Editing Gerald Graham

{{for|the imperial and naval historian|Gerald S. Graham}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix    = [[Sir]]
| name          = Gerald Graham
| honorific_suffix    = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|VC|GCB|GCMG}}
| image         = Gerald Graham 1806.png
| image_size    = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| nickname      = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1831|06|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place   = [[Acton, London]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1899|12|17|1831|06|27|df=yes}}
| death_place   = [[Bideford]], [[Devon]]
| placeofburial = [[East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford]]
| allegiance    = United Kingdom
| branch        = [[British Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1850–1890
| rank          = [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]]
| unit          = [[Royal Engineers]]
| commands      = [[Suakin Expedition]]<br/>[[2nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd Infantry Brigade]]<br/>23rd Field Company, Royal Engineers
| battles       = {{tree list}}
*[[Crimean War]]
** [[Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855)|Siege of Sevastopol]]
*[[Second Opium War]]
** [[Battle of Taku Forts (1860)|Third Battle of Taku Forts]]
*[[Anglo-Egyptian War]]
** [[Battle of Tell El Kebir]]
*[[Mahdist War]]
** [[First and Second Battles of El Teb|Battle of El Teb]]
** [[Battle of Tamai]]
** [[Battle of Tofrek]]
{{tree list/end}}
| awards        = [[Victoria Cross]]<br/>[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]<br/>[[Legion of Honour|Knight of the Legion of Honour]] (France)<br/>[[Order of the Medjidie]] (Ottoman Empire)
| relations     = 
| laterwork     = Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers
}}
[[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] '''Sir Gerald Graham''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|VC|GCB|GCMG}} (27 June 1831 – 17 December 1899) was a senior [[British Army]] commander in the late 19th century and an English recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

As an officer of the [[Royal Engineers]], he served in the [[Crimean War]], China, Canada, and Africa — including as a [[Brigadier General]] in the [[Anglo-Egyptian War]] and as commander of the [[Suakin Expedition]] against [[Mahdist Sudan]] in 1884–85.

In February 1884, Graham accompanied his close friend and colleague [[Charles George Gordon]] up the Nile to Gordon's disembarkation at [[Korosko]], making Graham one of the last Englishmen to see Gordon alive before he set out across the [[Nubian Desert]] on his fateful [[Siege of Khartoum|mission to Khartoum]]. In 1887 Graham commemorated Gordon, reflecting on his life, character, and the context of the [[Mahdist War]], in a publication entitled “Last Words with Gordon”.

==Early life==
Graham was born in [[Acton, London|Acton]], Middlesex to Frances (née Oakley), of [[Yorkshire]], and Robert Hay Graham, of north [[Cumberland]], a medical doctor and descendent of [[Clan Graham]].

After studying at [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]] and [[Dresden]] he was admitted (1847) to the [[Royal Military Academy at Woolwich]] where he passed third out of his batch and received a commission as a [[Second Lieutenant]] in the [[Royal Engineers]] on 19 June 1850. He subsequently completed his military training in the [[Royal School of Military Engineering|School of Military Engineering]] at [[Chatham, Medway|Chatham]].

As a young man, he was noted for his strong and imposing stature, reaching a height of {{convert|1.93|m|order=flip}} – a quality ultimately remarked upon throughout his career – as well as a reserved but kind disposition and a fondness for boating on the [[River Medway|Medway]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

==Crimea & Victoria Cross==
Graham was ordered to the 11th Company of Royal Sappers and Miners at [[Woolwich]] and shipped to [[Gallipoli]] in April 1854 to engage in the building of defensive works at the [[Gulf of Saros]]. He then served in [[Crimean War|the Crimea]] at the battles of [[Battle of Alma|Alma]], [[Battle of Inkerman|Inkerman]], and the [[Siege of Sebastopol]] where his actions at the [[Battle of the Great Redan|assault of the Redan]] on June 18, 1854, earned him the award of a [[Victoria Cross]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

