Charles Hull (British Army officer)

Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge,Cambridge University Alumni 1261 – 1900 Hull was commissioned as a subaltern, with the rank of lieutenant, into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment in April 1886.{{London Gazette|issue=25577|page=1785|date=13 April 1886}} He transferred to the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and the Regular Army, in November 1887 as a second lieutenant.{{cite web|url= http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/hull.htm |title= Charles Patrick Amyatt Hull|publisher=Gommecourt|accessdate=19 April 2016}}{{London Gazette|issue=25758|page=6064|date=15 November 1887}}

He was promoted to lieutenant on 10 September 1890,{{London Gazette|issue=26105|page=5930|date=11 November 1890}} and to captain on 24 February 1897.Hart′s Army list, 1901 Appointed adjutant of his regiment's 2nd Battalion on 23 January 1899,{{London Gazette|issue=27045|page=461|date=24 January 1899}} he was among the officers in charge as the battalion was sent to South Africa in late October 1899, following the outbreak of the Second Boer War. He was wounded at the Battle of the Tugela Heights in late February 1900, as his battalion took part in the relief of Ladysmith.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The War – Casualties|date=3 March 1900 |page=9 |issue=36080}} He was promoted to brevet major in November 1900.{{London Gazette|issue=11343|page=1082|date=1 October 1901|city=e}}

After having returned to Britain, he attended the Staff College, Camberley as a student from January 1902.{{London Gazette|issue=27413|page=1539|date=4 March 1902}} Shortly after completion of the course, he was made a brigade major of the 11th Brigade in November 1903.{{London Gazette|issue=27620|page=7748|date=27 November 1903}} He was promoted from captain, to which he had been promoted in June 1903,{{London Gazette|issue=27561|page=3578|date=5 June 1903}} and brevet major to major in December 1908.{{London Gazette|issue=28213|page=232|date=8 January 1909}} He then served as a general staff officer, grade 2 (GSO2) at the Staff College from March 1909 and was granted the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel while serving in this position.{{London Gazette|issue=28235|page=2218|date=23 March 1909}}

In February 1912 he was transferred to the Middlesex Regiment where he received a promotion to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel.{{London Gazette|issue=28583|page=1344|date=23 February 1912}}

He became (CO) of the 4th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment in August 1914, the same month of the British entry into World War I.{{cite web|url=http://www.ww1infantrycos.co.uk/middlesex.html |title=Infantry Commanding Officers|accessdate=19 April 2016}} He led his battalion at the Battle of Mons later that month and at the Great Retreat in September 1914. Upon being promoted to temporary brigadier general on 13 November,{{London Gazette|issue=28994|page=10278|date=1 December 1914|supp=y}} (later amended to 18 November{{London Gazette|issue=28998|pages=10411-10412|date=4 December 1914|supp=y}}) he went on to be commander of the 10th Infantry Brigade after Lieutenant Colonel Norman McMahon was killed before he could take up the appointment. Hull, who in February was promoted to brevet colonel,{{London Gazette|issue=29074|page=1695|date=16 February 1915|supp=y}} would command the brigade, part of the 4th Division, throughout the rest of the year and into early 1916. After receiving a further promotion to temporary major general in February 1916,{{London Gazette|issue=29501|page=2547|date=7 March 1916|supp=y}} and to substantive colonel the same month,{{London Gazette|issue=29534|page=3559|date=4 April 1916}} Hull became general officer commanding (GOC) 56th (1/1st London) Division, a Territorial Force (TF) formation which, under his command, "certainly had a reputation for getting things done".{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=N7XNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT168 |title=Walking Arras|first= Paul|last= Reed |year= 2007|publisher=Pen and Sword Books|isbn=978-1783035557}} He commanded the division for the next two years, most notably during the attack on the Gommecourt Salient in late June 1916. His rank of major general became substantive in January 1917, "for distinguished service in the field".{{London Gazette|issue=29886|page=15|date=29 December 1916|supp=y}} After a period of recovery following major surgery in the United Kingdom in the autumn and winter of 1917, he became GOC of the 16th (Irish) Division in February 1918, only to return to the 56th Division in May, and commanding it for the remainder of the war.{{cite web|url=https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf|title=Army Commands|accessdate=1 June 2020}}

He transferred to become GOC 43rd (Wessex) Division, another TF formation, in June 1919{{London Gazette|issue=31479|page=9663|date=29 July 1919|supp=y}} before retiring from the army in 1920 before his death at the relatively early age of 55 in July that year.

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Category:1865 births

Category:1920 deaths

Category:Academics of the Staff College, Camberley

Category:People from Kensington

Category:British Militia officers

Category:York and Lancaster Regiment officers

Category:British Army major generals

Category:British Army generals of World War I

Category:Royal Scots Fusiliers officers

Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War

Category:Middlesex Regiment officers

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath

Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley

Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge

Category:Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea