Charles Macpherson Dobell

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other Lieutenant General Sir Charles Macpherson Dobell, Template:Postnominals (22 June 1869 – 17 October 1954) was a Canadian soldier who served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the British Army.

Military career

Born in Quebec City, the son of Richard Reid Dobell, an MP, and a grandson of Senator Sir David Lewis Macpherson, Dobell was educated at the Rev. Canon Von Iffland's Private School, the Quebec High School and Charterhouse School in England.

He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada (college #221) in 1890. He was a lieutenant in the Hazara expedition of 1891 and took part with the International Forces in the occupation of the island of Crete, where he was promoted to major. Before that, he had been made a captain, dated May 1899.

He served during the Second Boer War, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After serving in Nigeria, he was made a general staff officer, grade 3, in succession to Major Clifford Coffin, and was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in September. He served in China during the Boxer Rebellion. After serving as a general staff officer, grade 2 (GSO2) at the War Office, he was promoted to brevet colonel and became an aide-de-camp to King George V in November 1910. In September 1913 he was promoted to colonel and was also granted the temporary rank of brigadier general while employed as inspector general of the West African Frontier Force.

During the First World War, Dobell fought in the Kamerun campaign, was promoted to major general in June 1915, and was later promoted to lieutenant general. He served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the Sinai and Palestine campaign under General Sir Archibald Murray, but they were both replaced in 1917.

In the 1915 New Year Honours, Dobell was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. He was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

He retired from the army in October 1923 and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant general. He was appointed colonel of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in February 1926, in succession to Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd.

References

• Biography of Charles Dobell at firstworldwar.com

Books

• 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC – A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
• H16511 Dr. Richard Preston "R.M.C. and Kingston: The effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community" 1968 Kingston, Ontario.
• H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876–1918. Volume II: 1919–1984. RMC. Kingston, Ontario. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984
• Winston S. Churchill "Ian Hamilton's March" Longmans, Green, and Co, London (1 edition) 1900, page 405.