Sir John Nixon | |
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Sir John Nixon
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Born | 16 August 1857 Brentford, Middlesex |
Died |
15 December 1921 (aged 64) St. Raphaël, France |
Allegiance | United Kingdom / British Empire |
Service/branch | Indian Army |
Rank | Lieutenant-General |
Commands held |
Bangalore Brigade 7th (Meerut) Division 1st (Peshawar) Division Southern Army, India Northern Army, India |
Battles/wars |
Second Anglo-Afghan War Second Boer War World War I |
Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
General Sir John Eccles Nixon, GCMG, KCB (16 August 1857 – 15 December 1921) was senior commander of the British Indian Army. He gave the orders for the ultimately disastrous first British Expedition against Baghdad during the First World War.
Educated at Rossall School and then the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Nixon was commissioned into the 75th Regiment of Foot in 1875. He transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps in 1878 and was posted to the 18th Bengal Lancers and then served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War where he was mentioned in despatches. He also took part in the Mahsud Waziri expedition in 1881, was promoted to captain on 10 September 1886, and served in the Chitral Relief Force in 1895, following which he was promoted to major on 10 September 1895. He was Chief Staff Officer of the Tochi Field Force in 1897.
Nixon served as a Cavalry Brigade Commander during the Second Boer War, was promoted to a lieutenant-colonel on 10 September 1901, and mentioned in despatches (dated 8 April 1902). In recognition of services during the war, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the South Africa honours list published on 26 June 1902. Following the war, he became Assistant Quartermaster General (Intelligence) in India in 1902. He became commander of the Bangalore Brigade in 1903, Inspector General of Cavalry in India 1906 and General Officer Commanding 7th (Meerut) Division in 1908. He went on to be General Officer Commanding 1st (Peshawar) Division in 1910 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Army in India in 1912.