Charles James Briggs

Born the son of Colonel Charles James Briggs, JP, DL, Brigg's education took place largely abroad, including periods in France and Germany.[2] He was commissioned into the 1st King's Dragoon Guards on 30 January 1886 and served as ADC to the General Officer Commanding Egypt from 1892 to 1893.[3] Promoted to captain on 1 March 1893, he became Adjutant of the 1st Dragoon Guards in November 1894 and Brigade Adjutant of the 4th Cavalry Brigade in April 1897.[3] He served in the Second Boer War as Brigade Major of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade and was wounded at the Battle of Magersfontein (December 1899). He received a brevet rank as major on 29 November 1900, and was promoted to the substantive rank of major on 14 June 1902.[4] Following the end of the war in June 1902, he left Cape Town on the SS Sicilia and returned to Southampton in late July.[5] For his services during the war, he received a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902.[6] Reported to be medically unfit for foreign service after his return from the war, he was on 1 November 1902 appointed in command of a provisional regiment of Lancers, stationed at Ballincollig.[7][8] He went on to command the 1st Imperial Light Horse and then a Mobile Column,[3] before transferring to the 6th Dragoons in July 1904.[2]

He was appointed commander of the Transvaal Volunteers in 1905 and took part in suppressing the Bambatha Rebellion in 1906.[3] He was appointed commander of the South Eastern Mounted Brigade in 1910[3] and commanded the Blue cavalry in the Army Manoeuvres of 1912. He served in World War I initially as commander of 1st Cavalry Brigade in the British Expeditionary Force, where he took part in the action at Nery.[3] He commanded 3rd Cavalry Division from May 1915, the 28th Division in Salonika from October 1915 and XVI Corps (later redesignated as the British Salonika Army) from May 1916.[3]

He was chief of the British Military Mission to South Russia from February to June 1919 before retiring in February 1923.[3] In retirement he was colonel of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards from 16 March 1926 to 31 December 1939.[9]

These include:

• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (military division) [K.C.B. cr. 1917]
• Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George [K.C.M.G. cr. 1918]
• Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
• Commander of the Legion of Honour (France)
• Grand Officer of the Order of the White Eagle with Swords (Serbia)[10]
• Grand Commander of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece)[11]
• Queen's South Africa Medal 1899–1902 with 5 clasps
• King's South Africa Medal 1901–1902 with 2 clasps
• Natal Rebellion Medal 1906 with clasp '1906'
• 1914–1915 Star
• British War Medal 1914–1920
• Allied Victory Medal 1914–1919 with oak leaf
• Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal 1897
• War Cross with palm (Greece)[12]
• Medal of Military Merit, 1st class Greece[13]