Lieut. Colonel Charles Octavius Head,DSO (30 May 1869 – 16 October 1952) was an Irish colonel in the British Army, and author of four books including his autobiography, No Great Shakes. His mansion, Derrylahan, was burned during the Irish War of Independence.[1][self-published source?][2] Head later moved his family to Hinton Hall, Pontesbury in Shropshire. His home near Pontesbury was also destroyed by fire, this time accidentally, when much of his library was incinerated, making his written works rare.[3]
Charles Octavius Head was born on 30 May 1869 at Derrylahan Park, Walshpark, Rathcabbin, County Tipperary, the eighth of eleven children of William Henry Head (1809-1888) and his wife, Isabella Biddulph (1840-1911). Both of his parents were born into Anglo-Irish Protestant landowning families long resident in the Irish Midlands. He had three brothers, William Edward, John Henry, and Michael Ravenscroft, and four surviving sisters, Elizabeth, Georgiana, Isabella, and Anna.[4] He attended boarding school in Bray, County Wicklow before enrolling in the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich, London in 1885. An accomplished horseman, he won the academy's Riding Cup, graduated in 1887, and joined the Royal Horse Artillery.[5]
Head served in India, China (in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion), and South Africa (as the Boer War was winding down). He returned to Ireland in 1905 and was assigned to the 141st Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery at Cahir, County Tipperary. His final assignment was the command of B Battery, RHA, in India. He initially retired from the Army in 1910 but was called back into service in 1914 after the commencement of WWI where he fought in numerous important battles including the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele, commanding the 29th Brigade, 4th Division. Head retired for good after WWI ended.[5] He was awarded the China Medal for his service and the Distinguished Service Order with bar in the 1917 New Year Honours list.[7]
Later life
After he retired from the army at the end of WWI, he settled into a life of farming back home at Derrylahan. He farmed the substantial estate, which was a mixture of good pasture, woodlands, and bog. The house was built by his father in 1862 at the cost of £15,000 and was designed by the famous architect Thomas Newenham Deane.[5] In Tipperary, he served as the local justice of the peace.[7]
The War of Independence in Ireland, which began in 1919, threatened the stability of the Anglo-Irish families such as the Heads. The house at Derrylahan was burned by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the night of 1-2 July 1921.[8][9] Head moved his family to England and settled at Hinton Hall in Shropshire. While in England he wrote four books, his autobiography No Great Shakes (1943), and three military books, The Art of Generalship: Four Exponents and One Example (1929), A Glance at Gallipoli (1931) and Napoleon and Wellington (1939). His 1929 book, The Art of Generalship, included an overview of the Duke of Wellington's military career, and draws comparisons between the Battle of Salamanca and generalship in WWI.[10]
Charles' interest in Wellington was personal since his grandfather, Lt. Col., later Lt. Gen., Michael Head, commanded the 13th Light Dragoons (1810–1813) during the Peninsular War as part of Wellington's army against Napoleon's forces. His account of his experiences in the Somme have been used to reassess elements of the British campaign and tactics in comparison to the French.[11] In A Glance at Gallipoli, Head was seen to reopen and critically examine the controversy regarding the military tactics employed in the Battle of Gallipoli.[12][13] In 1950, an accidental fire at Hinton Hall destroyed most of his personal papers and printed materials, including his own books.[3]
Legacy
The final resting place of Head and his wife at Cruckton, Shropshire
Head's son, Brigadier Michael Head CBE, was a successful amateur race car driver in his own Jaguar sports cars.[14][15][16] Michael's son is Sir Patrick Head, co-founder with the late Sir Frank Williams and former technical director of Williams Grand Prix Engineering. Michael's daughter, Sara Day, is an author whose nonfiction works include Coded Letters, Concealed Love:The Larger Lives of Harriet Freeman and Edward Everett Hale[17] and a history of the Head family in Ireland, Not Irish Enough: An Anglo-Irish Family's Three Centuries in Ireland.[2][18] This book expands on her grandfather's autobiography by tracing the Heads from their arrival in Ireland until the atrocity that caused the departure of the last landowning branch of the once numerous family in N. Tipperary.
References
^O'Meara, Gerard (2016). Lorrha People in the Great War. pp. 100–112. ISBN978-0-9933557-0-7.
^ abDay, Sara (2021). Not Irish Enough: An Anglo-Irish Family's Three Centuries in Ireland. Washington, DC: New Academia Publishing. ISBN978-1734865974.
