This article contains inconsistencies and should be
treated circumspectively.
Major General James Archibald Douglas CMG CIE, born 21st September 1862
in New Zealand.
He was educated at Haileybury College, Hertfordshire between 1876 and
1878.
Lieutenant J.A. Douglas 2nd Bengal Lancers wrote a 'Report on the
Persian Army compiled in the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter Master
General's Department in India' in 1892, in Simla
He was awarded the Serbian White Eagle 3rd class with swords, and the
Persian Order of Lion & Sun. He served in the Great War in Mesopotamia,
Persia & Afghan War 1914 - 1919
As Lieutenant-Colonel James Archibald Douglas, Commandant, 39th King
George's Own Central India Horse, he was in June 1913 (???), appointed
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for services in
Persia.
Indian Army Colonel Staff Assistant Quartermaster-General
1st April 1915
Indian Army Colonel / temporary Brigadier General
Staff 19th October 1916
He was married to Kathleen Maggie, one of
three daughters of Sir Thomas Naghten Fitzgerald, an Irish-born
Australian surgeon and academic.
James Archibald Douglas of Ashmore Lodge, Cold Ash, Newbury, Berkshire,
England, died on the 2nd day of May 1932. He was buried at St Mark's
churchyard, Cold Ash, Berkshire.
His Will was proved in the Lewes District Registry on the 27th day of
July, 1932, by Lloyds Bank Limited and his wife, Kathleen Maggie Douglas
(1), (the executors therein named).
Four portraits of him are
held in the National Portrait Gallery. Afghanistan, Berkshire,
Hertfordshire & Serbia are listed as places connected with this sitter.
Research notes:
• Maj Gen JA Douglas made his first return visit to New Zealand on
24 Jan 1902, having been born in Dunedin in 1862.
Someone named James Archibald Douglas(4) was author of 'A Permo-Carboniferous
fauna from southwest Persia (Iran), (India. Geological Survey.
Palaeontologia Indica. n.s)' ?1936
• James Archibald Douglas was author of Reports on the Road
Between Chilas and Lulusar Lake Viâ the Babusar Pass, 1893, with Charles
Herbert Powell
• James Archibald Douglas has connection with Anglo-Persian Oil
Company, Ltd (1927) Douglas was author of papers held at Oxford
University, Museum of Natural History, relating to fossil collection
from Ecuador and Peru. c1925 n 1912 by James Archibald Douglas are held
in the Pitt Rivers Museum, South Parks Road, Oxford.
• James Archibald Douglas was author of 'Contributions to Persian
palaeontology', Oxford, 1927.
• James Archibald Douglas was author, with J.M. Edmonds, of 'John
Phillip's geological maps of the British Isles' 1950. Possibly born
1884.
• James Archibald Douglas was author of The Stratigraphical
Distribution of the Cornbrash, 1928, with William Joscelyn Arkell
• In a 1898, in a Group portrait of Staff of Army Head Quarters,
India: Captain James Archibald DOUGLAS, 2nd Bengal Lancers, Deputy
Assistant Quarter Master General, Intelligence Branch.
In an 1890's Group portrait of officers of Gardner's Horse, posed on the
steps of an unidentified building. Only James Archibald Douglas is
identified (back row, on right)
• Possibly same time as above, Group of officers, unidentified apart
from James Archibald Douglas (back row, left), taken at the same
location as print 2, and with some of the same sitters. A pencilled note
on the reverse of the mount reads: 'A.D.W. & Bde. Staff? J.A. Douglas
seated on R.T.' From a collection held by The British Library.
•
Possible career:
He joined the British Indian Army in 1883 and
served for over 40 years, rising through the ranks.
He held various
command and staff positions in India, including Inspector-General of the
Indian Army and Quartermaster-General in India.
During World War I,
he commanded the 3rd (Lahore) Division from 1914-1916 on the Western
Front. He played an important role in key battles such as the Battle of
Neuve Chapelle. This seems wrong!
In 1916, he was appointed to command the 14th (Light)
Division on the Macedonian Front, where he remained until the end of the
war in 1918. This seems wrong!
For his military service, he was made a Companion of the
Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1915 and a Companion of the
Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1908.
After the war, he continued
to serve in India until his retirement in 1923.
Notes:
1. On Kathleen's death in 1951, her residuary estate was bequeathed to
the University of Melbourne for founding a surgical scholarship in
memory of her father, Sir Thomas Naghten FitzGerald (1838-1908),
surgeon, who was born on 1 August 1838 at Tullamore, Ireland, son of
John FitzGerald and his wife Catherine Naghten, née Higgins.
2. Possibly oldest son of Edward Douglas, who had died by 1920.
3. Serbian Order of Saint Sava, 4th Class. Temporary Major James
Archibald Douglas, Army Service Corps. LONDON GAZETTE, 9 MABCH, 1917
4. If not the general, then possibly the
James Archibald Douglas
(born 1866) who was the first professor of English and History at
Government College, Agra. He is mainly remembered for having
investigated, and debunked, the claims of Nicolas Notovitch regarding a
secret record of Jesus' visit to India being found at the Hemis
Monastery.
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