George Frederick Gildea

{{Short description|British Lieutenant Colonel (1831–1898)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = |name = George Frederick Gildea |honorific_suffix = |image = George Frederick Gildea.jpg |image_upright = |alt = |caption = |native_name = |native_name_lang = |birth_name = |other_name = |nickname = |birth_date = {{birth date|1831|11|10}} |birth_place = County Mayo, Ireland |death_date = {{death date and age|1898|04|24|1831|11|10}} |death_place = Tullichewan Castle, Scotland |burial_place = |burial_label = |burial_coordinates =  |allegiance = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}} |branch = {{army|United Kingdom}} |branch_label = Branch |service_years = 1852 – 1890s |service_years_label = |rank = Lieutenant Colonel |rank_label = |service_number = |unit = 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot |commands = |battles = First Boer War *Battle of Elandsfontein |battles_label = |awards = |memorials = |alma_mater = |spouse = {{marriage|Fanny Power Florinda Gascoyne|1863|1872}}<br />{{marriage|Eliza Campbell|1874|1898}} |children = |relations = |other_work = |signature = |signature_size = |signature_alt = |website =  |module = }}

'''George Frederick Gildea''' (November 10, 1831 – April 24, 1898) was a British Lieutenant Colonel of Irish origin who was notable for commanding the 69th Foot during the First Boer War.

==Biography== George was born on November 10, 1831. He enlisted into service of the British Army in 1852.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Name: George Frederick Gildea. Regiment: 69th Foot. Date of Service: 1852. Born: 1831. The National Archives|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C13288177|website=The National Archives|access-date=December 25, 2021}}</ref> During the First Boer War, Gildea was the primary commander of the garrison stationed at Pretoria and this led to the Battle of Elandsfontein<ref name=BER>{{cite web |url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol165ds.html |title=THE PRETORIA THEATRE OF OPERATIONS IN THE FIRST ANGLO-BOER WAR |publisher=samilitaryhistory.org |date= |accessdate=28 October 2020}}</ref> and while the battle ended in a Boer victory, Gildea didn't consider the battle to be an extreme failure. In the official report of the battle, Gildea wrote the following: {{Blockquote |text=The behaviour of all ranks engaged was good, but I cannot but give to Nourse's Horse, under Lieut Glynn, the chief honours of the day; the manner in which they took the hill, and drove the Boers before them could not be surpassed, and I cannot say how much I regret not having had the pleasure of completing the work they had so well begun. The behaviour of Sergt. Fitz-Clements, Nourse's Horse, who captured four horses from the enemy, is deserving of special notice, but that of Trooper John Donagher, of Nourse's Horse, and Lance-Corporal Murray, 94th Regiment, forms the subject of a special report.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol052hk.html |title=Nourse's Horse at Elandsfontein Ridge, 16 January 1881 |publisher=samilitaryhistory.org |date= |accessdate=28 October 2020}}</ref> }}

Later in the same year, Gildea was promoted to colonel,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25021|pages=4894|date=September 30, 1881}}</ref> and he died on April 24, 1898.

===Family=== Gildea married Fanny Power Florinda Gascoyne on March 21, 1863, in Ireland and had five children, but Fanny died after giving birth to the fifth child. Gildea later remarried to Eliza Campbell and had another child with her.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gildea, George Frederick}} Category:1831 births Category:1898 deaths Category:British military personnel of the First Boer War Category:19th-century British Army personnel Category:Military personnel from County Mayo Category:69th Regiment of Foot officers