^Burke, Bernard; Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1912). A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland. London: Dalcassian Publishing Company. p. 305.
^ abcHead, D.S.O., Lt. Col. Charles O. (1943). No Great Shakes: An Autobiography. London: Robert Hale Ltd.
^"Family History". Carrigoranblogpost.com. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
^Partridge, Michael (1990). The Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852 : a bibliography. Westport, CT: Meckler. p. 150. ISBN0-88736-297-4. OCLC 22110585.
^Stamp, Gavin (2010). The memorial to the missing of the Somme. London: Profile. pp. 22, 192. ISBN978-1-84765-060-3. OCLC 666953890.
^"A famous controversy is reopened by Colonel C. O. Head". The Spectator Archive. 27 June 1931. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
^Johnston, Major E.S. (1932). "Head, Lieut.-Colonel C.O. - A glance at Gallipoli. London, 1931". Command and General Staff School Quarterly: Review of Military Literature. 11.
^Widdows, Rob (2014). "Patrick's paternal flame". Motor Sport Magazine. from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^"Bonhams : The ex-Michael Head CBE, 22nd Coupé built and the property of Quentin Willson,1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 'Flat Floor' 3.8-Litre Coupé Chassis no. 860022 Engine no. R2449-9". www.bonhams.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^"Our New Honorary Member: Sir Patrick Head – F1 GPDC". www.f1grandprixdriversclub.com. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
^Day, Sara (2014). Coded Letters, Concealed Love: The Larger Lives of Harriet Freeman and Edward Everett Hale. New Academia Publishing. ISBN978-0-9899169-3-6.
^O' Meara, Gerard (2016). Lorrha People in the Great War. p. 109. ISBN978-0-9933557-0-7.
January 24, 2023
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Lieut Colonel Charles Octavius Head DSO 30 May 1869 16 October 1952 was an Irish colonel in the British Army and author of four books including his autobiography No Great Shakes His mansion Derrylahan was burned during the Irish War of Independence 1 self published source 2 Head later moved his family to Hinton Hall Pontesbury in Shropshire His home near Pontesbury was also destroyed by fire this time accidentally when much of his library was incinerated making his written works rare 3 Charles Octavius HeadDSOHead in 1917Born 1869 05 30 30 May 1869Derrylahan Park Rathcabbin County TipperaryDied16 October 1952 1952 10 16 aged 83 BuriedCruckton ShropshireAllegianceUnited KingdomService wbr branchBritish ArmyYears of service1887 19101914 1918RankLt ColonelUnit141st Battery of Horse Artillery 29th Brigade 4th DivisionBattles warsFirst World WarAwardsDSO Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Military career 3 Later life 4 Legacy 5 ReferencesEarly life and family Edit The gate house at Derrylahan Charles Octavius Head was born on 30 May 1869 at Derrylahan Park Walshpark Rathcabbin County Tipperary the eighth of eleven children of William Henry Head 1809 1888 and his wife Isabella Biddulph 1840 1911 Both of his parents were born into Anglo Irish Protestant landowning families long resident in the Irish Midlands He had three brothers William Edward John Henry and Michael Ravenscroft and four surviving sisters Elizabeth Georgiana Isabella and Anna 4 He attended boarding school in Bray County Wicklow before enrolling in the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich London in 1885 An accomplished horseman he won the academy s Riding Cup graduated in 1887 and joined the Royal Horse Artillery 5 Head married Alice Margaret Threlfall of Tilstone Lodge Tarporley in Cheshire in 1908 they had three children Elizabeth Isabel Grace and Michael 6 self published source Military career EditHead served in India China in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion and South Africa as the Boer War was winding down He returned to Ireland in 1905 and was assigned to the 141st Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery at Cahir County Tipperary His final assignment was the command of B Battery RHA in India He initially retired from the Army in 1910 but was called back into service in 1914 after the commencement of WWI where he fought in numerous important battles including the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele commanding the 29th Brigade 4th Division Head retired for good after WWI ended 5 He was awarded the China Medal for his service and the Distinguished Service Order with bar in the 1917 New Year Honours list 7 Later life EditAfter he retired from the army at the end of WWI he settled into a life