Richard Harrison (British Army officer)

He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers and became a lieutenant in 1855.^[1] Harrison fought at Scutari during the Crimean War in 1856.^[4] During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he took part in the Siege of Lucknow and in the following year, he went into the regions of Rohilkhand and Awadh.^[4] Thereafter Harrison was sent to China, taking part in the Second Opium War, where he was present in the Battle of Taku Forts (1860) and its following capture.^[4] He was advanced to 2nd captain in 1862 and after two years to major.^[3] In 1877, he won a gold medal by the Engineers for an essay he had written.^[3]

When in 1879 the Anglo-Zulu War broke out, Harrison was attached to the troops in the Cape Colony and fought in the Battle of Ulundi.^[3] Already in the next year the British efforts to bring Southern Africa under its control, led to the First Boer War, during which he had command of a British contingent in Transvaal.^[4] Harrison served as assistant adjutant general in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and joined the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, after which he appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.^[3] Two years later, he accompanied the Nile Expedition, serving as colonel of its staff.^[3] Back in England, Harrison became Chief Royal Engineer of the Southeastern District in 1886 and of Aldershot Command in the next year.^[3] He was promoted to major general in 1888 and was appointed a governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in the subsequent year^[3] on whose occasion Harrison was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.^[5]

In 1890, he obtained the command of the Western District and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1893.^[6] Harrison left this post in 1895 and was made a full general.^[7] After another two years, he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces^[8] and in 1898 was named Inspector-General of Fortifications.^[9] In December of the latter year, he was invested a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of Saint John.^[10] Harrison was nominated Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers on the death of his predecessor in March 1903^[11] and was further honoured with appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in June.^[12] He was granted an honorary colonelship of the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia in 1906^[13] and of the Devon Royal Field Reserve Artillery in June 1908.^[14] In December he received the same rank of the South Midland Divisional Engineers^[15] and additionally of the Devonshire (Fortress) Royal Engineers in 1909.^[16] Harrison was selected a deputy lieutenant of the county of Devon in 1921.^[17] He was decorated with the Order of Osmanieh.^[2]

• Portraits of Sir Richard Harrison at the National Portrait Gallery, London
• Recollections of a life in the British Army, Harrison's memoirs

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Howard Elphinstone	GOC Western District 1890–1895	Succeeded by Sir Frederick Forestier-Walker
Preceded by Sir Evelyn Wood	Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1897–1898	Succeeded by Sir George White
Preceded by Sir Robert Grant	Inspector-General of Fortifications 1898–1903	Succeeded by William Terence Shone
Preceded by Richard Dyott	Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers 1903–1931	Succeeded by Sir Hubert Livingstone