Charles van Straubenzee

File:Sir Charles Thomas van Straubenzee.jpg

Van Straubenzee was born at Fort Ricasoli, Malta, in 1812,{{cite news|last1=Cassar|first1=Michael|title=Grand Harbour: from a naval, commercial to a leisure port|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160131/life-features/Grand-Harbour-from-a-naval-commercial-to-a-leisure-port.600763|work=Times of Malta|date=31 January 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526163536/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160131/life-features/Grand-Harbour-from-a-naval-commercial-to-a-leisure-port.600763|archivedate=26 May 2016}} as the second son of Thomas van Straubenzee (1782–1843), a Royal Artillery major, of Spennithorne, Yorkshire, and his wife Maria, youngest daughter of Major Henry Bowen.{{DNB|wstitle=Van Straubenzee, Charles Thomas}}

A member of an old and distinguished military family, Van Straubenzee was commissioned into the Ceylon Rifle Regiment in 1828.Vetch, R. H.. "Straubenzee, Sir Charles Thomas Van (1812–1892), rev. Roger T. Stearn". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004 ed.). Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/ref:odnb/28110}}. Retrieved 25 August 2016. He transferred to the 39th Regiment of Foot in 1833, and, during the Gwalior campaign, he took part in the Battle of Maharajpore in 1843; he took temporary command of his regiment when its commanding officer was wounded and brought the regiment out of action.

In 1846, he transferred to 3rd Battalion the Buffs of which he became commanding officer in 1851, and fought in the Crimean War commanding the 1st Brigade of the Light Division, and taking part in both assaults on the Redan during the Siege of Sevastopol.

In 1857, Van Straubenzee became Commander British Forces in Hong Kong and led an attack on Canton during the Second Opium War. In 1862, he was made general officer commanding a Division of the Bombay Army at Ahmedabad and subsequent took overall command of the Bombay Army.

He was colonel of the 47th Regiment of Foot from 1865 to 1867, and of the 39th Regiment of Foot from 1867,{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/039-702.htm |title=39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot |publisher=Regiments.org |accessdate=14 July 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013161104/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/039-702.htm |archivedate=13 October 2007 }} until they became part of the Dorset Regiment in 1881, after which he continued as colonel of the 2nd Battalion until 1892.{{cite web|url=http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/047-751.htm |title=47th (the Lancashire) Regiment of Foot |publisher=regiments.org |accessdate=14 July 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011105356/http://regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/047-751.htm |archivedate=11 October 2007 }} Van Straubenzee became Governor of Malta in 1872.

Van Straubenzee is buried at St Mary the Virgin's Churchyard near Bath, Somerset.

He married Charlotte Louisa Richardson in 1841, daughter of General John Luther Richardson.[http://www.william1.co.uk/w136.htm Conqueror List]

• List of British recipients of the Légion d'Honneur for the Crimean War

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Category:1812 births

Category:1892 deaths

Category:39th Regiment of Foot officers

Category:British Army generals

Category:British Army personnel of the Crimean War

Category:British Army personnel of the Second Opium War

Category:British military personnel of the Gwalior Campaign

Category:Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) officers

Category:English people of Dutch descent

Category:Governors and governors-general of Malta

Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Charles