page_title: Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
section_title: Military career
hierarchical_section_title: Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie / Military career
caption_attribution_description: English: Victoria Cross Winners- Pre 1914. Portrait of The Hon Alexander Gore Arkwright (later The Earl of Gowrie) Hore-Ruthven, awarded the Victoria Cross: Sudan, 22 September 1898.
context_page_description: Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British Army officer who served as the 10th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1936 to 1945. He was previously Governor of South Australia and Governor of New South Wales.
  Gowrie was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England, into a minor aristocratic family. He joined a voluntary Yeomanry unit at the age of 17, and then enlisted in the regular army at the age of 19. Gowrie fought in the Sudan during the Mahdist Revolt, and was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving a wounded Egyptian soldier. He later served in the Somaliland Campaign and as an aide-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. During the First World War, Gowrie commanded units in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front, winning several further honours. He finished his military career with the rank of brigadier-general.
  In 1928, Gowrie was appointed Governor of South Australia. His handling of political instability during the Great Depression was highly regarded, and when his term expired he was appointed Governor of New South Wales.
context_section_description: On 19 October 1889, Hore-Ruthven was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Lanarkshire Yeomanry Cavalry. After his return to England in 1892, he then joined the regular army. Following training at the United Services College, he was commissioned on 27 April 1893 as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry, and was promoted to captain on 18 November 1896.  During the Sudan Campaign, he was mentioned in despatches.
  During the action at Gedarif on 22 September 1898, Hore-Ruthven performed an act of courage which earned him the Victoria Cross:
  28 February 1899 – Captain the Honourable A.G. A. Hore-Ruthven, 3rd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry
  The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officer, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for his conspicuous bravery during the attack on the Baggage Guard at the action of Gedarif on the 22nd September 1898, as recorded against his name:
  On the 22nd September 1898, Captain Hore-Ruthven, seeing an Egyptian officer lying wounded within 50 yards of the advancing Dervishes, who were firing and charging, picked him up and carried him towards the 16th Egyptian Battalion. He dropped the wounded officer two or three times and fired upon the Dervishes, who were following, to check their advance. Had the officer been left where he first dropped, he must have been killed 
  In May 1899, Hore-Ruthven was also awarded the Order of Osmanieh, Fourth Class, by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for his services in the Sudan. On 17 May, he received a regular commission as a second lieutenant in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, dropping back two ranks. In late November, he was part of a Camel Corps during the operations leading to the defeat of the Khalifa (mentioned in despatches 25 November 1899). Promoted to supernumerary lieutenant on 14 December 1900, vice a Lieutenant Murdoch killed in action, he fought in the Somaliland Campaign between 1903 and 1904, and was promoted to a regular lieutenancy on 16 April 1904.
  In 1905, Hore-Ruthven became an aide-de-camp to Lord Dudley, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Transferring to the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards in 1908, he was promoted to supernumerary captain in that regiment on 11 April, regaining his former rank after nine years. In 1908, Dudley was appointed Governor-General of Australia, and Hore-Ruthven went with him as military secretary. He left Australia in 1910 and returned to military service in India.
  On 2 April 1915, Hore-Ruthven transferred to the Welsh Guards and was promoted to major from the same date. He was appointed a GSO 1 on 18 January 1916, with the temporary rank of lieutenant-colonel, and was awarded the DSO on 1 January 1916. He was awarded a Bar to his DSO on 2 April 1919; the citation reads as follows:
  He commanded his brigade with conspicuous gallantry and judgment throughout the operations east of Ypres from 28th September to 27th October 1918, inclusive. His presence and personal bearing at critical times during the fighting was of decisive value, especially during a strong enemy counter-attack. On 20th October, at St. Louis, he went forward among the attacking troops at a critical juncture and inspired them to the final effort, whereby the high ground of great tactical value was captured.
  He was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel on 15 October 1917, and appointed to the general staff as a temporary brigadier-general on 26 December. On 1 January 1918, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 3 June.
  During the First World War, he served in France and at Gallipoli, where he was severely wounded and mentioned in despatches five times. He finished the war as a brigadier general and commanded British forces in Germany between 1919 and 1920. On 14 December 1920, he was appointed the CO of his regiment, with the temporary rank of colonel, and was promoted to colonel on 5 July 192
caption: Arkwright after being awarded the Victoria Cross in 1898
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