John French, 1st Earl of Ypres

The Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal The Earl of Ypres
Born	(1852-09-28)28 September 1852 Ripple, Kent, England
Died	22 May 1925(1925-05-22) (aged 72) Deal, Kent, England
Buried at	Ripple, Kent
Allegiance	United Kingdom/British Empire
Service/branch	Royal Navy(1866–70)  British Army (1870–1921)
Years of service	1866–1921
Rank	Field Marshal
Unit	8th King's Royal Irish Hussars 19th Royal Hussars
Commands held	Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces British Expeditionary Force Chief of the Imperial General Staff Aldershot Command 1st Army Corps
Battles/wars	Mahdist War Second Boer War First World War Irish War of Independence
Awards	Knight of the Order of St Patrick Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Member of the Order of Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Relations	Charlotte Despard (sister)

Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC (28 September 1852 – 22 May 1925), known as Sir John French from 1901 to 1916, and as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a senior British Army officer. Born in Kent to an Anglo-Irish family, he saw brief service as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, before becoming a cavalry officer. He achieved rapid promotion and distinguished himself on the Gordon Relief Expedition. French had a considerable reputation as a womaniser throughout his life and his career nearly ended when he was cited in the divorce of a brother officer whilst in India in the early 1890s.

French became a national hero during the Second Boer War. He won the Battle of Elandslaagte near Ladysmith, escaping under fire on the last train as the siege began. He then commanded the Cavalry Division, winning the Battle of Klip Drift during a march to relieve Kimberley. He later conducted Counter-insurgency operations in Cape Colony.