James Cooke-Collis

Major-General Sir (William) James Norman Cooke-Collis, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (7 May 1876 – 14 April 1941) was General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District.

James Cooke-Collis
Born	7 May 1876 Castle Cooke, Kilworth, Co. Cork, Ireland
Died	14 April 1941 (aged 64)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	11th Infantry Brigade 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division Northern Ireland District
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order
Relations	Lt.-Col. William Cooke-Collis

Military career

Cooke-Collis was born on 7 May 1876 in Castle Cooke, Kilworth, Co. Cork to Lt.-Colonel William Cooke-Collis and Catherine Maria Cooke-Collis (née Oliphant) and was educated at Cheltenham College. He was first commissioned into a militia battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, transferring to the regular army with appointment as second lieutenant in the Royal Irish Rifles (later the Royal Ulster Rifles) on 24 February 1900.[1] He served with Mounted infantry in the Second Boer War from 1900 to 1902, and was wounded in the attack on Dewetsdorp in November 1900. For his service in the war, he was mentioned in despatches and received the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps.[2] Following the end of the war in June 1902, he left South Africa on the SS Kinfauns Castle in October 1902.[3]

He later served in World War I.[4] After the War he was appointed Military Governor at Batoum in Transcaucasia.[4] He became Commander of 11th Infantry Brigade in 1927 and Commander of 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division in 1934.[4] He was appointed General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District in 1935.[4] He was responsible for ensuring that the Royal Ulster Rifles had its depot in Ballymena, its own recruiting ground, rather than in Belfast.[5] He was invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire in 1937.[6] He retired in 1938[4] and died on 14 April 1941, aged 64.[7]

Family

He married Cléonice Gamble, daughter of Major George Francis Gamble on 30 January 1906.[6][7]

References

1. "No. 27168". The London Gazette. 23 February 1900. p. 1259.
2. Hart′s Army list, 1902
3. "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning Home". The Times (36899). London. 15 October 1902. p. 8.
4. "Major-General James Cooke-Collis". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
5. Graves, Charles (1950). The Royal Ulster Rifles Volume III. Royal Ulster Rifles Regimental Committee.
6. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, editor, Burke's Irish Family Records (London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976), page 260
7. "Major-General James Cooke-Collis". The Peerage.com. Retrieved 9 January 2019.

Military offices
Preceded by George Weir	GOC 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division 1934–1935	Succeeded by Ernest Lewin
Preceded by Eric Girdwood	General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland 1935–1938	Succeeded by Robert Pollok