{{Short description|British Army general (1872–1939)}} {{EngvarB|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Major-General | name = Sir Charles Corkran | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|CB|CMG}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1872|08|20}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1939|01|09|1872|08|20}} | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army | service_years = 1893–1932 | rank = Major-General | unit = Grenadier Guards | commands = London District<br/>Royal Military College Sandhurst<br/>3rd Guards Brigade<br/>Grenadier Guards | battles = Second Boer War<br/>First World War | awards = Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order<br/>Companion of the Order of the Bath<br/>Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George | relations = | other_work = }} Major-General '''Sir Charles Edward Corkran''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCVO|CB|CMG}} (20 August 1872 – 9 January 1939) was a senior British Army officer who served as Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding London District from 1928 to 1932.
==Early life== Corkran was born on 20 August 1872. He was the son of Colonel Charles Seymour Corkran.<ref name=peerage>[https://thepeerage.com/p5427.htm#i54269 The Peerage.com]</ref> and educated at Eton College,<ref name=hansard>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1939/feb/07/the-late-major-general-sir-charles The late Major-General Sir Charles Corkran] Hansard, 7 February 1939</ref> Among his siblings were Sir Victor Corkran and Violet Maud Corkran (wife of Sir Walter Farquhar, 5th Baronet).<ref name="Mosley2003">Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.'' Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.</ref>
==Military career== Upon graduating from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Corkran was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards in March 1893.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/CORKRAN.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26382|page=1616|date=14 March 1893}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 12 May 1897,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26854|page=2754|date=18 May 1897}}</ref> and served on the Nile Expedition in 1898, including at the Battle of Omdurman. He was appointed adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment on 22 October 1899,<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=27163| supp=y|page=910| date=9 February 1900|}}</ref> was promoted to captain on 30 November 1899,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27157|page=515|date=26 January 1900}}</ref> and left with his regiment for South Africa to serve in the Second Boer War in March 1900.<ref name=lh/> Serving there throughout the war, he was wounded in the action at Biddulphsberg (May 1900), and was mentioned in despatches. For his service in the war, he received a brevet promotion as major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 27448 |supp=y |pages=4191–4194 |date= 26 June 1902}}</ref> Following the end of hostilities in June 1902, Corkran resigned as adjutant of the 2nd battalion on 16 September 1902,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27491 |page=7013 |date=4 November 1902}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27502 |date=9 December 1902 |page=8511}}</ref> but stayed in South Africa as he was the following day appointed Aide-de-camp to Sir Neville Lyttelton, Commander-in-Chief of South Africa.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Army in South Africa |date=26 September 1902 |page=4 |issue=36883}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27505 |date=19 December 1902 |page=8758 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27496|page=7340|date=18 November 1902}}</ref>
Corkran also served in the First World War and, as commanding officer of a battalion of the Grenadier Guards, took his men to France in 1914.<ref name=hansard/> He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in February 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29074|page=1690|date=16 February 1915|supp=y}}</ref> In July 1915 he was promoted to temporary brigadier general and took command of the 2nd Division's 5th Infantry Brigade.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29267|page=8246|date=17 August 1915|supp=y}}</ref> In January 1916 he was promoted to brevet colonel.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12894|page=86|date=17 January 1916|city=e}}</ref>
After the war he became commanding officer of the Grenadier Guards Regiment and then went on to be commandant of the Senior Officers' School.<ref name=lh/> He was appointed commandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in October 1923<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32872|page=7039|date=19 October 1923}}</ref> and then became Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding London District in 1928.<ref name=lh/> He retired in 1932.<ref name=lh/>
In retirement Corkran became Serjeant at Arms of the British House of Lords.<ref name=hansard/>
==Personal life== In 1904 Corkran married Winifred Maud Ricardo, daughter of Colonel Horace Ricardo, another commanding officer of the Grenadier Guards. They had one daughter and two sons.<ref name=peerage/>
Corkran died in a shooting accident on 9 January 1939.<ref name=hansard/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Herbert Shoubridge}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of the Royal Military College Sandhurst|years=1923–1927}} {{s-aft|after=Eric Girdwood}} |- {{s-bef|before=Lord Ruthven}} {{s-ttl|title=GOC London District|years=1928–1932}} {{s-aft|after=Albemarle Cator}} {{end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Corkran, Charles}} Category:1872 births Category:1939 deaths Category:British Army major generals Category:People educated at Eton College Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Grenadier Guards officers Category:Commandants of Sandhurst Category:British Army personnel of the Mahdist War Category:British Army generals of World War I Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Category:Serjeants-at-arms of the House of Lords Category:Firearm accident victims Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst