General
Sir Charles Thomas van Straubenzee
GCB
(17 February 1812 ? 10 August 1892), was a
British Army
officer. He served as
Commander of British Troops in China and Hong Kong
, and
Governor of Malta
.
Military career
[
edit
]
Van Straubenzee in 1861
Van Straubenzee was born at
Fort Ricasoli
, Malta, in 1812,
[1]
as the second son of Thomas van Straubenzee (1782?1843), a
Royal Artillery
major, of
Spennithorne
,
Yorkshire
, and his wife Maria, youngest daughter of Major Henry Bowen.
[2]
A member of an old and distinguished military family, Van Straubenzee was commissioned into the
Ceylon Rifle Regiment
in 1828.
[3]
He transferred to the
39th Regiment of Foot
in 1833, and, during the
Gwalior campaign
, he took part in the
Battle of Maharajpore
in 1843; he took temporary command of his regiment when its
commanding officer
was wounded and brought the regiment out of action.
[3]
In 1846, he transferred to 3rd Battalion the
Buffs
of which he became commanding officer in 1851,
[3]
and fought in the
Crimean War
commanding the 1st Brigade of the
Light Division
, and taking part in both assaults on the
Redan
during the
Siege of Sevastopol
.
[3]
In 1857, Van Straubenzee became
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
and led an
attack on Canton
during the
Second Opium War
.
[3]
In 1862, he was made
general officer commanding
a Division of the
Bombay Army
at
Ahmedabad
and subsequent took overall command of the
Bombay Army
.
[3]
He was colonel of the
47th Regiment of Foot
from 1865 to 1867, and of the 39th Regiment of Foot from 1867,
[4]
until they became part of the
Dorset Regiment
in 1881, after which he continued as colonel of the 2nd Battalion until 1892.
[5]
Van Straubenzee became
Governor of Malta
in 1872.
[3]
Van Straubenzee is buried at
St Mary the Virgin's Churchyard
near
Bath, Somerset
.
[3]
Family
[
edit
]
He married Charlotte Louisa Richardson in 1841, daughter of General John Luther Richardson.
[6]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
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Civil commissioners (1799?1813)
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Governors (1813?1964)
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Flag_of_the_Governor_of_Malta_%281943%E2%80%931964%29.svg/30px-Flag_of_the_Governor_of_Malta_%281943%E2%80%931964%29.svg.png) | |
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Governors-general (1964?1974)
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_the_Governor-General_of_Malta_%281964%E2%80%931974%29.svg/30px-Flag_of_the_Governor-General_of_Malta_%281964%E2%80%931974%29.svg.png) | |
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