Dictionary of National Biography, 1927 supplement/Egerton, Charles Comyn
EGERTON, Sir CHARLES COMYN (1848-1921), field-marshal, the third son of Major-General Caledon Richard Egerton, by his wife, Margaret, third daughter of Alexander Cumming, of the island of St. Vincent, was born 10 November 1848. Educated at Rossall School, he proceeded thence to Sandhurst, entering the army in 1867. His first commission was to the 31st Foot and was dated 9 June of that year; but a few days later he was transferred to the 76th Foot, now the 2nd battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s regiment. After four years in the British service Egerton decided to adopt the Indian army as a career, and was accordingly posted to what was then known as the Staff Corps, i.e. the general list of British officers selected from applicants from the British forces for service with the Indian army. This was in 1871, and the army to which Egerton was posted was that of Bengal. In June 1879 he was promoted to the rank of captain.
The Afghan War of 1879-1880 gave Egerton his first chance of active service. He took part in the famous march from Kabul to Kandahar, being mentioned in dispatches for his services during the campaign. Then followed a long period of hard and incessant work in frontier operations, which brought him to the front. He served as assistant adjutant-general during the Hazara expedition of 1888, and three years later, for further service in the same country, was awarded the D.S.O. and received very high praise from Sir William S. A. Lockhart. Staff duty with Miranzai expeditions (1891) followed, in which Egerton was severely wounded; he received a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy for his brilliant work. In 1894-1895 he was himself in command of the Bannu column in the Waziristan campaign, receiving the C.B. on the conclusion of hostilities. Egerton’s work as a military administrator and a fighter had now been fully proved, and it was no surprise when he was appointed to command the Indian contingent which took part in the expedition to Dongola in 1896, for his services in which he was appointed aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria.
After his return to India Egerton was employed on the staff in the punitive expedition of 1897-1898 into the Tochi Valley, and in 1901-1902 commanded another expedition into Waziristan, for which he received the thanks of the government of India. There was another little war against Waziri tribesmen which he also directed, and he then took over command of the Punjab frontier force, a post which he held for four years. An important campaign was now entrusted to him. In Somaliland the mullah, Mohammed bin Abdullah, known as the ‘Mad Mullah’, was still a menace. Egerton, who had received the K.C.B. in 1903, was given the task of dealing with this fanatic. His expedition (1903-1904) was successful, and on returning to India he was promoted full general and took over command of the Secunderabad division.
In 1907 Egerton was appointed a member of the council of India, a post which he held until his retirement in 1917. His long and varied military experience in India, especially on the frontier, and in expeditions beyond its borders, gave him a position of great authority on the many political and military questions which engaged four successive secretaries of state during that period. He was much interested in, and assisted much in carrying out, the various military reforms of Lord Kitchener. In recognition of his services he was raised to the grade of field-marshal. After his retirement he lived at Christchurch, Hampshire, where he died 20 February 1921. Like many whose services have been rendered on the outposts of the Empire, Sir Charles Egerton was little known to the mass of his fellow-countrymen; but his work will endure.
He married in 1877 Anna Wellwood (died 1890), daughter of James Lawson Hill, of Edinburgh; by her he had three sons.
[Official records; The Times, 22 February 1921.]