Major C L Ziegler DSO - Royal Field Artillery

[RedCoat]

Hi everyone,

 

I am keen to find out more about Major Colin Louis Ziegler DSO. I believe he was commissioned into the RFA in 1902, served overseas in France from August 1914 and was awarded the DSO in August 1917 + an MiD a little later on. Small references I have found suggest he first served overseas with 2 DAC before transferring to 60th Battery RFA in September 1914. I cannot find any further reference to him from then on and would appreciate some input from our members. 

 

Kind regards, Daniel.

[ForeignGong]

Hi Daniel

Try these

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?end-publish-date=1999-12-01&text="Colin+Louis+Ziegler"&start-publish-date=1900-06-01&location-distance-1=1&service=all-notices&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&results-page-size=10

 

and these

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?end-publish-date=1999-12-01&text="Colin+L.+Ziegler"&start-publish-date=1900-06-01&location-distance-1=1&service=all-notices&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&results-page-size=10

 

and some of these

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice?end-publish-date=1999-12-01&text="C.+L.+Ziegler"&start-publish-date=1900-06-01&location-distance-1=1&service=all-notices&categorycode-all=all&numberOfLocationSearches=1&results-page-size=10

[battiscombe]

A couple of minor notes I have.. That he was initially transferred to 44th Brigade Ammunition Column on 22nd September 1914 from 1 section/2nd DAC seems the case, and  then on to 60th Battery to replace Lt Willcocks [sick]; went home on leave 25th Nov 14.  The 44 Brigade and battery diaries are a bit disorganised.I have no checked 1915 diaries

[rflory]

Major Coin Louis Ziegler, RFA

 

Born on 27 June 1884, the son of H. Ziegler of Manchester

Educated at Fettes College from 1898 to December 1901

Gentleman Cadet, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich from 1902 to 1903

2nd Lieut, RFA in 23 Dec 03

Lieut, RFA in 23 Dec 06

Saw service in India before the Great War

Captain, RFA in 1914

Major, RFA in 1915

Served during the Great War in France and Mesopotamia

Distinguished Service Order (LG 25 Aug 17)

Mentioned in Despatches (LG 15 Aug 17) for Mesopotamia

Retired in 1921

After his early retirement from the Army he devoted his life to his local community and in the welfare of ex-serviceme. He was on of New Forest's leading personalities and, having served on the old Board of Guardians, was a Local and County Councillor and a County Alderman. For many years President and Chairman of the Ringwood Branch of the Royal British Legion. He commanded the local Home Guard with great zest and efficiency during the Second World War.

Died at his home at Picket Orchard, Ringwood on 25 Oct 1978 at the age of 93

 

Sources: 

The Fettes College Register 1870-1932

Gunner, February 1978

The Distinguished Service Cross 1886-1923

 

 

 

 

 

[Steven Broomfield]

Given the date and place of the latter's birth, was he father of Philip Ziegler, the biographer? (His biography of Edward Heath was sublme)

[seaJane]

Yes, according to Philip Ziegler's entry in Who's Who (thank you Hampshire library card).

sJ

[RedCoat]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks so much for all the info, it all adds to his story. Does anyone know what unit he was serving with when he was awarded his DSO?

 

Kind regards, Daniel.

[Mark1959]

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30252/supplement/8854

If you go back 2 pages to the heading the DSO is for Distinguished service in the field in Mesopotamia. Just trying to see if there is a specific citation - one does not come up in a standard search.

This LG entry

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30666/supplement/5339 suggests he was appojnted a DAAG man in late 1916. Deputy Assistant Adjutant General is what DAAG stands for.. So possibly a Staff Officer rather than a front line man. 

 

edit - have looked up several of the others in the list above Ziegler on page 8854 and cannot find a citation for any of them. So DSOs for general good service it seems. 

Edited 25 February , 2019 by Mark1959

[Guest]

My late mother (Colin Ziegler's daughter) told me many years ago that he was awarded the DSO for removing live ammunition from wounded troops - though I've no idea about the exceptional circumstances that would merit this level of award.

 

I still have a few pre-war RFA photographs of a/his battery at places like Oakhampton for gunnery practice(?) (1904 and '07), Westbury Flower Show(!) (1904), 'Battery Sports' at Horfield(?) (1904) and 117 Battery manoeuvres 'watering in River Avon' (1907), as well as some possibly from during the Great War of his battery - sorry, I have next to no military knowledge to be able to advise what campaigns they might be.  If you might be interested in scans of these please let me know, though some of the prints have become quite faded in the last 110 years!

 

[LGraham]

Hello, I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I occasionally buy old photographs, and I found this one at a car boot sale in Gloucestershire. I thought it was a shame to see it there and hoped to find out more about it.

 

According to the writing on the back, it shows the officers of 52nd Bty RFA in August 1919. It names a 'Major Zeigler', and although the spelling is different, given the rank and RFA connection I wondered if it could feature Major C.L. Ziegler? I don't know a great deal about military history but haven't yet managed to find any other likely identifications.

 

Ultimately if there were a connection to one of the men shown in the group, I would like to reunite the picture with a family member, or otherwise donate it to an appropriate museum.

 

Edited 2 January , 2020 by LGraham

[john_alty]

Late in the year of his "military retirement", 1921, Major Colin L Ziegler featured in a divorce case. He was named as co-respondent by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Haddon Haining, with his wife Dora May Haining listed as respondent. Ziegler had been a friend of Haining and was best man at the couple's 1913 wedding. Haining and Ziegler had served together in India and France and things seem to have been fine with the marriage until 1919. Haining then found his wife had been seeing Ziegler, and later they began living together. The divorce was granted and the case received local and some national publicity. Ziegler and Dora married the following year. Haining remarried too, and as well as his distinguished WW1 service, he went on to be a leading commander in WW2.

The divroce case press articles are available through the British Newspaper Archive and also via Find My Past. There are also several later articles featuring brief mentions of Major Ziegler in various committee and charity roles.