GATHORNE-HARDY, Gen the Hon Sir (John) Francis (1874-1949)

Scope and Content

Papers relating to service on the Western Front, World War One, 1914-1919 including correspondence referring to campaigns on the Western and Italian Fronts and account of the battle of Le Cateau, Aug 1914; service as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, 1931-1933 including press cuttings; service as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Aldershot Command, 1933-1937 and ADC General to the King, 1934-1937, including press cuttings; copy photographs, 1916-1937, including Trench Mortar School at General HQ and pontoon bridge over River Piave at Salettuol, Italy; family papers of Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy and Elizabeth Gathorne-Hardy, 1914-1937.

Administrative / Biographical History

Born in 1874; educated at Eton and Sandhurst; commissioned into the Grenadier Guards, 1894; promoted to Capt, 1900; service in the Boer War, 1900-1902; promoted to Battalion Maj, 1902; Staff College, 1905-1906; Brigade Maj, 1 Guards Brigade, Aldershot, 1908-1911; Brevet Lt Col, 1913; General Staff Officer, Grade 2, War Office, 1913-1914; General Staff Officer, Grade 2, 2 Corps, 1914-1915; served in 2 Army, 1915; General Staff Officer, Grade 1, 7 Division, 1915-1916; Battalion Col, 1916; Brig Gen, General Staff of 14 Corps, 1916-1918; Maj Gen, General Staff, British Forces in Italy and 10 Italian Army, 1918-1919; commanding field troops in Egypt, 1921-1922; Director of Military Training, 1922-1925; commanded Deccan District, 1926-1928; Lt Gen, 1928; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, 1931-1933; Gen, 1933; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Aldershot Command, 1933-1937; ADC General to the King, 1934-1937; died in 1949.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically into sections according to military service. Photographs and the papers of Lady Isobel and Elizabeth are grouped together.

Access Information

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Acquisition Information

Placed in the Centre by the family in 1986.

Other Finding Aids

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and detailed catalogue available on line and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Geographical Names