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Rank : Major General

Unit : 17th Foot

Biography :

Educated at Clifton College and RMC Sandhurst, graduating as the Queen's (India) Cadet George Younghusband was commissioned in May 1878 as a 2Lt in the 17th Foot, on probation for the India Staff Corps. He fought in the Second Afghan War 1878-1880 and was promoted Lieutenant 15.3.1880, before transferring to the India Staff Corps in October 1883.
After joining the Indian Army he was involved in several conflicts in a short period of time: the 1885 Mahdist War, operations on the North West Frontier in 1886, and in the Third Burmese War. He was promoted to Captain in 1889. In 1895 he was Mentioned in Despatches for service as the Brigade Major 4th Brigade, part of the Chitral relief force. He was further recognized by promotion to Brevet Major in January 1896. In 1898 he was appointed as a military observer during the Spanish-American War in the Philippines, and in May promoted to substantive Major.
Younghusband's first command came during the Second Boer War 1899-1902, when he was promoted to temporary Lt Col and CO of 3rd Bn Imperial Yeomanry, and was Mentioned in Despatches in 1901. The same year he was promoted to substantive Lt Col and awarded the C.B. He took over as CO of 26th (Younghusband's Horse) Battalion Imperial Yeomanry in January 1902, and was again Mentioned in Despatches in June.
After that war he was promoted to Colonel in April 1905. He was then involved in the 1908 Mohmand expedition. Then in February 1909, he was promoted to temporary Brigadier-General while serving on the General Staff. In 1909, he became commander of the Fyzabad Brigade, part of the 8th (Lucknow) Division, and the Derajat Brigade from 1911. The same year he was promoted to Major-General. He was still in command when appointed K.C.M.G. in 1913.
In the First World War, Younghusband was given command of the 28th Brigade, part of the 10th Indian Division. They were initially deployed to defend the Suez Canal until 1916, when the brigade was sent to take part in the Mesopotamia Campaign, first to Aden then moving to Basra. During the subsequent operation Younghusband was again Mentioned in Despatches. His last command position was in 1916, as commander of the 7th (Meerut) Division, still in Mesopotamia (and in which 2nd Leicesters were serving), but he was forced to relinquish that position due to wounds received.
In March 1917, King George V appointed Younghusband as the Keeper of the Jewel House at the Tower of London. Then in April 1919 he formally retired from the Army. He was later appointed Regimental Colonel of 10th Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) and of 5th Battalion (Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides) 12th Frontier Force Regiment.
He was the author of fifteen books: The Crown Jewels of England, Eighteen Hundred Miles on a Burmese Pony, Forty Years a Soldier, Indian frontier warfare, The Jewel House, A short history of the Tower of London, On short leave to Japan, The Philippines and round about, with some account of British interests in these waters, Polo in India, The Queen's Commission, The Relief of Chitral, A Soldier's Memories in Peace and War, The story of the Guides, The Tower from Within, and Exploits of Asaf Khan.
He died in 1944, aged 85 years.

Date of Birth : 9.7.1859

Place of Birth : Dharmasala, India

Date of Death : 30.9.1944

Place of Death : Crickhowell, Wales

Civil Occupation : Author

Period of Service : 1878-1919

Conflicts : 2nd Afghan War, Boer War, WW1

Places Served : India, Afghanistan, Burma, Philippines, South Africa, Egypt, Mesopotamia