Major-General Sir Gerald Francis Ellison KCB KCMG MiD
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Director of Organisation and Mobilisation (Boer War)
Deputy Inspector-General of Communications with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (WW1)
by Robert Simpson
Gerald Francis Ellison was born on 18th August 1861 at Marlow in Birminghamshire England (His service record states the same date, but has Great Marlow). His parents were Henry John Ellison (1813-1899) and Mary Dorothy Jebb (1832-1870) who had been married on 23rd April 1854 at Edensor, Derbyshire. Henry was the chairman of successive Anglican temperance organisations from 1862 to 1891. He saw temperance as important to Church defence in a time when others sought to reduce the Anglican influence. Originally he had resisted the teetotal pledge for medical, social and religious reasons, but had witnessed drunkenness in the population. A drunken father, who murdered his daughter, caused his teetotal conversion in 1860 and he formed and led a temperance society. He helped to initiate CETS, Britain’s most prestigious and influential temperance society, and one of its most extensive voluntary organisations. Henry encouraged compromises, with teetotalism and moderate drinking, licensing reform rather than prohibition and reduced alcohol usage amongst them. They had seven children, four sons and three daughters from 1855 to 1868. Henry could have had a more prestigious position, but became Vicar of Great Hazeley in Oxfordshire from 1875 to 1894, to enable him to do his temperance work. Mary was the daughter of Sir Joshua Jebb, the governor-general of HM Prisons. Their eldest son, John Henry Joshua Ellison, also had an ecumenical calling, having different positions in various churches throughout his life. His youngest brother, Henry Blomfield Ellison, was also a Reverend.
In the 1871 census, they were living in the Vicarage at Castle Street New Windsor, Berkshire. Gerald was educated at Marlborough. By the 1881 census, Gerald was a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst. The Liverpool Mercury of 13th May 1882, listed under Local Commissions for the “Royal North Lancashire Regiment: Gentleman Cadet Gerald Francis Ellison, from the Royal Military College, to be lieutenant, vice H. Crosbie promoted”. The roll of the succession of Lieutenants has G F Ellison of England listed as appointed on 10th May 1882 at the age of 20 years and 8 months, and this was also the date of his first commission in the Army, with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He served with them at Gibraltar from 8th July 1882 to 21st December 1882 and the East Indies from 22nd December 1882 to 2nd January 1885. He was Acting Adjutant from 15th April 1883 to 15th June 1883. The remarks column has a comment that he was probationed B.S. Corps (19th N.I.) on 17th August 1883 as a Captain. That was until 2nd January 1885 when he resigned due to health. The next appointment was Acting Garrison Adjutant from 3rd November 1885 to 31st December 1885. He passed through Staff College in 1889, passed Schools of Instruction in topography and engineering at Chatham. His service record stated he was passed for promotion and knew German and French. He graduated from the Staff College in 1889 and was attached to Army Headquarters from 1890 to 1892. In 1891, he was promoted to Captain into the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. An entry in his service record says “Promoted to a Company in Royal Scots :- July 1891.” In the 1891 census, Gerald was living with his brother at 4 Warwick Square, St. George Hanover Square on London and he was listed as a Lieutenant in the infantry. In that year he was transferred to the Royal West Surrey Regiment. He was a Staff Captain in Army Headquarters from 1894 to 1897.
On 3rd January 1894 he married Lilian Amy Bruce. She was the only child of Colonel Robert Bruce CB (1825-1899). Her mother was Mary Caroline Burgoyne (1836-1893). Her family is apparently descended from Edward III, King of England through Mary’s father.
Gerald was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General at Aldershot from 1897 to 1899 and was the winner of Gold Medal of Royal United Service Institution 1895 for the essay entitled ‘Militias and Standing Armies’. On 28th May 1898, he was transferred to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with the rank of Major, which he was promoted to on 18th April that year.
In mid-1897 their only son, Cuthbert Ernest Montagu Ellison was born. On 16th November 1901 their only daughter was born, Norah Violet Geraldine Ellison. Both were born at St George Hanover Square in London.
