Francis Kelly (British Army officer)

Major-General
Francis Kelly
CB CMG
Kelly in 1916
Born26 July 1859
Clifton, Bristol
Died18 March 1937(1937-03-18) (aged 77)
Camberley, Surrey
Burial place
Rochester Cathedral
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch
 British Army
Rank
Major-General
CommandsKarachi Brigade
Ahmednagar Brigade
Commander of British Troops in South China
69th (2nd East Anglian) Division
Conflicts
World War I
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George

Major-General Francis Henry Kelly CB CMG (26 July 1859 – 18 March 1937) was Commander of British Troops in South China.

Military career

Kelly was commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a lieutenant on 6 April 1879.

He took part in the Burma expedition in 1885, was promoted to captain on 1 April 1889, and then went to the North West Frontier in India in 1897 where he participated in the Tirah Campaign, during which he was promoted to major on 1 October 1897. Following the campaign he received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel on 20 May 1898.

He was appointed temporary assistant adjutant general in Quetta District on 23 June 1900 (while the actual A.A.G. served in the Boxer Rebellion in China), serving as such for several years. He was promoted to the substantive rank of colonel on 9 September 1902. He was further appointed commander of the Karachi Brigade in 1905 and commander of the Ahmednagar Brigade on 7 February 1907 and was granted the temporary rank of brigadier general while employed in this role. After that he was promoted to major general on 4 December 1909.

He became commander of British Troops in South China on 12 June 1913, taking over from Major General Charles Anderson.

He was general officer commanding (GOC) of the 69th (2nd East Anglian) Division in November 1915 during the First World War before retiring from the army on 2 October 1918.

After the war he became a regional director at the Ministry of Pensions. He ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers on 26 July 1926.

Memorial in Rochester Cathedral

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kelly, Francis Henry". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "No. 26902". The London Gazette. 22 October 1897. p. 5800.
  3. ↑ Hart′s Army list, 1903
  4. ↑ "No. 27469". The London Gazette. 29 August 1902. p. 5610.
  5. ↑ "No. 27515". The London Gazette. 13 January 1903. p. 237.
  6. ↑ "No. 28019". The London Gazette. 7 May 1907. p. 3082.
  7. ↑ "No. 28314". The London Gazette. 3 December 1909. p. 9233.
  8. ↑ Hong Kong Legislative Council
  9. ↑ "No. 28730". The London Gazette. 20 June 1913. p. 4398.
  10. ↑ "No. 31030". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 November 1918. p. 13896.
  11. ↑ "No. 33186". The London Gazette. 27 July 1926. p. 4961.