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William Peyton
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William Peyton
General Sir William Eliot Peyton, KCB, KCVO, DSO (7 May 1866 – 14 November 1931) was a British Army officer who served as Military Secretary to the British Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1918. He was Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the time of the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
The third son of Colonel John Peyton, commanding officer of the 7th Dragoon Guards, Peyton was educated at Brighton College.
In 1885, Peyton enlisted in the ranks in the 7th Dragoon Guards, a regiment that his father had commanded between 1871 and 1876. The explanation of this was his failure to pass the entrance examination of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Having risen to sergeant, Peyton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th Dragoon Guards on 18 June 1887, and promoted lieutenant in 1890. He was appointed regimental adjutant in 1892. In 1896 he transferred to the 15th Hussars and was promoted captain.
He was seconded to the Egyptian Army and saw service with the Dongola Expeditionary Force in 1896, and was mentioned in despatches, then in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898, where he was dangerously wounded and his horse killed under him by a spear. In the Sudan he was again mentioned in despatches, and received the Distinguished Service Order. He was also awarded the Order of the Medjidieh, Fourth Class.
Peyton fought next in South Africa, 1899–1900, where he served with Alexander Thorneycroft's mounted infantry, was promoted major and brevet lieutenant colonel, again mentioned in despatches, and received the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps, but his service was cut short by illness and he was invalided back to England. He passed the army's Staff College in December 1901.
In October 1903 Peyton took command of the 15th Hussars, which he commanded for four years, until October 1907 when he was placed on half-pay. He had been granted the brevet rank of colonel in April 1905, while in command of his regiment. In October 1907 he was promoted to colonel and, reverting to normal pay, went to India to become assistant quartermaster general, India, and, as a temporary brigadier general, to command the Meerut Cavalry Brigade from 1908 to 1912.
In India, he served as Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the Coronation Durbar held on 12 December 1911, and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and from July 1912 was military secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, India.
Peyton returned to England in 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War and took up a new post as GSO1, or chief of staff, of the 1st Mounted Division, a Territorial Force (TF) formation. Promoted to major general in 1914 (first as temporary promotion, from October as substantive rank), he became general officer commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Mounted Division, another TF formation, which he led in the Gallipoli campaign, seeing action in August 1915 and later taking part in the final evacuation of Allied forces from Gallipoli on 19 December 1915. The division suffered severe casualties at Suvla in particular.
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William Peyton
General Sir William Eliot Peyton, KCB, KCVO, DSO (7 May 1866 – 14 November 1931) was a British Army officer who served as Military Secretary to the British Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1918. He was Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the time of the Delhi Durbar of 1911.
The third son of Colonel John Peyton, commanding officer of the 7th Dragoon Guards, Peyton was educated at Brighton College.
In 1885, Peyton enlisted in the ranks in the 7th Dragoon Guards, a regiment that his father had commanded between 1871 and 1876. The explanation of this was his failure to pass the entrance examination of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Having risen to sergeant, Peyton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th Dragoon Guards on 18 June 1887, and promoted lieutenant in 1890. He was appointed regimental adjutant in 1892. In 1896 he transferred to the 15th Hussars and was promoted captain.
He was seconded to the Egyptian Army and saw service with the Dongola Expeditionary Force in 1896, and was mentioned in despatches, then in the Sudan in 1897 and 1898, where he was dangerously wounded and his horse killed under him by a spear. In the Sudan he was again mentioned in despatches, and received the Distinguished Service Order. He was also awarded the Order of the Medjidieh, Fourth Class.
Peyton fought next in South Africa, 1899–1900, where he served with Alexander Thorneycroft's mounted infantry, was promoted major and brevet lieutenant colonel, again mentioned in despatches, and received the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps, but his service was cut short by illness and he was invalided back to England. He passed the army's Staff College in December 1901.
In October 1903 Peyton took command of the 15th Hussars, which he commanded for four years, until October 1907 when he was placed on half-pay. He had been granted the brevet rank of colonel in April 1905, while in command of his regiment. In October 1907 he was promoted to colonel and, reverting to normal pay, went to India to become assistant quartermaster general, India, and, as a temporary brigadier general, to command the Meerut Cavalry Brigade from 1908 to 1912.
In India, he served as Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the Coronation Durbar held on 12 December 1911, and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and from July 1912 was military secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, India.
Peyton returned to England in 1914 on the outbreak of the First World War and took up a new post as GSO1, or chief of staff, of the 1st Mounted Division, a Territorial Force (TF) formation. Promoted to major general in 1914 (first as temporary promotion, from October as substantive rank), he became general officer commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Mounted Division, another TF formation, which he led in the Gallipoli campaign, seeing action in August 1915 and later taking part in the final evacuation of Allied forces from Gallipoli on 19 December 1915. The division suffered severe casualties at Suvla in particular.
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