In the following year he served as a Major with the Nile expedition including participation in the Battles of Atbara and Omdurman. After the Sudan Campaign, when he received a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy, he was promoted out of the Regiment to the Command of the Yorkshire Regiment. His subsequent Commandant of Hythe was a fruitful one. From 1902 to 1912 he commanded the Infantry Brigade in Malta.

In 1914 he was appointed GOC 52nd Lowland Territorial Division. He went to Gallipoli in command of the 52nd Lowland Division, but at 56 – and he looked it – he could not compete with the up and coming young men of the South African War period. He went on to be Director of Infantry at the War Office in April 1916 and retired in 1919 with the rank of Major General, a C.B., and a career total of 5 Mention in Despatches.

In 1921, at the insistence of H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught, who was Colonel-in-Chief, became Colonel of the H.L.I. where his personality was to the fore. He died at 7 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh on 3rd May 1951, aged 91 years, with his funeral taking place at Warriston Crematorium.

Research by Bob Shanks

Granville George Algernon Egerton was born on 10th May 1859 at 35 Hertford Street, London to Col. Hon. Arthur Frederick Egerton of the Grenadier Guards and his wife Lady Gascoigne. His grandfather was the 1st Earl of Ellesmere.

He attended Charterhouse School where he was a member of Saunderites house from 1872 to 1879. This was followed by attendance at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from which he was commissioned into the 72nd Regiment of Foot as a Second Lieutenant on 13th August 1879.

He served with the 72nd in Afghanistan, taking part in the famous march from Kabul to Khandahar and the Battle of Khandahar in which he was severely wounded. For his services in this Campaign, he was Mentioned in Despatches.

He was present at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir on 13th September 1882. After this, he specialised in musketry training first at Hythe and later on the staff in Scotland. In 1897 he commanded an international detachment as well as one from his own Regiment (by now renamed the Seaforth Highlanders).

In the following year he served as a Major with the Nile expedition including participation in the Battles of Atbara and Omdurman. After the Sudan Campaign, when he received a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy, he was promoted out of the Regiment to the Command of the Yorkshire Regiment. His subsequent Commandant of Hythe was a fruitful one. From 1902 to 1912 he commanded the Infantry Brigade in Malta.

In 1914 he was appointed GOC 52nd Lowland Territorial Division. He went to Gallipoli in command of the 52nd Lowland Division, but at 56 – and he looked it – he could not compete with the up and coming young men of the South African War period. He went on to be Director of Infantry at the War Office in April 1916 and retired in 1919 with the rank of Major General, a C.B., and a career total of 5 Mention in Despatches.

In 1921, at the insistence of H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught, who was Colonel-in-Chief, became Colonel of the H.L.I. where his personality was to the fore. He died at 7 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh on 3rd May 1951, aged 91 years, with his funeral taking place at Warriston Crematorium.

Research by Bob Shanks

This Field Officer’s sword was owned by Major General Granville Egerton and dates from c.1882. This implies that he would have worn the sword during the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir, an engagement of the Anglo-Egyptian War. Although the British were equipped with single shot breech-loading Martini-Henry rifles and bayonets, officers like Egerton would have carried swords as part of their campaign dress.