John Nixon (Indian Army officer)

John Eccles Nixon, 1st Baronet, CB, GCMG ( born August 16, 1857 in Brentford, † December 15, 1921 in Saint Raphael ) was a British general.

Nixon was born on August 16, 1857 in Brentford, the son of a captain in the British army, and at Wellington College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst trained.

In 1875 he joined the 75th Regiment of Foot and participated in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. From the end of 1901 up to the end, he fought in the Second Boer War. This was followed by service in British India where he was awarded in 1912 the command of the Southern Command. 1915, the Northern Command was conferred on him.

On 9 April, he took over command of all British forces in Mesopotamia. His actions should be aimed at ensuring the oil wells and the eastward leading pipeline and securing the Wilaya Basra and develop a plan for a possible assault on Baghdad.

On June 3, 1915 the subordinate General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend succeeded in taking Al- Amarahs.Townsend pushed further forward and took on 29 September 1915, the more than 300 kilometers away, a Kut.

On October 23, Nixon was given permission to push forward Baghdad, but only under the condition that he could keep it. Two Indian divisions were promised in as reinforcement.

Townshend was waiting their arrival from but not met on November 22 in the Battle of Ctesiphon on the Field Marshal Colmar Baron von der Goltz and General Nureddin Pasha led Ottoman forces. Beaten he had to retreat to Kut. The Ottomans took on December 8th at the siege of Kut and took on April 29, Townshend opposed surrender.

In January 1916 Nixon put the command down for alleged poor health and was charged in August before a special commission to deal with the serious setbacks in Mesopotamia, and the Battle of Gallipoli. His procedure was condemned as too optimistic and he identified as primarily responsible for the defeat. Other consequences were made ​​, however.

Nixon died on 15 December 1921 in Saint Raphael.

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