Thomas Cooke (British Army officer)

General Thomas Arthur Cooke CVO (1841–1912) was a British general whose career spanned the 19th and 20th centuries.

Cooke was gazetted into the 5th Regiment of Foot in 1862[1] before transferring to the 17th Lancers in 1866.[2] From here he rose steadily[3] and was mentioned in dispatches during the Anglo Zulu War.[4] He assumed command of the regiment in 1886[5] and subsequently served in India (where he was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for public service as President of the Plague Committee[6]). Promotion to the rank of major general followed on 23 May 1898.[7]

In 1902 he was general officer in command of a camp which hosted many of the colonial troops visiting the United Kingdom for the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra,[8] for which he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) two days after the ceremony, on 11 August 1902.[9][10][11]

From 1906 to 1908 he was colonel of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers.[12]

He was buried at Kensal Cemetery in a ceremony attended by many of his former comrades.[13]

  1. ^ "Hart's Annual Army List, Militia List, and Imperial Yeomanry List"-Thomas Arthur Cooke
  2. ^ "The 17th/21st Lancers" Ffrench Blake, R.l.V: London, Hamish Hamilton, 1968 ISBN 978-0-241-01543-8
  3. ^ The Times, Friday, 28 April 1882; p. 4; Issue 30493; col C From The London Gazette, Tuesday, 25 April. Thomas Arthur Cooke 17th Lancers Major to Lt Colonel
  4. ^ "The Field Guide to the Anglo-Zulu War" Laband, J./Thompson, P.(1999 Scottsville University of Natal Press) ISBN 0869809512
  5. ^ The Times, Wednesday, 19 May 1886; p. 13; Issue 31763; col C From The London Gazette, Tuesday, 18 May. Lord Chamberlain's Office, St. James's Palace, 10 May Official Appointments and Notices
  6. ^ The Times, Wednesday, 23 May 1900; p. 10; Issue 36149; col A Birthday Honours
  7. ^ Ffrench Blake(Ibid)
  8. ^ "The Coronation". The Times. No. 36822. London. 17 July 1902. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36844. London. 12 August 1902. p. 8.
  10. ^ "No. 27467". The London Gazette. 22 August 1902. p. 5461.
  11. ^ The Times, Saturday, 23 August 1902; p. 4; Issue 36854; col E To be Commander The Royal Victorian Order
  12. ^ "5th Royal Irish Lancers". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ The Times, Saturday, 18 May 1912; p. 11; Issue 39902; col B