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Albert Ernest Gallagher
Lieutenant Colonel Albert Ernest Gallagher, CBE, DSO (2 February 1872 – 24 September 1940) was a British Infantry and colonial military police officer of Irish descent, who fought in three wars and who became part of the ruling council of colonial Cyprus.
Albert Ernest Gallagher was born in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (now India) on 2 February 1872, the second son of Captain Dr. John Gallagher, a British Army surgeon, and Mary née Mahone. He first appears as a second lieutenant serving with the 9th Battalion of The King's Royal Rifle Corps in the Boer War in 1900, initially in South Orange River in July, the Transvaal in November before returning to the Orange River and the Cape Colonies in December of the same year. Gallagher was promoted to lieutenant and shortly after, was seconded to the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) to serve in Argungu in Northern Nigeria, where he was repeatedly mentioned in dispatches for his gallantry. He remained active in Northern Nigeria joining the Sokoto Expedition in 1903, and promoted to Captain in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1904 after the fall of the Kano Emirate, whilst remaining seconded to WAFF.
The DSO is typically awarded to officers ranked major (or equivalent) or higher, with exceptions demonstrating a high degree of gallantry, just short of deserving the Victoria Cross. In January 1906, Captain Gallagher was appointed to command "F" company of the 1st Battalion of the Northern Nigeria Regiment garrisoned at Zungeru. In less than a month, he had "got the confidence of his men so completely that they would follow him anywhere". Orders were issued on 16 February and by the next morning, "F" company had crossed the Kaduna and set off on a fast march to Kontagora averaging 25 miles per day, arriving there on 20 February ahead of the brigade commander and ready to leave for Sokoto the following morning. It was by Gallagher's "cheerfulness and untiring energy that the column was able to cover the ground as quickly as it did" at a time when the Harmattan was blowing with exceptional "thickness". The same pace was achieved over the next 81⁄2 days, with the combined forces arriving in Sokoto on 1 March, a distance of 214 miles (ibid.).
The opposing force of about five thousand poorly armed, but reportedly, fanatical supporters of a self-declared Mahdi had raised the standard of revolt at a town called Satiru 14 miles south of Sokoto. "F" company led the attack on 10 March, with Gallagher commanding the front face of a square with the intention of drawing the much larger enemy force in to the open. The enemy reportedly fought with great bravery, repeatedly charging the square (ibid.). At some point, Gallagher's company broke from the square, leading a bayonet charge into the southern part of the town, where he was wounded by an arrow that lodged in his elbow joint. He continued to lead his men into the town, who went at the enemy "with a dash, which I have not seen equalled in this country". "F" company "had fought splendidly", rallying around their injured captain to protect him. The arrow was suspected of being poisoned, leaving Gallagher severely wounded. He was created a companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1907.
Gallagher transferred to The Royal Munster Fusiliers, but continued serving in Nigeria until 1908, when he suspended his combat career by entering the political department of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate under Sir Frederick Lugard.
In 1909, Gallagher relocated to British Cyprus, where he was appointed local commandant of the Limassol Cyprus Military Police (CMP), one of the four local commands on the island at the time. Cyprus was a British protectorate consisting of mixed ethnic communities dominated by Greek Cypriots (up to 78%) emerging from rapidly waning Ottoman suzerainty. From 1909 to 1914, the CMP held together the outward appearance of the Anglo-Ottoman administration in Cyprus, with around 700 Zaptiehs organised in both mounted and foot units initially dominated by the Turkish Cypriot minority. The new British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Hamilton Goold-Adams, agitated the Greek Cypriot majority further by clamping down on expressions of Greek nationalism, uniting radical nationists and moderates behind Enosis. The resulting rise of Greek Cypriot nationalism erupted in 1912 in Gallagher's own district of Limassol after a Muslim stabbed two Greek Cypriots and another Muslim was killed in a brawl. Troops were mobilised killing two Greek Cypriots and injuring 150 others. The use of increased military force rapidly quelled the unrest but Goold-Adams continued to frustrate Greek Cypriot nationalism as well as Greek Cypriot identity in the legislature. In June 1914, Gallagher was appointed acting Chief Commandant of the CMP and Inspector of prisons. Three years of mounting resentment against Goold-Adams changed in November when the Ottomans joined the Central Powers at the outbreak of World War One, resulting in the complete annexation of Cyprus into the British Empire. Cyprus was placed under military administration and the source of resentment, Goold-Adams, was removed as High commissioner. The following year, Gallagher was appointed (permanent) Chief Commandant of Police and Inspector of prisons, an office he held until his retirement in 1933.
On 18 June 1915, Gallagher received a letter from his brother who was serving at the front in France. A week later, his brother was dead; within ten weeks, Gallagher was granted leave of absence to rejoin his regiment, returning to active service to participate in the first World War aged 43. Gallagher had retained the rank of Captain in the newly established Special Reserves, initially attached to the 4th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Gallagher was transferred to the 10th Division of the Fusiliers in 1915, which had been severely depleted at Gallipoli. He was appointed second in command of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (7RMF) and assigned to the Macedonian front in October shortly after Bulgaria had invaded Serbia. The 7RMF had taken over the frontline positions at the Battle of Kosturino on 29 November. A Canadian soldier attached to the 7RMF reported that after three days of bombardment from German artillery, they were forced to retreat "at a dead run" from the advancing Bulgarian charge.
