Charles Egerton ( Indian Army officer ) Field Marshal Sir Charles Comyn Egerton , GCB , DSO ( 10 November 1848 – 20 February 1921 ) was a British officer in the Indian Army . Early in his career he took part in the Second Anglo - Afghan War , the Hazara Expedition and operations in the Khyber Pass . He went on to command the Bannu column during operations in Waziristan in 1894 and to serve as senior staff officer for the Tochi Expedition in 1897 . Egerton took command of the troops in British Somaliland fighting the Somalis under Mohammed Abdullah Hassan in June 1903 ; he had a significant success at Jidbali in January 1904 killing 1 , 000 of Hassan ' s men . His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding Secunderabad District in 1904 before retiring in 1907 . Military career . Born the third son of Major - General Caledon Egerton and Margaret Egerton ( née Cumming ) and educated at Rossall School and the Royal Military College Sandhurst , Egerton was commissioned into the 31st Regiment of Foot on 9 June 1867 . He immediately transferred to the 76th Regiment of Foot in India . Promoted to lieutenant on 19 October 1869 , he joined the Indian Staff Corps on 11 December 1872 before being promoted to captain on 8 June 1879 on appointment to a squadron in the 3rd Punjab Cavalry . Egerton served with his regiment in the Second Anglo - Afghan War in 1879 and was mentioned in despatches . He became Assistant Adjutant - General of the Punjab Frontier Force on 30 November 1886 and , having been promoted to major on 8 June 1887 , he took part in the Hazara Expedition in 1888 and in operations in the Khyber Pass in 1891 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) on 30 May 1891 . Promoted to lieutenant colonel on 1 September 1891 , he became Second - in - Command of his regiment in 1892 and commanded the Bannu column during operations in Waziristan in 1894 before becoming Assistant Quartermaster - General at Bengal Command on 21 June 1895 . He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) and then promoted to colonel on 1 September 1895 . Egerton commanded a contingent of troops sent to Suakin in 1896 to hold the town when its permanent garrison was withdrawn for service under Lord Kitchener following which he became an aide - de - camp to the Queen on 17 November 1896 . He was senior staff officer and Commander of the 1st Brigade for the Tochi Expedition in 1897 before becoming Commander - in - Chief Punjab Command with local promotion to major - general on 1 April 1899 . He was promoted to the local rank of lieutenant general on 3 April 1900 , and reverted to the Frontier Force in October 1901 when his command in Punjab ended . A promotion to the substantive rank of major - general followed on 1 April 1902 and , after leading an expedition to Waziristan later that year , he was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) on 1 January 1903 . Egerton took command of the troops in British Somaliland fighting the Somalis under Mohammed Abdullah Hassan on 27 June 1903 . Promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant general on 28 October 1903 , he became Commander - in - Chief Madras Command . He had a significant success at Jidbali in January 1904 killing 1 , 000 of Hassan ' s men . However in March 1904 questions were still being asked in the British Parliament as to whether Hassan ( then known as the " Mad Mullah " ) understood that operations would only end when he was captured or killed . Egerton became colonel of the 23rd Punjab Cavalry ( Frontier Force ) in 1904 . He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) on 24 June 1904 and promoted to full general on 28 October 1906 . After retiring on 5 February 1907 , he became a member of the Council of India from which post he stood down in 1917 . In recognition of his long service he was promoted to field marshal on 16 March 1917 . In retirement Egerton wrote about his wartime experiences and was the author of a book entitled " Hill Warfare on the North - West frontier of India " . He died on 20 February 1921 and was buried at St Mark ' s Churchyard at Highcliffe in Dorset . Family . In 1877 Egerton married Anna Wellwood and they went on to have three sons . Further reading .