27 Facts About Lovick Friend

Lovick Friend served with the Royal Engineers and was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, during the 1916 Easter Rising.

Lovick Friend was born at Halfway Street near Sidcup in Kent in 1856, the fourth son of wealthy merchant Frederick Lovick Friend and his wife Fanny.

Lovick Friend grew up at the family home, Woollett Hall at North Cray, and was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

Lovick Friend was a mathematics scholar at Cheltenham and was awarded the Dobson Scholarship and the Cheltonian Society Prize in 1872, his final year at school.

Lovick Friend won a prize for artillery whilst at the Woolwich and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1874 as a Temporary Lieutenant.

Lovick Friend's commission was made permanent in 1876 and he spent time stationed in Ireland and Hong Kong before being appointed as an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1883 and promoted to captain in 1885.

Lovick Friend was posted to Egypt in 1897 and served as a staff officer in charge of organising supplies during the Anglo-Egyptian invasion of Sudan in 1898 before being attached to the Intelligence Department before the Battle of Omdurman where he was an aide to Sir Herbert Kitchener, the commander in chief of British forces.

Lovick Friend was mentioned in dispatches after the battle and received the Khedive's Sudan Medal and Queen's Sudan Medal as well as the Order of Osmanieh, fourth class.

Lovick Friend was Director of Works and Stores for the Egyptian Army from 1900 to 1904, during which he received the Order of Medjidie, third class.

Lovick Friend subsequently held a variety of roles both in Egypt and in Britain in the years before the First World War.

Promotions continued and Lovick Friend rose to the rank of major general in 1912.

Lovick Friend was appointed Major-General in charge of Administration at Irish Command in 1912 and succeeded Sir Arthur Paget as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, in 1914 the year the First World War began in Europe.

Lovick Friend became a member of the Privy Council of Ireland in January 1916.

Lovick Friend was in command in Ireland when the Easter Rising broke out in 1916.

From 1916 until his retirement in 1921 Lovick Friend was President of the Claims Commission of the British Armies in France.

Lovick Friend was awarded the Ordre de Leopold, Legion d'Honneur and Croix de Guerre for his role and in 1919 was made KBE and mentioned in despatches for a fourth time in his career, his organisational skills being praised by Sir Douglas Haig.

Lovick Friend was placed on retirement pay in June 1920 after 47 years of military service, although he continued to serve as Chairman of the French Committee of the Disposal Board.

Lovick Friend played cricket for the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and then regularly for the Royal Engineers Cricket Club after he was commissioned in 1873.

Lovick Friend was one of the club's most prolific batsmen in its history and served as its secretary for many years.

Lovick Friend was described in his Wisden obituary as a "good wicket-keeper", and scored 10 centuries for the RE, his first in 1877 and five during the 1885 season alone.

Lovick Friend made his first-class cricket debut for Kent during the following season, playing against Sussex at Hove.

In total Lovick Friend played six first-class matches, scoring 189 runs at an average of 17.18 runs per innings.

Lovick Friend played twice more for Kent in 1887 as well as appearing for I Zingari against the Gentlemen of England the same year.

Lovick Friend played Army and club cricket for a wide variety of sides, making his highest score of 208 for United Services Portsmouth in 1897, the last year he played for the RE.

Lovick Friend played for South Northumberland and Northumberland between 1887 and 1891 whilst stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and for sides such as Free Foresters and United Services.

Lovick Friend spent time during his retirement in South Africa and Australia.

Lovick Friend died in a nursing home at West Kensington in London on 19 November 1944 aged 88.