The ill-fated attack on the Russian fortifications consisted of three columns (1,600 men each) with 23 year old Lieutenant Graham in command of the ladder party at the head of Number 1 column. Notably, [[Charles George Gordon]] was in command of the same column's reserves - a former peer of Graham's at the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich|Royal Academy]] and subsequent close friend and colleague through later campaigns in [[Second Opium War|China]] and [[Mahdist War|the Sudan]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Gerald |last=Napier |title=The Sapper VCs |page=22 |publisher=The Stationery Office|year=1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Whitworth |last=Porter |title=History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Volume 1 |page=456 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PJQFAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA457|publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co.|year=1889}}</ref>

Commencing their offensive after dawn, the Number 1 column became pinned down by heavy Russian fire as it endeavoured to close on the right flank of the Redan across approximately 400 yards of open, level ground. Graham later recalled:

{{Blockquote
|text=Before five minutes were over we had lost many men, without making much advance. My Brother officer proceeding me [Lieutenant Murray] had his arm shot off and died shortly afterwards. Brigadier General [[Sir John Campbell, 2nd Baronet|Sir J. Campbell]] had been killed at the outset, having with extraordinary valour, gone out in front of the skirmishers. [[William Tylden|Colonel Tylden]] of the Royal Engineers ... was struck down by a grapeshot whilst I was at his side.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gerald |last=Napier |title=The Sapper VCs |page=21 |publisher=The Stationery Office|year=1998}}</ref>
}}

Graham carried Tylden to the rear before returning to the action but after numerous attempts to move forward and suffering severe casualties, the column retired to their advance trench. At this point, Graham and sapper [[John Perie]] gallantly scaled the parapet and returned to the field under withering grape and musket fire to retrieve wounded comrades.

[[Charles Sackville-West, 6th Earl De La Warr|Lord West]], who succeeded command of Graham's column following the death of Sir John Campbell, later wrote to [[Henry Bentinck (British Army officer)|Lieutenant General Betnick]], "...Lieutenant Graham of the Engineers, who lead the ladder party, evinced a coolness and readiness to expose himself to any personal risk which does him the greatest credit."<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=110 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

The citation for Graham's VC, published in the [[The London Gazette|London Gazette]], noted his "Devoted heroism in sallying out of the trenches on numerous occasions, and bringing in wounded officers and men."<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=21971 |date=24 February 1857 |page=656 }}</ref> For his actions in the Crimea Graham was awarded the [[Victoria Cross]], twice [[mentioned in dispatches]], made a [[Legion of Honour|Knight of the French Legion d'honneur]], received the 5th Class of the [[Order of the Medjidie]], and promoted to Brevet Major.

At the inaugural VC ceremony in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], on 26 June 1857, Graham was personally decorated by [[Queen Victoria]], who pierced his chest while pinning the Cross to his coat.<ref>{{cite book |first=Colonel R. H. |last=Vetch |title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham |page=139 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}</ref>

==Later service==
[[File:VCGeraldGraham.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Photo from the Royal Engineers Library with permission]]
During the [[Second Anglo-Chinese War]] he again displayed great courage and skill and, although seriously wounded in the storming of the Taku forts (21 August 1860), subsequently entered [[Beijing|Peking]] with the victors.  Following his return to England in 1861, he was for 16 years commanding engineer successively at [[Brighton]], [[Aldershot]], [[Montreal]], [[Chatham, Medway|Chatham]], [[Manchester]], and [[York]].  In 1877 he was appointed assistant director of works for barracks at the [[War Office]].

In 1882 he accompanied [[Garnet Wolseley|Sir Garnet Wolseley]] to [[Egypt]] as [[Brigadier General|brigadier general]], and his forces had a great share in the victorious campaign against [[Ahmed 'Urabi|Urabi Pasha]].  In 1884 he took the field against [[Osman Digna]], whose army he defeated at [[Battles of El Teb|El-Teb]] and [[Battle of Tamai|Tamai]].  In the meantime he had urged a plan for the assistance of [[Charles George Gordon|Gordon]], which, however, was not accepted.

