Malcolm Orme Little
British Army general (1857–1931)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brigadier-General Malcolm Orme Little, CB, CBE, DL (29 November 1857 – 1 February 1931) was a cavalry officer in the British Army and champion polo player. He commanded a cavalry brigade in the Second Boer War and a yeomanry brigade in the First World War.
Malcolm Orme Little | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 November 1857 |
| Died | 1 February 1931 (aged 73) |
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Service years | 1877–1917 |
| Rank | Brigadier-General |
| Unit | 9th Queen's Royal Lancers |
| Commands | 9th Queen's Royal Lancers 3rd Cavalry Brigade 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade |
| Conflicts | Second Boer War World War I |
| Spouse | Iris Hermione Brassey |
| Children | Malcolm Archibald Albert Little |
| Relations | General Sir Archibald Little, KCB (father) |
Early life
Malcolm Orme Little was born on 29 November 1857[1] at Sussex Square, Hyde Park Gardens, Paddington, Middlesex, England, he was the second son of General Sir Archibald Little, KCB and his wife Jane (née Orme).[2]
Career
On 19 January 1923, Little was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Warwick.[3] Little was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) later.[4]
Military career
He obtained his first commission as an infantry second-lieutenant in the Royal North Gloucester Militia[a] on 26 September 1877.[6] On 11 May 1878, he obtained a regular commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 17th Lancers[1] after graduating from the Royal Military College. He had been an Honorary Queen's Cadet.[7] On the same date, he resigned his Militia Commission.[8] On 19 October 1878, he transferred to the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers,[9] his father's regiment.[10] On the same date, the 9th Lancers departed Sialkot, India to take part in the Second Anglo-Afghan War.[11]
Little remained with the 9th Lancers for the rest of the century: he was promoted to lieutenant on 25 February 1880,[12] to captain on 20 October 1886,[13] to Major on 5 September 1894,[14] and to lieutenant-colonel (and to command of the regiment) on 15 March 1900.[15] By this time, the 9th Lancers were on active service in the Second Boer War.[16] The regiment formed part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade[16] and took part in the battles of Modder River (28 November 1899) and Magersfontein (10-11 December 1899), Relief of Kimberley and Battle of Paardeberg.[10] He was mentioned in despatches from Lord Methuen dated 15 February 1900[17] and Lord Roberts dated 31 March 1900.[18] Little took over command of the brigade[19] and was promoted to the local rank of brigadier-general in South Africa on 10 July 1900.[20][b] He was awarded a Brevet Colonelcy on 29 November 1900[22] and his local rank was confirmed on 8 April 1902,[23][c] when he took command of another brigade (possibly the Australian Brigade), which moved to Aberfeldy in the Orange River Colony.[24] He was again mentioned in a despatch on 23 June 1902, this time by Lord Kitchener, who wrote that Little had "proved himself as a capable leader of mounted troops in the field."[25] The war ended with the Peace of Vereeniging in late May 1902, and Little left Cape Town the following month arriving at Southampton in late July.[26]
After four years in command of the 9th Lancers, and having served the normal period in command, Little was retired on half-pay – for the first time – on 15 March 1904.[27] On 24 June 1904, as part of Edward VII's Birthday Honours, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[28] He was recalled to active service on 4 May 1905 as a Staff Officer for Imperial Yeomanry and was promoted to the substantive rank of colonel.[29] He retired for the second time on 17 October 1908.[30]
With the outbreak of the First World War, Colonel Little was once again recalled to active service. On 18 September 1914 he was temporarily appointed as an Inspector of Remounts.[31] On 20 January 1915, he was appointed as brigade commander,[32] of the second line yeomanry 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade under the command of the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division in the Newcastle area of Northumberland.[33] In April 1916, the brigade joined the 1st Mounted Division in East Anglia[34] but by July it had left for the Morpeth, Northumberland area.[35][d] At this time he was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier-general.[37] On 13 June 1917 he relinquished his command,[38] and retired for the third and final time and was granted the honorary rank of brigadier-general in August 1917.[39]
Polo
Little won the International Polo Cup in 1886 for Britain alongside John Henry Watson, Captain Thomas Hone, and Captain the Hon. Richard Lawley, 4th Baron Wenlock.[40][41]
Personal life
On 7 July 1903 at St George's, Hanover Square, in Westminster, London, Little was married to Iris Hermione Brassey (1879/80–1970),[42][43] the daughter of Albert Brassey and the Hon. Matilda Maria Helena Bingham (a daughter of the 4th Baron Clanmorris).[44] Together, they were the parents of:[4]
- Malcolm Archibald Albert Little (1904–1944), who was a Colonel in the 9th Lancers and a polo player.[4]
- Ian Little (1918–2012), who was a leading economist.[4]
Little died on 1 February 1931 at his home, Dunsmore, at Rugby, Warwickshire. His widow died on 6 August 1970.[4]
Notes
- The Royal North Gloucester became 4th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment on 1 July 1881 and was disbanded on 31 July 1908.[5]
- 3rd Cavalry Brigade was one of just three cavalry brigades in the British Army in the Second Boer War.[21]
- At this point, he was a lieutenant-colonel, a brevet colonel and local brigadier-general.
- Becke shows the 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade commander as Br-Gen M.D. Little, but this is probably a typo.[33][36]