Henry Settle

Sir Henry Settle KCB DSO
Born	27 January 1847 Southover, Lewes
Died	24 April 1923 (aged 76)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Battles/wars	Mahdist War Nile Expedition Second Boer War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Mentioned in Dispatches

Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Hamilton Settle KCB DSO (27 January 1847 – 24 April 1923) was a senior British Army officer who held various commands during the Second Boer War.^[1]

Life and career

Settle was born in 1847, the second son of Captain H T Settle.^[2] He was educated at Cheltenham College before commissioning into the Royal Engineers in 1867. He first saw active service in the Nile Expedition of 1884-5, when he took part in operations in Sudan, being Mentioned in Dispatches and promoted brevet major.^[3] From 1886 to 1892, Settle filled the post of Surveyor General and Quarter Master General of the Egyptian Army. During this time he fought in the Mahdist War, being present at the Battle of Suakin. For his services he received two further mentions in dispatches, and was promoted brevet Lieutenant Colonel and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In 1892 he was appointed Inspector General of Egyptian Police, and three years later returned to England to take up the appointment of Assistant Inspector General of Fortifications. In 1898 he was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath.^[4]

Second Boer War

For a few months in 1899 he commanded the Royal Engineers at Malta, whence he was called in October to take part in the Second Boer War.^[5] Lord Roberts quickly ordered three small columns to be formed by Settle, the commander at Orange River Station, to check the course of the rebellion in Cape Colony. Settle himself took the right column to cut of Liebenberg. One of the other two columns however was repulsed, and Kitchener was sent to take command of the operations with strong reinforcements. His plan was the same as Settle's, who joined him in Prieska on 21 March 1900, and was given the task of bringing to order the rebels left in the outlying districts south of the Orange River. In this he was successful, and when he reached Upington, on 3 April, there was nothing to do but to arrange for the policing of the disaffected districts. Settle then returned to Cape Town to resume his work as Inspector General of Lines of Communication.^[6]

In September 1900, Settle, in cooperation with General Methuen, was ordered from Vryburg to relieve Schweizer Reneke.^[7] He entered the town unopposed, and then in October he was ordered to the Orange Free State. Kitchener adopted his recommendation that martial law should be at once proclaimed in Cape Colony, and ordered Settle to take command on the line of communications between De Aar and Naauwpoort. At the end of December, Settle, in command of four columns, pursued Hertzog who was forced back to the north east. In Kitchener's plan of the following February against Hetzog and De Wet, Settle was entrusted with the duty of giving all orders for moves to the fifteen columns engaged. In April, he was transferred to the western part of the Colony to organise resistance to some rebel bands under Maritz and Conroy. In May, he left South Africa on temporary leave of absence and the huge territory he had controlled was split into four. At the end of October, Settle returned and, after an enquiry into the administration of martial law and a short term of command at De Aar, succeeded in December to the administrative command of Cape Colony in succession to Major General Wynne.^[8][9] For his services in the war, he was twice mentioned in dispatches, promoted to the rank of Major General for distinguished service and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.^[10][11]

References

1. The London Gazette (29 July 1902) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27459/page/4837/data.pdf
2. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
3. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
4. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
5. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
6. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
7. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle
8. The London Gazette (16 December 1902) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27504/page/8681/data.pdf
9. The London Gazette (6 January 1903) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27513/page/110/data.pdf
10. The London Gazette (24 April 1908) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28131/page/3080/data.pdf
11. The Times (London, 24 April 1923), Obituary - Sir Henry Settle