of farming back home at Derrylahan He farmed the substantial estate which was a mixture of good pasture woodlands and bog The house was built by his father in 1862 at the cost of 15 000 and was designed by the famous architect Thomas Newenham Deane 5 In Tipperary he served as the local justice of the peace 7 The War of Independence in Ireland which began in 1919 threatened the stability of the Anglo Irish families such as the Heads The house at Derrylahan was burned by the Irish Republican Army IRA during the night of 1 2 July 1921 8 9 Head moved his family to England and settled at Hinton Hall in Shropshire While in England he wrote four books his autobiography No Great Shakes 1943 and three military books The Art of Generalship Four Exponents and One Example 1929 A Glance at Gallipoli 1931 and Napoleon and Wellington 1939 His 1929 book The Art of Generalship included an overview of the Duke of Wellington s military career and draws comparisons between the Battle of Salamanca and generalship in WWI 10 Charles interest in Wellington was personal since his grandfather Lt Col later Lt Gen Michael Head commanded the 13th Light Dragoons 1810 1813 during the Peninsular War as part of Wellington s army against Napoleon s forces His account of his experiences in the Somme have been used to reassess elements of the British campaign and tactics in comparison to the French 11 In A Glance at Gallipoli Head was seen to reopen and critically examine the controversy regarding the military tactics employed in the Battle of Gallipoli 12 13 In 1950 an accidental fire at Hinton Hall destroyed most of his personal papers and printed materials including his own books 3 Legacy Edit The final resting place of Head and his wife at Cruckton Shropshire Head s son Brigadier Michael Head CBE was a successful amateur race car driver in his own Jaguar sports cars 14 15 16 Michael s son is Sir Patrick Head co founder with the late Sir Frank Williams and former technical director of Williams Grand Prix Engineering Michael s daughter Sara Day is an author whose nonfiction works include Coded Letters Concealed Love The Larger Lives of Harriet Freeman and Edward Everett Hale 17 and a history of the Head family in Ireland Not Irish Enough An Anglo Irish Family s Three Centuries in Ireland 2 18 This book expands on her grandfather s autobiography by tracing the Heads from their arrival in Ireland until the atrocity that caused the departure of the last landowning branch of the once numerous family in N Tipperary References Edit O Meara Gerard 2016 Lorrha People in the Great War pp 100 112 ISBN 978 0 9933557 0 7 a b Day Sara 2021 Not Irish Enough An Anglo Irish Family s Three Centuries in Ireland Washington DC New Academia Publishing ISBN 978 1734865974 a b Birmingham Gazette 7 September 1950 Burke Bernard Fox Davies Arthur Charles 1912 A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland London Dalcassian Publishing Company p 305 a b c Head D S O Lt Col Charles O 1943 No Great Shakes An Autobiography London Robert Hale Ltd Family History Carrigoranblogpost com Retrieved 10 November 2020 a b Head Lieut Col Charles Octavius Thom s Irish Who s Who Dublin Alexander Thom and Son Ltd 1923 via Wikisource The Kings County Chronicle 7 July 1921 Destruction of Irish country houses 1919 1923 Partridge Michael 1990 The Duke of Wellington 1769 1852 a bibliography Westport CT Meckler p 150 ISBN 0 88736 297 4 OCLC 22110585 Stamp Gavin 2010 The memorial to the missing of the Somme London Profile pp 22 192 ISBN 978 1 84765 060 3 OCLC 666953890 A famous controversy is reopened by Colonel C O Head The Spectator Archive 27 June 1931 Retrieved 12 November 2020 Johnston Major E S 1932 Head Lieut Colonel C O A glance at Gallipoli London 1931 Command and General Staff School Quarterly Review of Military Literature 11 Widdows Rob 2014 Patrick s paternal flame Motor Sport Magazine Archived from the original on 3 February 2015 Retrieved 20 February 2021 Bonhams The ex Michael Head CBE 22nd Coupe built and the property of Quentin Willson 1961 Jaguar E Type Series 1 Flat Floor 3 8 Litre Coupe Chassis no 860022 Engine no R2449 9 www bonhams com Retrieved 20 February 2021 Our New Honorary Member Sir Patrick Head F1 GPDC www f1grandprixdriversclub com Retrieved 20 February 2021 Day Sara 2014 Coded Letters Concealed Love The Larger Lives of Harriet Freeman and Edward Everett Hale New Academia Publishing ISBN 978 0 9899169 3 6 O Meara Gerard 2016 Lorrha People in the Great War p 109 ISBN 978 0 9933557 0 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charles Octavius Head amp oldid 1091672920, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
