Charles Barter (British Army officer)

Lieutenant-General

Sir Charles Barter

KCB KCMG CVO
Born1857
Died1931 (aged 73–74)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch
British Army
Service years
1875–1918
Rank
Lieutenant-General
Commands47th (1/2nd London) Division
Poona Brigade
Conflicts
Fourth Ashanti War
Tirah campaign
Second Boer War
First World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Lieutenant-General Sir Charles St Leger Barter, KCB, KCMG, CVO (1857–1931) was a career British Army officer.

Early life

Charles Barter, born in 1857, was the son of the Reverend J. T. Barter of Bercham, County Cork.

Early military career

A graduate of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he began his military career with a commission in the 105th Foot in 1875. Later, after attending the Staff College, Camberley in 1883,[1] he served in several military campaigns including the Fourth Ashanti War and the Tirah campaign.[2] In January 1884 he was appointed an instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst[3] having been seconded from his regiment.[4]

On 26 April 1891 he moved from being a staff captain at headquarters to being a deputy assistant adjutant general (DAAG) at headquarters.[5]

From 1899 to 1902 Barter was in command of the 2nd Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, serving in South Africa during the Second Boer War.[2] The battalion served with General Bruce Hamilton in the Transvaal during the later stages of the war, and he was in command at Ermelo in March 1902.[6] After the war had ended in May 1902, Barter resigned his command of the battalion and was placed on half-pay with a brevet promotion to colonel on 19 July 1902,[7][8] leaving Cape Town for Southampton the following month.[9] For his service, Barter was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated to 29 November 1900),[10] and he received the actual decoration after his return, from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October 1902.[11]

Following his return, Barter was on 6 September 1902 appointed assistant adjutant general of the Thames District, based at Chatham, Kent,[12][13] with the substantive rank of colonel.[14][15]

In June 1905 he was made an assistant quartermaster general.[16] After serving on the half-pay list, he became general officer commanding (GOC) of the Poona Brigade in June 1909 and was granted the temporary rank of brigadier general while employed in this role.[17] He was promoted to major general on 14 August that year.[18]

First World War

He was GOC of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division of the Territorial Force (TF) on 3 September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War,[19] taking over from Major General Thomas Morland.[20]

He led the division to the Western Front to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in March 1915 and by May the division was fighting at Aubers Ridge.[21]

Barter, who was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in January 1916,[22] and the 47th Division continued fighting on the Western Front and participated in the Battle of the Somme later that year. It was during action at the Somme that the 47th Division and Barter were involved in the battle for High Wood. Shortly after the capture of High Wood, Barter was relieved of his command.[23] For the remainder of his life, Barter attempted to have an official enquiry into his dismissal but was unsuccessful.[23][1]

After being promoted to temporary lieutenant general while specially employed, on 6 May 1917,[24] became a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG)[25] in January 1918 for his service. On 21 September 1918 he relinquished his temporary rank and reverted to his substantive rank of major general.[26]

Post-war

He retired from the army on 20 December 1918 and was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant general.[27][28]

References

  1. 1 2 "Charles St Leger Barter". Western Front Association. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Barter, Charles St Leger". Anglo-Noer War. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "No. 25315". The London Gazette. 5 February 1884. p. 536.
  4. ↑ "No. 25322". The London Gazette. 26 February 1884. p. 967.
  5. ↑ "No. 26150". The London Gazette. 7 April 1891. p. 1923.
  6. ↑ "Latest intelligence – The Transvaal". The Times. No. 36711. London. 10 March 1902. p. 5.
  7. ↑ "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5099.
  8. ↑ "No. 27474". The London Gazette. 16 September 1902. p. 5965.
  9. ↑ "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36834. London. 31 July 1902. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "No. 27306". The London Gazette. 19 April 1901. p. 2696.
  11. ↑ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36908. London. 25 October 1902. p. 8.
  12. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36866. London. 6 September 1902. p. 8.
  13. ↑ "Army Corps appointments". The Times. No. 36871. London. 12 September 1902. p. 6.
  14. ↑ "No. 27474". The London Gazette. 16 September 1902. p. 5964.
  15. ↑ Hart´s Army list, 1903
  16. ↑ "No. 27822". The London Gazette. 28 July 1905. p. 5224.
  17. ↑ "No. 28288". The London Gazette. 14 September 1909. p. 6874.
  18. ↑ "No. 28282". The London Gazette. 24 August 1909. p. 6449.
  19. ↑ "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "No. 28898". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 September 1914. p. 7197.
  21. ↑ "47th (2nd London) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "No. 12894". The Edinburgh Gazette. 17 January 1916. p. 81.
  23. 1 2 Hanson, Neil (2005). The Unknown Soldier. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0385604536.
  24. ↑ "No. 30160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1917. p. 6528.
  25. ↑ "No. 13186". The Edinburgh Gazette. 1 January 1918. p. 9.
  26. ↑ "No. 30933". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 1918. p. 11694.
  27. ↑ "No. 31073". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 December 1918. p. 14893.
  28. ↑ "Charles St Leger Barter". Centre for First World War Studies. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
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