13 Facts About Hubert Hamilton

Just two and a half months later, at the height of the race for the Sea, Hamilton was killed by artillery fire while surveying the front line, the first British divisional commander to be killed in action during the conflict.

Hubert Hamilton had received several honours for his service and was popular amongst his men, who nicknamed him "Hammy" and expressed sorrow at his death; each regiment in his division despatched representatives to his funeral, despite being involved in heavy fighting less than a mile away.

Hubert Hamilton was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College and, following attendance at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, entered service with the 2nd Foot Regiment in July 1880.

Hubert Hamilton was mentioned in dispatches and rewarded for his service with the Distinguished Service Order and the Imperial Ottoman Order from the Khedive of Egypt.

In late 1899 Hubert Hamilton left Egypt and was immediately engaged in another war, against the Boers in South Africa, where he was again appointed aide-de-camp to Major-General Kelly-Kenny, by now commander of the 6th Division.

Hubert Hamilton was engaged in operations in the Orange Free State, Transvaal and Cape Colony and saw action at the battle of Paardeberg, for which he was mentioned in dispatches three times and awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps and King's South Africa Medal with two clasps.

Less than six months later, Hubert Hamilton accompanied Kitchener to India, again as his military secretary, and received the substantive rank of colonel on 28 November 1902.

In October 1908 Hubert Hamilton left the 7th Brigade for a temporary promotion to major general and an appointment as chief of the general staff in the Mediterranean, in succession to Major General John Maxwell.

Hubert Hamilton then received command of the 3rd Division, which his brother Bruce had commanded a decade earlier, from Major General Henry Rawlinson in June 1914.

At the outbreak of the First World War, just weeks after becoming GOC, Hubert Hamilton immediately took his division to France with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force in the II Corps, which was then commanded by General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, who admired Hubert Hamilton.

The officers who accompanied him were unhurt but a single bullet entered Major General Hubert Hamilton's forehead, killing him instantly.

Hubert Hamilton was buried in the churchyard at La Couture, against the church wall with General Smith-Dorrien in attendance and a representative of each regiment in the division as an honour guard.

Once the fighting had moved on, Hubert Hamilton's body was exhumed and returned to England, before being reburied at St Martin's Church in Cheriton.