Herbert Alexander Lawrence

Sir Herbert Alexander Lawrence
General Lawrence (centre) with Generals Plumer and Haig, 1917.
Born	1861 London
Died	1943 Little Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	General
Commands held	Chief of Staff, France.
Battles/wars	Gallipoli; Battle of Romani
Awards	KGB
Other work	Chairman of Glyn, Mills & Co. Bank

General the Hon. Sir Herbert Alexander Lawrence, GCB (8 August 1861 – 17 January 1943) was a general in the British Army, banker and businessman.

He was born in London, the son of Sir John Laird Mair Lawrence, Governor-General of India and his wife Harriette Katherine Hamilton and educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Commissioned into the 17th Lancers in India in 1882, he entered the Staff College, Camberley in 1894. After graduating in 1896 he was appointed a staff captain (intelligence) at the War Office. During the Boer War he served on the intelligence staff of Sir John French's cavalry division with Douglas Haig and was promoted Lieutenant-colonel in the 16th Lancers.

He resigned his commission in 1903 and became a city banker. He was also a director of the Midland Railway.

When the First World War started he was recalled for Army service and became general staff officer of the 2nd Yeomanry Division, serving in Egypt and at Gallipoli. In June 1915 he was given the command of the 127th (Manchester) Brigade, part of the 42nd (East Lancs) Territorial Division.

At Gallipoli he commanded the 52nd (Lowland) and 53rd (Welsh) Divisions and during the evacuation at the end of 1915 he oversaw the withdrawal at Cape Helles beach. In 1916 he returned to Egypt and achieved success at the Battle of Romani, but asked to be relieved of his command later in the year and was transferred to the 71st Home Service Division in England. In 1917 he was in France as commander of the East Lancashire (66th) Territorial Division, with whom he remained until made chief intelligence officer on Haig’s staff in January 1918. He then took over from Sir Launcelot Kiggell as Chief of Staff in France and was promoted full General.