Colin John Mackenzie

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Major-General Sir Colin John Mackenzie, KCB (26 November 1861–7 July 1956) was a British soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army, from 1910 until 1913. He was the eldest son of Major-General Colin Mackenzie, of the Madras Staff Corps, and Victoria Henrietta Mackinnon.

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[edit] Military career

Major General Mackenzie was commissioned into the Bedfordshire Regiment of the British Army, at the time the 16th Regiment of Foot in January, 1881, but soon transferred into the Seaforth Highlanders. He was posted to many regions, including: Egypt (1882), Burma (1886), Hazara (1888), Gilgit (1890–1891), Waziristan (1894–1895), the Nile (1898) and South Africa (1899–1902). He was appointed the Military Governor of Johannesburg after its surrender in May 1900.

After the Boer War, he started on a path of staff positions, being appointed Assistant Quartermaster General of the 5th Division in 1902 and later, in 1905, Assistant Adjutant-General of Army Headquarters. He was appointed as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 4th Brigade and later 6th Brigade despite never having commanded a battalion. From 1910 to 1913, he was Chief of the General Staff, Canada. His departure from that post was caused in part by a disagreement between Mackenzie and Sam Hughes, the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence, as to (among other things) the merits of the Ross rifle. Mackenzie subsequently regarded himself as vindicated by the Ross rifle's unsuitability for combat conditions on the Western Front.

On 3 March 1914, he became the first commander of the Highland Division Task Force. Following the beginning of World War I and the death of the division's commander, he took command of 3rd Division on the Western Front. His command was short-lived and he was sent home after a fortnight, though he was subsequently appointed GOC 15th (Scottish) Division. Thereafter, he held a number of other positions until his retirement on 1 April 1920. Between 1924 and 1931, he was Colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders.

[edit] Private Life

Mackenzie married Ethel Ross, the daughter of Hercules Grey Ross I.C.S. and Mary Henderson. They had one son, Colin Hercules Mackenzie.

[edit] References

Centre For First World War Studies

[edit] External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Sir William Dillon Otter		 Chief of the General Staff
1910-1913		 Succeeded by
Sir Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin


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