Career
On 30 June 1865, Knox was commissioned into the British Army's 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers) as an ensign by purchase. This later became the 2nd Battalion the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, and the whole of his regimental service was done in that corps. On 7 August 1867, he was promoted lieutenant by purchase, on 11 June 1876, captain in a death vacancy, and on 1 July 1883, major. He served under Sir Charles Warren in the Bechuanaland Expedition between 1884 and 1885 and while there raised and commanded the 4th Pioneer Regiment. The expedition did not see any fighting but due to his performance Knox was promoted a brevet lieutenant colonel; brevet colonel on 9 December 1889; and he was promoted substantive lieutenant colonel on 11 February 1890, and was commanding officer of a battalion of his regiment from then to 11 February 1894. After a period of half-pay, he went on to command the 32nd Regimental District (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry) based in Bodmin, from 29 January 1895 to 29 November 1899, when he was promoted to temporary major general in command of an infantry brigade at Aldershot.
Just five days later, with the outbreak of the Boer War, Knox was given command of 13th Infantry Brigade on the mobilisation of the 6th Division under General Kelly-Kenny, which formed part of the South African Field Force. There he was wounded at the Battle of Paardeberg, thrice Mentioned in Despatches, promoted substantive major general, appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 19 April 1901, and awarded the King's South Africa Medal. He was given command of 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps on 30 October 1902, he was promoted lieutenant general on 6 December 1905, and relinquished command on 1 June 1906. He was offered the post of Governor of Bermuda, but declined on the grounds that he was unmarried.
He was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry on 6 January 1907 and continued to hold the post until January 1921, though he retired from active service on 10 May 1909.
He was a member of the Naval and Military Club. In retirement he served as a company chairman.
Knox died on 1 November 1938, his obituary in Time magazine dated 14 November 1938, reads:
Died. Sir Charles Edmond Knox, 92, British lieutenant general who in the Boer War chased elusive Boer General Christian Rudolph De Wet 800 miles but never caught him; of old age; in Putney, England.That in The Times noted:
Sir Charles' popularity amongst his fellows may be judged by his nickname "Nice Knox." Invariably cheerful, even in adversity, he had a great appreciation of the good things in life; but he always remembered others, particularly those under his command.Read more about this topic: Charles Edmond Knox
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“They want to play at being mothers. So let them. Expressing tenderness in their own way will not prevent girls from enjoying a successful career in the future; indeed, the ability to nurture is as valuable a skill in the workplace as the ability to lead.”
—Anne Roiphe (20th century)
“Whether lawyer, politician or executive, the American who knows what’s good for his career seeks an institutional rather than an individual identity. He becomes the man from NBC or IBM. The institutional imprint furnishes him with pension, meaning, proofs of existence. A man without a company name is a man without a country.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)
“The problem, thus, is not whether or not women are to combine marriage and motherhood with work or career but how they are to do so—concomitantly in a two-role continuous pattern or sequentially in a pattern involving job or career discontinuities.”
—Jessie Bernard (20th century)