He published a book in 1898, Home Defence, which was a plea for universal military service. The basis of the book was the essay, done in 1895, which won him the gold medal as above. The introduction begins “Such is the importance at the present time of every respect of the question of National Defence, that I make no apology for publishing a work which attempts, in however humble and unworthy a manner, to deal with the broad principles on which every sound system of defence should be based.” It was concerned with the Militia and home defence.
In the 1898 electoral register they were living at 6 Warwick Square, which was described as 4 rooms, 2nd and 3rd floors, furnished; and they were there with a Colonel Bruce (Lilian’s father probably). They were still there in the 1901 census, where he was recorded as head of the house and a Major, Infantry of the Line, Army. The Leamington Spa Courier of 20th November 1903 noted that “Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Francis Ellison, who had been appointed secretary of the War Office (Reconstitution) Committee, has served in the Loyal North Lancashire, Royal West Surrey, and Warwickshire Regiments, and is now on half-pay.” “The King has conferred the Companionship of the Bath (Military Division) upon Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Francis Ellison, Secretary of the War Office (Reconstruction) Committee.” as reported in the Western Daily Press in Bristol on 9th April 1904 (with a bit of a mistake). The Exeter Plymouth Gazette of 10th February 1908 reported “The Secretary of State for War has appointed Colonel G. F. Ellison, C.B., to be Director of Organisation and Mobilisation, with effect from April 2nd next. Colonel Gerald Francis Ellison served in the South African war, 1889-1900, and was Secretary at the War Office Reconstitution Committee. He has been principal Secretary to Mr. Haldane from 1905.” Gerald was a key member of the group reforming the army.
The Reverend Henry John Ellison passed away on 25th December 1899 in Blean, Kent. As part of his estate, Gerald and his eldest brother, John, registered probate on the Great Western Railway shares that Henry had. This was the beginning of entries in the GWR registration of probate book for Gerald, as family members passed on he received a portion of shares they owned in the railway. The sums concerned were quite considerable and the latest entry was in 1931.
Gerald served with the Staff of 2nd Division in the Boer War from 1899 to 1900 and was made Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. He went to Natal with Sir Redvers Buller’s staff, and was present at the operations which lead to the relief of Ladysmith. For his services in the Boer War, Gerald received the Queen’s South Africa medal with the clasps Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Laing’s Nek. He was also mentioned in Despatches by Sir Redevers Buller. Afterwards, he was on Special Service from 1902 to 1904, was the Secretary War Office Reconstitution Committee, the Assistant Adjutant-General at Army
Headquarters from 1904 to 1905, the principal Private Secretary to Secretary of State for War from 1905 to 1908 and the Director of Organisation at Army Headquarters from 1908. The effects of the Boer War prompted a long overdue review of the army in which Gerald played an important part in the reform, using his gifts as an administrator. He was the committee’s secretary. In four month the committee produced a whole series of far-reaching recommendations, for which Gerald was acknowledged for his contributions. R B Haldane was instructed and advised by Gerald when he became Secretary for State of War and both influenced the form and content of the army reforms.
In the 1911 census, they were still at the same address and he was head of the house and Brigadier-General Regular Army. In 1911, he became Chief Staff Officer to Sir Ian Hamilton. In May 1914, Gerald embarked on the Ruahine from Wellington in New Zealand, arriving at Plymouth on 17th July 1914. He was listed as General G F Ellison of HM Forces, age 51 and country of permanent residence was Great Britain
At the beginning of WW1, Sir Ian Hamilton was given command of the Home Forces (known as the Central Force) and Gerald went with him as Major-General, General Staff. He went with Hamilton to Egypt the next year as Deputy Inspector-General of Communications with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Initially, Lord Kitchener said that Gerald could not be spared from staff work in England, but he later relented. Sir Ian Hamilton wanted a “real business man at the head our mission” and “an organiser of outstanding calibre”. In the London Gazette of 17th August 1915, page 8239, it was recorded under Special Appointments that Major-General Gerald F Ellison CB was to be Deputy Inspector-General of Communications. At the start of the August offensive, he was made Deputy Quartermaster General at Gallipoli. This was recorded in the London Gazette of 21st September 1915, page 9325. Then in November, he was placed in temporary command of the Levant base in Egypt. Gerald was then recalled to England, where he filled important administrative posts for the remainder of the war. He served at Aldershot from 1916 to 1917 and later in the War Office.
