Sir John Edward Capper | |
|---|---|
 Colonel Capper watching Mr Cody's experiments with the British Army Aeroplane, February 1909 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Stone Age" |
| Born | 7 December 1861 Lucknow, British India |
| Died | 24 May 1955 (aged 93) Eastbourne, East Sussex, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1880–1946 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Commands | 24th Division Royal Tank Corps |
| Battles / wars | Tirah Campaign Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) |
| Relations | Major General Sir Thompson Capper (brother) |
Major-General Sir John Edward Capper, KCB, KCVO (7 December 1861 − 24 May 1955) was a senior officer of the British Army during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century who served on the North-West Frontier of British India, in South Africa and during the First World War, where he was instrumental in the development of the tank. He was the older brother of Major-General Thompson Capper, who was killed in action at the Battle of Loos in late 1915.
An experienced engineer, Capper was involved in numerous building projects during his years in India and pioneered the development of airships in Britain. He helped establish and command several military training establishments in Britain, was involved in large-scale military planning during 1918 and 1919 and was pivotal in establishing the tank as an important feature of the British Army. Although Capper was sometimes described as pompous and possessing poor communication skills, earning the nickname "Stone Age" for his attitude towards the ideas of junior officers in the Royal Tank Corps (later the Royal Tank Regiment), he nevertheless played a vital role in the development and deployment of armoured vehicles in the British Army.