.) LONDON, December 2. 'Die death is announced of FieldMarshal Sir Evelyn Wood. Sir Henry Evelyn Wood, British Field-Marshal, was born at Braintree. Essex, on February 9, 1838, the youngest son of Sir John Page Woixii Bart. Educated at Marlborough, ho entered the Royal Navy in 1852,' and served as a midshipman in the Russian war. being employed on shore, with the Naval Brigade, in the siege operation before Sebastopol, mentioned in despatches, and severely wounded in the assault on the Redan on June 1.3, 1855. Immediately afterwards ho left the Navy for the Army, -becoming a cornet, in the 13th Light Dragoons. Promoted a lieutenant in 1853. ho exchanged into the 17th Lancers, 1857, and served in the Indian Mutiny with distinction as a brigade major of a Hying column, winning the V.O. In IS6I ho became captain, in 1862 brevct-ma-jor. exchanging about the same time into the 42nd Highlanders (Black "Watch), but' returned to the cavalry three years later, having in the meantime served as an aide-de-camp at Dublin. He was next employed on the staff at Aldershot till 1871, when he w«s appointed to the noth (now 2nd Scottish Rifles) ns a regimental major. In 1867 he married the Hon Mary Paulino Southwell, sister of Lord Southwell. In 1873 he was promoted brevet-lion tenant-colonel, and: in 1874 served in the Asshanti war (brevetcolonel). Hi 1878 he was again on the staff at Aldershot, and in November, 1878, he became regimental lieuteiuuitcolonel, the 90th being at that time in South Africa., engaged in the Kaffir war. In January, 1879, he was in command of the left column of the army that crossed the Zulu frontier, and shortly afterwards ho received the local rank of brigadier-general. Under him served the late General Redvers Buber, and also the Boer loader, Piet Uys, who fell at Inhalbana, but the repulse at that place was more than counter-balanced by the successful battle of Kampula. At the close of: tho war Sir Evelyn Wood, who received the K. 0.8, for his services, was appointed to command the Chatham district, but in January in 1881 he was again in South Africa with the local rank of Major-General. After Sir G. P. Colley’s death at Majuba it fell to his lot to negotiate tho armistice with General Joubert. Remaining in Natol until February, ISS2, ho then returned to the Chatham command, having in tho meantime been promoted substantive Major-General. In 1882 he was made G.0..M.G. and commanded a. brigade in the .Egyptian expedition. He remained in Egypt for six years. From ISB3 to 1885 be was Sirdar of the Egyptian Army, which he reorganised and in fact created. During tho Nile operations of 1884-85 he commanded the forces on tho lino of communication of Lord Woiseley’s army. In 188b ho returned to an English command, and two years later (January, 1889). with tho local rank of Lieutenant-Gen-eral. he was appointed to tho Aldershot command. He became lieutenant-gen-eral in 1891, and was given the G.C.B. at the close of his tenure of the command, when ho went to the "War Office as Quartermaster-General. Four years after he became Adjiitant-Generaf. Ite was promoted full General in ,1895. He commanded the Second Aran- Corps and southern command from 1901 to 190 L being promoted Field-Marshal on April 8, 1903. In 1907 be became colonel in the Royal Horse Guards. After retiring from active service he took a leading part, as chairman of the association for the City of London, in the organisation of ' the Territorial Force. Sir Evelyn Wood published several works, perhaps the best known of which arc “Achievements ef Cavalry” (.1897), and “Cavalrv in the Waterloo Campaign ” (1896). Ho also wrote “ Tlie Crimea in 1854 and in 1894.” an autnhiosranhy. “From Midshipman to Field-Marshal,’ 5 and “The Revolt in Hindostan.”