Archibald Murray

Infobox Military Person
name=Sir Archibald James Murray
lived=23 April 1860 - 21 January 1945
placeofbirth= Kingsclere, Hampshire
placeofdeath= Reigate, Surrey


caption=General Sir Archibald Murray
nickname='Old Archie'
allegiance=flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
branch=
serviceyears=1879 - 1922
rank=General
commands=Egyptian Expeditionary Force
unit=
battles=Second Boer War
World War I
awards=Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Distinguished Service Order
laterwork=
General Sir Archibald James Murray GCB, GCMG, CVO, DSO (23 April 1860 - 21 January 1945) was a British Army officer during World War I, most famous for his commanding the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1917.

Army career

Educated at Cheltenham College, Archibald Murray was commissioned into the 27th Regiment in 1879. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35155?docPos=1 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography] JE Edmonds, 2004]

In 1901 Murray was appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which was deployed to Northern Transvaal in 1902: Murray was wounded in action and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. After this he held a series of senior staff appointments.

In 1912 Murray was appointed General Officer Commanding 2nd Division but when the First World War started he became Chief of Staff to Sir John French, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force. Murray was given the position largely because the initial choice for the post, Sir Henry Wilson, became undesirable for political reasons. He and French did not work well together, and Murray was ultimately relieved in January 1915. He was made Chief of the Imperial General Staff that September, but was replaced just a few months later by Sir William Robertson. [ [http://www.regiments.org/biography/defchiefs/ukCinC.htm regiments.org] ]

In January 1916, he was given command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. [ [http://www.1914-1918.net/murray_first_despatch.htm Murray's first despatch] ] Trying to prevent another Turkish attack against the Suez Canal, Murray reorganized his troops and led a counterattack, which captured most of the Sinai Peninsula, but became stymied in Palestine. Murray was unsuccessful in his attempts to seize Gaza (see First Battle of Gaza and Second Battle of Gaza) in 1917, and he was ultimately relieved of command, and replaced by the much more successful Edmund Allenby. He was known and criticized for his indecisive character and was not particularly well-liked by his men, largely because he ran his campaign more often than not by remote control from Cairo, rather than the field. He also authorized T. E. Lawrence's expedition to join the Arab Revolt against the Turks in Arabia, providing monetary and limited military support for Lawrence's attack on Aqaba.

Murray was reassigned, commanding reservists at Aldershot for the remainder of the war. He retired from the army in 1922 and died at Reigate in Surrey in 1945.

He was portrayed by Donald Wolfit in the film " Lawrence of Arabia".

References

External links

* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/murray.htm First World War.com Bio]
* [http://www.1914-1918.net/war_office.html The British Army in Great War]

succession box
title=Chief of the Imperial General Staff
before=Sir James Murray
after=Sir William Robertson
years=1915

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