William Dillon Otter
| Sir William Dillon Otter | |
|---|---|
William Dillon Otter in 1900
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| Born |
December 3, 1843 The Corners, Canada West |
| Died | May 5, 1929 (aged 85) Toronto, Ontario |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/branch | Canadian Army |
| Years of service | 1866–1902 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
Chief of the General Staff Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Volunteer Officers' Decoration |
General Sir William Dillon Otter, KCB, CVO, VD (December 3, 1843 – May 6, 1929) was a professional Canadian soldier who became the first Canadian-born Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Militia.
Otter was born near The Corners, Canada West. His parents were Anna Louisa, née de la Hooke (1824–1907) and Alfred William Otter (1815–1866), both English immigrants who married in Ontario on 15 September 1842. He began his military career in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in Toronto in 1864. Captain William Otter was Adjutant of the Queen's Own Rifles of Toronto in 1866. He first saw combat with them at the Battle of Ridgeway during the Fenian Raids.
He joined the Permanent Force as an infantry officer when Canada established its own professional infantry unit in 1883. On May 2, 1885, he led a Canadian force of more than 300 in the Battle of Cut Knife against Poundmaker's Cree Indians. Otter's tactics were ineffective against the defending warriors, forcing him to retreat.
In 1890, Otter founded the Royal Canadian Military Institute as a body for "the promotion and fostering of military art, science and literature in Canada." The Gen Sir William Otter Papers are selected from those presented at events organized by the Defence Studies Committee of the Royal Canadian Military Institute.
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