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John Ponsonby (British Army officer)

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Allegiance
  
United Kingdom

Died
  
March 26, 1952

Years of service
  
1888–1928

Education
  
Eton College


Name
  
John Ponsonby

Service/branch
  
British Army

Role
  
British Army officer

Rank
  
Major general

Born
  
25 March 1866 (
1866-03-25
)

Commands held
  
2nd Guards Brigade 40th Division 5th Infantry Division Madras District

Battles/wars
  
Second Boer War World War I

Awards
  
Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order

Battles and wars
  
Second Boer War, World War I

Major-General Sir John Ponsonby KCB CMG DSO (25 March 1866 – 26 March 1952) was a British Army officer who commanded 5th Division during World War I.

Contents

Military career

Born the son of Sir Henry Ponsonby and educated at Eton College, Ponsonby was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1888. He served in Uganda in 1898 and was seconded for service in the Second Boer War in South Africa in February 1902. He fought in World War I as Commander of the 2nd Guards Brigade from 1915 and then as General Officer Commanding 40th Division from 1917, leading his Division at the Battle of Cambrai. In July 1918 he went on to become General Officer Commanding 5th Division remaining in that role until the end of the War. After the War he became General Officer Commanding the Madras District of India. He retired in 1928.

He lived at Haile Hall near Beckermet in Cumbria.

Family

In 1935 he married Mary (Mollie) Robley; they had no children.

References

John Ponsonby (British Army officer) Wikipedia