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Albert Ernest Gallagher
Lieutenant Colonel Albert Ernest Gallagher, CBE, DSO (2 February 1872 – 24 September 1940) was a British Infantry and colonial military police officer of Irish descent, who fought in three wars and who became part of the ruling council of colonial Cyprus.
Albert Ernest Gallagher was born in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (now India) on 2 February 1872, the second son of Captain Dr. John Gallagher, a British Army surgeon, and Mary née Mahone. He first appears as a second lieutenant serving with the 9th Battalion of The King's Royal Rifle Corps in the Boer War in 1900, initially in South Orange River in July, the Transvaal in November before returning to the Orange River and the Cape Colonies in December of the same year. Gallagher was promoted to lieutenant and shortly after, was seconded to the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) to serve in Argungu in Northern Nigeria, where he was repeatedly mentioned in dispatches for his gallantry. He remained active in Northern Nigeria joining the Sokoto Expedition in 1903, and promoted to Captain in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1904 after the fall of the Kano Emirate, whilst remaining seconded to WAFF.
The DSO is typically awarded to officers ranked major (or equivalent) or higher, with exceptions demonstrating a high degree of gallantry, just short of deserving the Victoria Cross. In January 1906, Captain Gallagher was appointed to command "F" company of the 1st Battalion of the Northern Nigeria Regiment garrisoned at Zungeru. In less than a month, he had "got the confidence of his men so completely that they would follow him anywhere". Orders were issued on 16 February and by the next morning, "F" company had crossed the Kaduna and set off on a fast march to Kontagora averaging 25 miles per day, arriving there on 20 February ahead of the brigade commander and ready to leave for Sokoto the following morning. It was by Gallagher's "cheerfulness and untiring energy that the column was able to cover the ground as quickly as it did" at a time when the Harmattan was blowing with exceptional "thickness". The same pace was achieved over the next 81⁄2 days, with the combined forces arriving in Sokoto on 1 March, a distance of 214 miles (ibid.).
The opposing force of about five thousand poorly armed, but reportedly, fanatical supporters of a self-declared Mahdi had raised the standard of revolt at a town called Satiru 14 miles south of Sokoto. "F" company led the attack on 10 March, with Gallagher commanding the front face of a square with the intention of drawing the much larger enemy force in to the open. The enemy reportedly fought with great bravery, repeatedly charging the square (ibid.). At some point, Gallagher's company broke from the square, leading a bayonet charge into the southern part of the town, where he was wounded by an arrow that lodged in his elbow joint. He continued to lead his men into the town, who went at the enemy "with a dash, which I have not seen equalled in this country". "F" company "had fought splendidly", rallying around their injured captain to protect him. The arrow was suspected of being poisoned, leaving Gallagher severely wounded. He was created a companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1907.
Gallagher transferred to The Royal Munster Fusiliers, but continued serving in Nigeria until 1908, when he suspended his combat career by entering the political department of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate under Sir Frederick Lugard.
In 1909, Gallagher relocated to British Cyprus, where he was appointed local commandant of the Limassol Cyprus Military Police (CMP), one of the four local commands on the island at the time. Cyprus was a British protectorate consisting of mixed ethnic communities dominated by Greek Cypriots (up to 78%) emerging from rapidly waning Ottoman suzerainty. From 1909 to 1914, the CMP held together the outward appearance of the Anglo-Ottoman administration in Cyprus, with around 700 Zaptiehs organised in both mounted and foot units initially dominated by the Turkish Cypriot minority. The new British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Hamilton Goold-Adams, agitated the Greek Cypriot majority further by clamping down on expressions of Greek nationalism, uniting radical nationists and moderates behind Enosis. The resulting rise of Greek Cypriot nationalism erupted in 1912 in Gallagher's own district of Limassol after a Muslim stabbed two Greek Cypriots and another Muslim was killed in a brawl. Troops were mobilised killing two Greek Cypriots and injuring 150 others. The use of increased military force rapidly quelled the unrest but Goold-Adams continued to frustrate Greek Cypriot nationalism as well as Greek Cypriot identity in the legislature. In June 1914, Gallagher was appointed acting Chief Commandant of the CMP and Inspector of prisons. Three years of mounting resentment against Goold-Adams changed in November when the Ottomans joined the Central Powers at the outbreak of World War One, resulting in the complete annexation of Cyprus into the British Empire. Cyprus was placed under military administration and the source of resentment, Goold-Adams, was removed as High commissioner. The following year, Gallagher was appointed (permanent) Chief Commandant of Police and Inspector of prisons, an office he held until his retirement in 1933.
On 18 June 1915, Gallagher received a letter from his brother who was serving at the front in France. A week later, his brother was dead; within ten weeks, Gallagher was granted leave of absence to rejoin his regiment, returning to active service to participate in the first World War aged 43. Gallagher had retained the rank of Captain in the newly established Special Reserves, initially attached to the 4th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers.
Gallagher was transferred to the 10th Division of the Fusiliers in 1915, which had been severely depleted at Gallipoli. He was appointed second in command of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers (7RMF) and assigned to the Macedonian front in October shortly after Bulgaria had invaded Serbia. The 7RMF had taken over the frontline positions at the Battle of Kosturino on 29 November. A Canadian soldier attached to the 7RMF reported that after three days of bombardment from German artillery, they were forced to retreat "at a dead run" from the advancing Bulgarian charge.
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