Allegiance United Kingdom Service/branch British Army Role Olympic athlete | Name Joseph Laycock Relations Robert Laycock Rank Brigadier | |
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Commands held Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery
CRHA ANZAC Mounted Division Battles/wars Second Boer War
First World War Died January 10, 1952, Wiseton, United Kingdom Awards Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order, Territorial Decoration Battles and wars Second Boer War, World War I People also search for Henry Edward Colvile, Hugh Dawnay, 8th Viscount Downe, Abe Bailey |
Brigadier Sir Joseph Frederick Laycock (12 June 1867 – 10 January 1952) was a British soldier, and Olympic sailor.

Military career

Laycock served with the Nottinghamshire (Sherwood Rangers) Yeomanry in South Africa during the Second Boer War 1899-1900, for which he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DS) in November 1900.
Back in the United Kingdom, Laycock was the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1906. He was the first colonel of the Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery when it was formed in 1908 as part of the new Territorial Force. He funded the founding of the battery himself.
During the First World War he served with his battery in the Middle East and also served with the Duke of Westminster's armoured car unit when it was involved in a widely reported incident where it rescued prisoners of war from Senussi tribesmen. Later he became the Commander Royal Artillery for the ANZAC Mounted Division. During the Second World War, he commanded the Nottinghamshire Home Guard.
He was friends with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, and they competed together in the 1908 Olympics at Water Motorpsort.
He lived at Wiseton Hall in Nottinghamshire. and was a Deputy Lieutenant and Lord Lieutenant for that county.
One of his children, Sir Robert Laycock, was also knighted and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his services in the Second World War.