75th Divisional History

[ddycher]

Events as known for the 2nd November 1917 added to first entry.

Mod's - any chances of moving this thread to the North Africa and Middle East forum. All of 75th Divisions action are relevent to that area and most of the interest generated in the thread currently from that group.

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

The first of Divisional Biographies :

Major – General Philip Charles Palin K.C.M.G C.B. C.M.G (1864-1937).

Philip Palin was the first and, apart from a short period sick in December 1917, the only GOC of the 75th Division.

No photograph yet uncovered.

Philip Charles Palin was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 8th August 1864.

He came from an Indian Army family. His father Charles Thomas Palin (1823~1892) was a Lt.-Gen in the Indian Staff Corps. His mother Helen Hawker Palin (nee Whyte) (1830~1923) Helen Hawker second daughter of Dr Charles Whyte, Surgeon 69th Foot, who became Inspector General Military Hospitals. Philip Palin had three elder brothers, Hugh, Gilbert Charles (who died in infancy) and Gilbert Walter. He also had a younger brother Randle. Hugh was to rise to Deputy Inspector General of Police in India and, like Philip, Gilbert and Randle were to serve in the Indian Staff Corps. He had an elder sister Mabel who died in her first year and three younger sisters; Ethel, Mildred and Helen.

Growing up between India and the UK he was educated at Clifton College.

He joined the Cheshire Regt from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Militia in April 1886 and served with the 2nd Bn., Cheshire Regt in Burma from November 1887 ~ May 1888. After which he was seconded to the Indian Staff Corps.

He went on to serve in the Hazara expedition, North West Frontier (1888) , Waziristan expedition of1894-1895 and North West Frontier campaigns of1897-1898. By 1890 he was serving on Bengal Staff Corps with 14th Sikhs where he was appointed adjutant in April 1891 and gazetted to Capt on 28th April, 1897.

He married Diamantine Harriet "Nina" Elliot, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel G. Elliot in Farnham, Surrey in June 1899 then returned to India and served as adjutant of a battalion of the Calcutta Volunteer Rifles, with which he remained five years from November 1899 ~ TBD1904

He rejoined the 14th Sikhs as a Major in April, 1904. Apart from a brief tenure and CO of the 15th Sikhs in 1912 he was to remain with the 14th Sikhs until going sick in Gallipoli in August 1915. Taking command of the 14th Sikhs in August 1912 he saw them move to Peshwar and join the Peshwar Bde in February 1913 where they were when war was declared. The 14th Sikhs joined the newly formed 29th Indian Brigade, 10th Indian Division in October 1914 and went with the 10th Indian Division to Egypt. He was with them when the 14th Sikhs took part in the capture of the Turkish forts at Sheikh Sa’id in November 1914. Palin next saw action when the 14th Sikhs were involved in actions on the Suez Canal in February 1915.

The 29th Indian Bde was ordered to move overseas in April 1915. It consolidated at Port Said and then left for Gallipoli being attached to the 29th (British) Division. The 29th Indian Bde was commanded by Major- General H. V. Cox, and on landing it consisted of the 14th Sikhs, the 69th and 89th Punjabis, and the l/6th Gurkhas.

The 14th Sikhs were taken ashore in trawlers and landed at "V" Beach, near Cape Helles on 1st May 1915. They then fought upon the Helles front being engaged in the second and third battles of Krithia and in the action of Gully Ravine. The 14th Sikhs then went to Anzac in August 1915 where Philip Palin commanded a column during the battle of Sari Bair.

He briefly commanded the 126th Bde from the 5th – 24th June 1915 and was act’g commander of the 156th Bde / 52nd Division from 29th June – 30th July 1915. Whilst he was with the 156th Bde the 14th Sikhs left Helles for Imbros on 10th July 1915 and went on to be attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division in August 1915,

Philip Palin was evacuated sick at the end of July. He returned to Gallipoli and took command of the 29th Indian Bde. Being gazetted to temporary Brigadier-Generals on 25th September 1915 taking over from Brig.- Gen. Herbert Vaughan Cox. Cox who left to command the 4th Australian Division.

Gazetted to Bt Col. On 8th November 1915 he led 29th Bde through the Gallipoli evacuation and back to Egypt where by July 1916 they were part of No.1 Section Canal Defences. Philip Palin was awarded the C.B for services rendered in connection with Military Operations in the Field in Gallipoli on 3rd June, 1916 where he was also MiD by Sir Charles Munro. Early November 1916 saw Palin march on Sinn Bisher and Bir um Gurf, 30 miles south-east of Suez, commanding a column from No.1 Section.

In February 1917 the 29th Indian Bde became part of Southern Canal Section and Philip Palin was gazetted to Section Comdr holding command of both the 29th Indian Bde and Southern Canal Section until 29th Bde was allocated to the 75th Divisional Bde’s and broken up in June 1917

On 25th June 1917 Philip Palin was gazetted to temp. Maj.-Gen. and given command of the 75th Division. He was to serve as GOC 75th Division until its disbandment when he took command of the 3rd Lahore Division in March 1920.

From March 1920 until his retirement in 1921 Philip Palin was also GOC Palestine. During the tenure of which he chaired what was to become known as the Palin Commission which ran an inquest into Zionsit uprisings.

Philip Palin was awarded Commander in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George on11th April 1918. Gazetted as awarded the Order of the Nile 2nd Class by the Sultan of Egypt on 9th November 1918 and Gazetted as awarded the Additional Members of the Second Class, or Knights Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George on 3rd June 1919

He was appointed Colonel of the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs on 27th January, 1920.

Philip Palin retired from the army on the 16th September 1921.

His wife Nina (nee Elliott) died in Steyning Sussex in September 1934 and he remarried Gladys Eva Love in Hove, Sussex in August 1935

Philip Charles Palin died aged 72 in Hove, Sussex on 22nd January 1937. He is buried at Hove Cemetery.

If anybody has anything to add to this. I would be very grateful.

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

To make this a little more interesting....

Two of Philip Palin's sisters had interesting husbands :

1. The eldest Ethel Frances was married to Herbert Christopher Impey Birdwood, the deceased elder brother of Gen. Sir William Riddell Birdwood commander of the Dardanelles Army during the evacuation of Gallipoli and future Field Marshall and Commander in Chief of the British Indian Army.

2. Middle sister Mildred Adelaide was the wife of Sir William Robertson the then CIGS.

Palins youngest sister Helen Grace was a highly decorated Nurse. Served aboard the Asturia, was Matron at 21st Stationary Hospital at Salonika and subsequently at the 2nd London Territorial Force Hospital. She was awarded the OBE and MBE and became the future Principal Matron in the Ministry of Pensions Nursing Service.

Any takers ?

Regards

Dave

[nigelfe]

Farndale 'Forgotten Fronts'.

In Nov 1918 75 Div UK arty was 389 and 390 btys, 37 Bde; 391 and 392 Btys 172 Bde, all bty 6 x 18-pr.

No such beast as 10 HAR Bde. 10 Bde RGA was in France, 10 Bde RFA destroyed at Kut.

[ddycher]

Many thanks for the ref Nigel. Much appreciated.

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Anybody have an interest in giving this another shot. ?

 

Always felt like it was a crying shame that the 75th Division were not better recorded.

 

Let me know. Happy to chair from an older and wiser perspective.

 

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Mod's

 

Can we move it over to the Middle East sub-forum if I can drive enough enough interest to re-start ?

 

Regards

Dave