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Geoffrey Barton commanded the the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers from Sep 1890 to 1894. The photo shows him as a lieutenant-colonel with medals for his service in the Ashanti Expedition, in which he was wounded, the Zulu War, the Nile Expedition and Egypt 1882. He also served in Hong Kong with the rank of lieutenant-colonel as Military Secretary to Major-General John Sargent.
He achieved fame as a Major-General in the Boer War as a result of his command of the 6th (Fusiliers) Brigade in the Natal Field Force, comprising 4 companies of the 2nd battalion Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Btn Royal Scots Fusiliers, 1st Btn Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and the 2nd Btn Royal Irish Fusiliers. In his book 'From London to Ladysmith via Pretoria' Winston Churchill refers to the brigade as Barton's Brigade. Barton was familiar with at least two of the battalions having been a Royal Fusilier Officer who during the Ashanti Expedition of 1873 had served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Barton himself was wounded on 27th Feb 1900 in the relief of Ladysmith. When his brigade was held in reserve at Colenso he made the decision not to send them in to support the withdrawal of troops in the first attack, especially Dundonald's mounted troops and Hildyard's 2nd Brigade, a decision that was criticised for being over-cautious. After the relief of Ladysmith and Mafeking he was posted to the Transvaal to take command in the Krugersdorp and Pretoria districts until the end of the war. After the Boer War he retired to Dumfrieshire and was involved in the Red Cross Society and the Boy Scouts. His marriage to Beryl Marie Baskerville Mackenzie resulted in 3 children, Philip in 1891, Charles in 1893 and Joanna in 1894.
1844 born on 22nd Feb in Stuttgart |
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