John Edward Capper

Sir John Edward Capper
Colonel Capper watching Mr Cody's experiments with the British Army Aeroplane.
Nickname(s)	Stone Age
Born	7 December 1861 Lucknow, British India
Died	24 May 1955 (aged 93) Eastbourne, East Sussex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1880 – 1946
Rank	Major-General
Unit	Royal Engineers
Commands held	24th Division Royal Tank Corps
Battles/wars	Tirah Campaign Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Legion d'honneur (France)

Major-General Sir John Edward Capper KCB KCVO (7 December 1861 – 24 May 1955) was a senior officer of the British Army during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century who served on the North-West Frontier of British India, in South Africa and during the First World War, where he was instrumental in the development of the tank.

An experienced engineer, Capper was involved in numerous building projects during his years in India and pioneered the development of airships in Britain. He helped establish and command several military training establishments in Britain, was involved in large-scale military planning during 1918 and 1919 and was pivotal in establishing the tank as an important feature of the British Army. Although Capper was sometimes described as pompous and possessing poor communication skills, earning the nickname Stone Age for his attitude towards the ideas of junior officers in the Royal Tank Corps, he nevertheless played a vital role in the development and deployment of armoured vehicles in the British Army.

John Capper was born in Lucknow, India to civil servant William Copeland Capper and his wife Sarah in December 1861. Returning to England at an early age for education, Capper attended Wellington College and upon leaving in 1880 enrolled in the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich from where he went on to study at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, before subsequently being commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a lieutenant. A capable engineering officer, Capper served in India and Burma for most of the first 17 years of his career, principally employed on military and public construction projects. He performed well in this position, being promoted to captain in 1889.