General Ellison, Quartermaster General Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, supervising the preparation of his new winter quarters, being constructed in anticipation of having to spend the winter of 1915-1916 at Gallipoli.
He was mentioned in despatches as Major-General C F Ellison CB of Staff in the London Gazette of 28th January 1916 page 1195, from the despatch of Sir Ian Hamilton. Gerald was mentioned in the Liverpool Daily Post of 3rd February 1916 in a list of awards of honours for services in the field as being a Member of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Order of St Michael and St George. He was listed as Major-General Gerald Francis Ellison CB. The entry was posted in the London Gazette of 1st February 1916, page 1335. The London Gazette of 20th May 1916 had the undermentioned temporary appointment was made – Major-General in charge of Administration was to be Major-General G F Ellison CB CMG.
His qualifying date for entering a theatre of war was listed as 15th July 1915 and for Gallipoli and Egypt, August 1915 as written on his medal index card.
G00529
General Sir Ian Hamilton enjoying a joke with his Quartermaster Major General Gerald Francis Ellison and his staff at Kephalos, Isle of Imbros, on the morning of his departure for England upon his recall, after the failure of the operations at Gallipoli.
The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer of 2nd September 1918 had the following article: – “The creation of an important new military office, that of Quartermaster-General to the Forces in Great Britain, is announced today. Simultaneously, Major-General Gerald Francis Ellison is appointed to fill the position. For the past twelve months General Ellison has been a Deputy-Quartermaster-General at the War Office, under Sir John Cowans, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces, and he will, for a time, combine the duties of the two positions. Doubtless, the institution of a separate Quartermaster-General for the Home Forces is a sequel to the appointment of General Sir William Robertson as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Great Britain. Ireland is exempted from the operation of both appointments, the Irish command being under control of the Viceroy. Major-General Ellison has held several important posts both before and since the war broke out, and was private secretary to Lord Haldane during his first years at the War Office.” He was later made Inspector-General of Communications, the post which he occupied until 1923.
Major-General Ellison CB applied for his 1914-15 Star on the EF9 form which was received on 9th June 1920. The medals were sent to Room 249 at the War Office. He was awarded the KCMG in 1919.
He was sent the 1914-15 Star on issue voucher IV704/od on 21st April 1920 and the British War and Victory medals with the oak leaves on issue voucher IVX/1272 on 12th February 1921, from the Staff medal roll.
Gerald is listed in the October 1921 Navy List under Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes at Imperial Court, Knightsbridge SW3. He was a member of the Council appointed by the Army Council and was listed as Major-General, Sir G. F. Ellison KCMG CB (Vice-President). At that time, according to the electoral register, they were still living at 6 Warwick Square and were also there in the 1923 register with their son Cuthbert.
The Dundee Courier of 3rd June 1922 has an entry for him in the King’s birthday honours under KCB (Military) as Major-General Sir Gerald Francis Ellison.
In 1923, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General and he retired from the army in July 1925.
In the 1925 Naval List, he appears in an advertisement for The United Services Trustee at British Columbia House, 3 Regent St SW and is listed as one of the Honorary Directors as Lieutenant-General Sir G F Ellison KCB KCMG. The article reads “The United Services Trustee is constituted as a non-profit sharing Corporation under the Companies Acts, and has been formed especially to act as Custodian Trustee for funds raised for the benefit of His Majesty’s Forces and other Charitable Funds. The Corporation also has power to undertake individual Trusts for any person or persons who may have served in His Majesty’s Forces or their relations or dependants. The purchase and sale of investments, collection of dividends and recovery of Income Tax are all matters on which The United Service Trustee is willing to give expert advice and assistance. Any further information can be obtained from the Secretary at the above address.” The ad also appears in the 1927, 1928 and later Naval Lists, with the same details. Apparently, he was a trustee with them from 1920.
