Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Major General

Unit : 1st Bn, 1st Vol Bn, 2nd Bn

Biography :

Educated in France, at Aldin House School (Slough) and at RMC Sandhurst, Charles Blackader was commissioned into The Leicestershire Regiment on 22.8.1888, serving in 1st Bn in Bermuda, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica. Promoted Lieutenant 22.7.1890, Captain 3.3.1896 and Major 18.11.1904. In 1895 he was with the Battalion in South Africa and in 1897 he was selected for service with the 'native' troops in Lagos, Nigeria, serving in 1st Bn West African Frontier Force; awarded Mention in Despatches (L.G. 23.5.1899). From 1899-1902 he served in 1st Leicesters in the Boer War, including at the siege of Ladysmith. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches, and awarded the D.S.O in 1902 (L.G. 8.2.1901, 10.9.1901, and 27.9.1901 respectively). From 1902-04 he was Adjutant of 1st Volunteer Bn, Leicester. During 1904-12 he served in 1st Bn in India, Shorncliffe, and in Fermoy, Ireland, in 1912. In 1908 he won an Army Tennis cup with Captain Challenor. In Sep 1912 became CO of 2nd Bn in India, and in October 1914 went with the Bn to France as part of the Garhwal Brigade of the 7th (Meerut) Division of the Indian Corps. In November he led the attack on the German trenches at Festubert, and his bravery was noted. Promoted to Brigadier-General in 1915, he took command of the Garhwal Brigade, leading it with distinction at the battles of Neuve Chapelle and Loos. On the withdrawal of the Indian Corps from Europe, in 1916 he took command of 177th Brigade in GB, and in Ireland during the Easter Rising. Following the Rising, many of those believed by the British authorities to be responsible were tried by military courts; ninety were sentenced to death, of whom fifteen were eventually executed. Blackader, as a senior officer, chaired a number of courts-martial, including those of Eamonn Ceannt, Thomas Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh, Patrick Pearse, and Joseph Plunkett, five of the seven signatories to the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. From Sep 1916-May 1918 he was GOC 38th (Welsh) Division in France and Flanders. He was an ADC (Extra) to the King 1.1.1916-31.12.1917, and made a C.B. in 1917. He was Mentioned in Despatches a further five times. He was also made a Commander of the Belgian Order of Leopold, and awarded both the Belgian and the French Croix de Guerre. In 1918 he left his command following a dog bite for which he received pasteur treatment. He returned to Ireland as Commander of Southern District, but his health deteriorated and he died in 1921, aged 51.
He is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery, London, where he has a large privately-provided gravestone. When he was accepted for commemoration as war dead on 1.3.2014, his name and gravestone was added to the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He is commemorated on a brass plaque in the Regimental Chapel in Leicester Cathedral.
His medals were purchased by the Regiment at auction in Nov 2014; they include his Belgian and French decorations (which are not shown on this web page).

This page was last edited on 1.6.2019.

Date of Birth : 18.9.1869

Place of Birth : Richmond, Surrey

Date of Death : 2.4.1921

Place of Death : Millbank, London

Period of Service : 1888-1921

Conflicts : Nigeria, Boer War, WWI

Places Served : GB, Bermuda, Nova Scotia, Jamaica, Nigeria, South Africa, India, France & Flanders, Ireland