This article is about the Indian Army general. For his son the British Army major-general, see Michael O'Moore Creagh.
GeneralSir Garrett O'Moore Creagh, VC,GCB,GCSI (2 April 1848 – 9 August 1923), known as Sir O'Moore Creagh,[1] was a senior British Army officer and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Sir O'Moore Creagh
General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh birth_name=
Nickname(s)
Garrett O'Moore Creagh
Born
(1848-04-02)2 April 1848 Cahirbane, County Clare, Ireland
Creagh was born in Cahirbane, County Clare, on 2 April 1848, the seventh [1] son of Captain James Creagh, an officer of the Royal Navy, and his wife, Grace O'Moore.
Creagh was married twice, firstly to Mary Longfield (or possibly Brereton) in 1874, who died in 1876, and then to Elizabeth Reade in 1891. He had three children, one of whom was Major General Sir Michael Creagh.
On the 21st April Captain Creagh was detached from Dakka with two Companies of his Battalion to protect the village of Kam Dakka on the Cabul River, against a threatened incursion of the Mohmunds, and reached that place the same night. On the following morning the detachment, 150 men, was attacked by the Mohmunds in overwhelming numbers, about 1,500; and the inhabitants of Kam Dakka having themselves taken part with the enemy, Captain Creagh found himself under the necessity of retiring from the village. He took up a position in a cemetery not far off, which he made as defensible as circumstances would admit of, and this position he held against all the efforts of the enemy, repeatedly repulsing them with the bayonet until three o'clock in the afternoon, when he was relieved by a detachment sent for the purpose from Dakka. The enemy were then finally repulsed, and being charged by a troop of the 10th Bengal Lancers, under the command of Captain D. M. Strong, were routed and broken, and great numbers of them driven into the river. The Commander-in-Chief in India has expressed his opinion that but for the coolness, determination, and gallantry of the highest order, and the admirable conduct which Captain Creagh displayed on this occasion the detachment under his command would, in all probability, have been cut off and destroyed.[2]
^The Law Times, Volume 138 p. 346 (13 February 1915)
^"VC group, Captain O'Moore Creagh, Bombay Staff Corps, for his action at Kam Dakka, Afghanistan, on 21 April 1879 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London".
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This article is about the Indian Army general For his son the British Army major general see Michael O Moore Creagh General Sir Garrett O Moore Creagh VC GCB GCSI 2 April 1848 9 August 1923 known as Sir O Moore Creagh 1 was a senior British Army officer and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces Sir O Moore CreaghGeneral Sir Garrett O Moore Creagh birth name Nickname s Garrett O Moore CreaghBorn 1848 04 02 2 April 1848Cahirbane County Clare IrelandDied9 August 1923 1923 08 09 aged 75 South Kensington London EnglandBuriedEast Sheen CemeteryAllegianceUnited KingdomService wbr branchBritish ArmyBritish Indian ArmyYears of service1866 1914RankGeneralUnit95th Derbyshire Regiment of FootCommands heldCommander in Chief India29th DCO Bombay Infantry 2nd Baluch Battalion Battles warsSecond Anglo Afghan WarBoxer RebellionAwardsVictoria CrossKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the BathKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of IndiaVenerable Order of Saint JohnOrder of the Rising Sun Japan RelationsMajor General Sir Michael Creagh son Contents 1 Early life and family 2 Second Anglo Afghan War 3 Later career 4 Footnotes 5 External linksEarly life and family EditCreagh was born in Cahirbane County Clare on 2 April 1848 the seventh 1 son of Captain James Creagh an officer of the Royal Navy and his wife Grace O Moore Creagh was married twice firstly to Mary Longfield or possibly Brereton in 1874 who died in 1876 and then to Elizabeth Reade in 1891 He had three children one of whom was Major General Sir Michael Creagh In 1866 after training at the Royal Military College Sandhurst Creagh was commissioned into the 95th Derbyshire Regiment of Foot and in 1869 was posted to India being transferred to the British Indian Army the next year Second Anglo Afghan War EditCreagh was 31 years old and a captain in the Bombay Staff Corps during the Second Anglo Afghan War when the following deed on 22 April 1879 at Kam Dakka on the Kabul River Afghanistan took place for which he was awarded the VC On the 21st April Captain Creagh was detached from Dakka with two Companies of his Battalion to protect the village of Kam Dakka on the Cabul River against a threatened incursion of the Mohmunds and reached that place the same night On the following morning the detachment 150 men was attacked by the Mohmunds in overwhelming numbers about 1 500 and the inhabitants of Kam Dakka having themselves taken part with the enemy Captain Creagh found himself under the necessity of retiring from the village He took up a position in a cemetery not far off which he made as defensible as circumstances would admit of and this position he held against all the efforts of the enemy repeatedly repulsing them with the bayonet until three o clock in the afternoon when he was relieved by a detachment sent for the purpose from Dakka The enemy were then finally repulsed and being charged by a troop of the 10th Bengal Lancers under the command of Captain D M Strong were routed and broken and great numbers of them driven into the river The Commander in Chief in India has expressed his opinion that but for the coolness determination and gallantry of the highest order and the admirable conduct which Captain Creagh displayed on this occasion the detachment under his command would in all probability have been cut off and destroyed 2 Later career EditIn 1878 he became captain of the Merwara battalion commanding them from 1882 until 1886 He assumed command of the 29th Duke of Connaught s Own Bombay Infantry 2nd Baluch Battalion in 1890 and was promoted to Assistant Quarter master General in 1896 He commanded the Indian contingent during the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900 and was in July 1901 appointed General Officer Commanding the British Force in China after the departure of General Alfred Gaselee 3 He stayed in China for several years and a report on the field operations of the force during his first year in overall command was sent in a despatch published in the London Gazette of 21 November 1902 4 He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath KCB in 1904 and promoted to general on 11 December 1907 The same year he was appointed Military Secretary to the India Office Creagh succeeded Lord Kitchener as Commander in Chief India in 1909 retiring in 1914 During the First World War he served as the military advisor to the Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps 5 He died at 65 Albert Hall Mansions London SW9 on 9 August 1923 Creagh further followed Kitchener in becoming the District Grand Master of Freemasons in the Punjab His Victoria Cross is held by the National Army Museum in Chelsea London England 6 Footnotes Edit Despite appearances to the contrary O Moore was his middle name not part of his surname No 24784 The London Gazette 18 November 1879 p 6494 No 27357 The London Gazette 20 September 1901 p 6172 No 27497 The London Gazette 21 November 1902 pp 7530 7533 The Law Times Volume 138 p 346 13 February 1915 VC group Captain O Moore Creagh Bombay Staff Corps for his action at Kam Dakka Afghanistan on 21 April 1879 Online Collection National Army Museum London External links EditLocation of grave and VC medal Surrey O Moore Creagh at Find a Grave Creagh Sir G O Moore Thom s Irish Who s Who Dublin Alexander Thom and Son Ltd 1923 pp 50 51 via Wikisource Military officesPreceded bySir Edward Stedman Military Secretary to the India Office1907 1909 Succeeded bySir Beauchamp DuffPreceded byThe Viscount Kitchener Commander in Chief India1909 1914 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title O 27Moore Creagh amp oldid 1095977358, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