In late 1925 he must have visited South Africa, as in February 1926 he left Durban on the Kenilworth Castle, bound for England and landed at Southampton on 8th March 1926. His address was listed as Naval and Military Club and his occupation was listed as retired. Gerald was gazetted Colonel of The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1926. He published
another book in 1926, the “Perils of Amateur Strategy” in which he pointed out “all was not well without higher direction of war, particularly as exemplified by the conduct of the Dardanelles Campaign”. The Right Honorable Viscount Esher wrote the prefactory note in the book. He said “Although I do not agree with much of his argument, I sympathise with his broad conclusions.” He went on to say “General Ellison does not believe politicians to be capable of dealing with naval and military strategy.” He also did not agree with his comments on “Mr. Churchill. In war it is precisely the temperament of Mr. Churchill that is wanted in a leader or a commander.” Finally he adds “Sir Gerald Ellison is rendering a public service to his countrymen in drawing attention to this vital question in so telling a form.” He notified military records of a change of address to Naval and Military Club at 94 Piccadilly on 5th May 1931. In 1936, he published “The Sieges of Taunton”, a book on the history and topography of the small town of Taunton in the West Country, to which he had retired to. He also wrote a thirty part series titled ‘Reminiscences’ for the Lancashire Lad from 1931 to 1939, which was the journal of the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire).
Australian infantry units have affiliation links with British infantry units. The Wide Bay Regiment (47th Battalion) was formed in Egypt in 1916 and was linked to the Loyal Regiment in England. Lieutenant-General Gerald Ellison KCB KCMG was made Honorary Colonel of the Loyal Regiment. In 1930 he presented a shield to the 47th Battalion for annual competitions within the unit. The shield reads “The Loyal Regiment greets the 47th Australian Battalion” and was awarded to A Company in 1931-2 and 1932-3, Gympie in 1934-5, A Company in 1938 and in 1959.
On 26th October 1947 Gerald passed away in Taunton, Somerset of cerebral thrombosis. The Taunton Courier and Wester Advertiser newspaper of 8th November 1947 had the following article:- “Sir Gerald Ellison. Funeral Tribute at Taunton. There was a large and representative attendance at the funeral at Taunton on Friday of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Francis Ellison, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., who died at his home the previous Monday, aged 86. Sir Gerald, who came to Taunton 15 years ago, had a distinguished Army career. He had entered into many phases of social work in the town, including young people’s organisations, where his services and his experience as an administrator in a wider sphere were of the highest value. The service at St. James Church, where Sir Gerald had worshipped, was conducted by his nephew, the Rev. Gerald Ellison, of Portsmouth, who was a Naval chaplain during the war. The Vicar (Rev. Edwin Hirst) assisted. Mr. Douglas Hill was at the organ. Cremation followed at Arno’s Vale, Bristol. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack. The family mourners were Lady Ellison (wife), Major C. Ellison (son), Mrs N. White (daughter), Mr. Gerald White (grandson), Mrs Edward Colville, Mrs. Gerald Ellison, Mrs Craufurd Ellison (nieces) and Mr. A. R. Eden (great-nephew).” The newspaper also gave a long list of those who attended the funeral and what organisation they were representing, if any. His address was given in the probate records as Canons House, Canon Street, Taunton. Probate was given to his son, Cuthbert, on 10th January 1948, who was noted as a “retired major H.M. army.” Effects were valued at 7983 pounds 1 shilling and 5 pence.
His obituary in The Lancashire Lad said he “will perhaps be remembered as the Secretary of the Ester Committee, which was the instrument for effecting such important changes in the organisation of the Army after the South African War. A great “office man”, this flair was more for administrative matters than for General Staff work.” It was said of him, that he was not a flamboyant character, but it was his professional competence that inspired respect and affection from his peers. He was listed in “Who Was Who 1941-1950”.
Cuthbert Ernest Montagu Ellison passed away on 27th March 1963 and probate was listed in the London Gazette. He was recorded as living at The Red house, Burnham, Buckinghamshire and was a retired Major in HM Grenadier Guards.
Norah Violet Geraldine Ellison married Walter White in 1923 and had a son, Gerald. She passed away in September 1984 in Cheltenham.
His medals are KCB, KCMG, QSA with Transvaal, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and Laing’s Nek clasps, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal with oak leaf and King George V Coronation Medal.
ANZAC Biographies
On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women
whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the
Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum,
Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.