Graham led a [[Suakin Expedition#Second expedition|second Suakin Field Force]] which arrived at the port on 12 March 1885.  Its purpose was to suppress [[Osman Digna]]'s forces which were active in the area, and to supervise the construction of the [[Suakin-Berber Railway]]. The field force engaged in two actions: at [[Battle of Tofrek#Hashin Engagement – 20th March 1885|Hashin]] on 20 March and at [[Battle of Tofrek|Tofrek]] on 22 March, before the British government changed its policies, shutting down the railway project and leaving the Sudan in May 1885.

In his book "The Battle of Tofrek, fought near Suakin, March 22nd 1885",<ref>Galloway W., The Battle of Tofrek, fought near Suakin, March 22nd 1885, Reprint of 1887 Original Edition, publ. Naval And Military Press Ltd.</ref> written shortly after the battle for the purpose of correcting erroneous statements in both official and press reports of the battle, William Galloway was strongly critical of General Graham's planning of the Tofrek expedition on three counts: 
# Compared to the expedition to Hashin on 20 March which Graham commanded himself, which had been protected by four squadrons of British cavalry and a regiment of Bengal cavalry acting as scouts, the Tofrek expedition which he delegated to the command of [[John Carstairs McNeill|General McNeill]] had only one squadron of Lancers plus a company of Mounted Infantry to provide warning of enemy activity;
# Whereas Graham had the protection of a battery of Royal Horse Artillery able to shell the enemy at long range, no artillery was assigned to McNeill's force;
# Whereas the ratio of men to transport animals had been over 5:1 in the earlier expedition, it was no more than 2:1 for the later one, resulting in greater difficulties in keeping controlling of the animals.
Galloway was even more critical of Graham for a last-minute change to McNeill's marching orders.  Instead of following an established track in a southwesterly direction towards Tamai as originally planned, Graham personally instructed McNeill to march westwards into uncharted territory, which turned out to be thickly covered by a jungle of mimosa bushes with long low-lying branches covered in sharp thorns. This caused progress to be both slow and difficult while affording the enemy excellent cover for the surprise attack that they launched later in the day.
[[File:Gerald Graham VC Grave 2017.jpg|thumb|right|The grave of Gerald Graham VC in 2017. Behind it is the grave of [[George Channer]] VC]]
Graham was made a [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] in 1896, and a colonel commandant of the Corps of [[Royal Engineers]] in 1899. He is buried in [[East-the-Water Cemetery, Bideford|East-the Water Cemetery]] in [[Bideford]] in [[Devon]] in a grave adjacent to that of [[George Channer]] VC.

==The medal==
His Victoria Cross is currently owned by Graham's great great great grandson Oliver Brooks and is displayed at the [[Royal Engineers Museum]] in [[Gillingham, Kent|Gillingham]], England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishmedals.net/people/graham.html |work=British Medals |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221102622/http://www.britishmedals.net/people/graham.html |archive-date=21 February 2013 |title=SIR GERALD GRAHAM, V.C., G.C.B., G.C.M.G.}}</ref>

==Works==
He published a number of scientific papers and a contribution to the ''Fortnightly Review'', entitled "Last Words with Gordon" (1887), and prepared a translation of Goetze's ''Operations of the German Engineers and Technical Troops during the [[Franco-Prussian War|Franco-German War]] of 1870–71'' (1875).

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{New International Encyclopedia|title=Graham, Sir Gerald}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Graham, Sir Gerald|volume=12|pages=317–318}}
* {{cite book|last=Vetch|first=Colonel R. H.|title=Life, Letters, and Diaries of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald Graham|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.81505|place=Edinburgh|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|year=1901}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061218200907/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_vc.htm#1g Royal Engineers Museum] Sappers VCs
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041125092218/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/devonshi.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''(Devonshire)''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Gerald}}
[[Category:1831 births]]
[[Category:1899 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century English memoirists]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Ealing]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Crimean War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Second Opium War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Mahdist War]]
[[Category:Crimean War recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:British Army lieutenant generals]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:People from Acton, London]]