Sir William Gatacre
| Sir William Forbes Gatacre | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
3 December 1843 Herbertshire Castle, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
| Died | 18 January 1906 (aged 62) Gambella, Abyssinia |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1862–1904 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Unit | 77th Foot |
| Commands held | Eastern District |
| Battles/wars |
Third Burmese War Hazara Expedition (1888) Chitral Expedition Reconquest of the Sudan Atbara Omdurman Second Boer War Battle of Stormberg |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Knight of Grace of the Order of St John Kaisar-i-Hind Medal Order of the Medjidie |
| Signature |  |
Lieutenant-General Sir William Forbes Gatacre KCB DSO (3 December 1843 – 18 January 1906) was a British soldier who served between 1862 and 1904 in India and Africa. He commanded the British Army Division at the Battle of Omdurman and the 3rd Division during the first months of the Second Boer War, during which time he suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Stormberg.
William Forbes Gatacre was born at Herbertshire Castle, near Stirling on 3 December 1843. He was the third son of Edward Lloyd Gatacre, of Gatacre in the parish of Claverley, Shropshire, and Jessie Forbes, whose father William Forbes owned Herbertshire Castle. He was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and entered the army as an ensign of the 77th Foot in 1862, posted to India. He purchased the rank of lieutenant on 23 December 1864.
He reached the rank of captain by purchase on 7 December 1870, before the purchase of commissions was abolished in the early 1870s and passed into Staff College in 1873. Between 1875 and 1879 he returned to Sandhurst as an instructor of surveying. He then returned to India with his regiment in 1880, being promoted to major on 23 March 1881.
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