Lives of the First World War

In uniform, Lieutenant General Sir Charles C Monro GCB GCSI GCMG 1860 - 1929 1st Baronet of Bearcrofts

He was born in 1860 and received a commission in the 2nd Foot, The Queens in August 1879. After passing through Staff College, he saw active service with the Malakand Field Force, the Tirah Expeditionary Force and in the Second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa. During 1901 - 1907 he served as Commandant of the Hythe School of Musketry, developing the concept of rapid aimed fire subsequently deployed by the British Expeditionary Force in the early battles of the First World War. On the outbreak of war in August 1914, Monro moved to France initially as major general in command of the British 2nd Division and then as lieutenant general in command of 1st Army Corps. In October 1915, he replaced Sir Ian Hamilton as Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in Gallipoli and immediately recommended that the peninsula be evacuated. Monro was redeployed as Commander-in-Chief in India for the remainder of the war. General Monro died in 1929.