John Simmons (British Army officer)

Sir John Lintorn Arabin Simmons, GCB GCMG ( born February 12, 1821 in Langford, Somerset, † February 14, 1903 in Hawley, Hampshire ) was a British Field Marshal and Governor of Malta.

Origin and Youth

John Lintorn Arabin Simmons, was born as the fifth son of Captain Thomas Frederick Simmons, Royal Artillery. He joined at the age of 16 years, on 14 December 1837 in the Royal Engineers, a, after he was elected to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He graduated from the courses for junior officers of the Royal Engineer Establishment in Chatham (now Royal School of Military Engineering ), which was led at that time by its discoverer and promoter, Colonel Sir Charles Pasley.

His first use in Canada 1839. Simmons was stationed for nearly six years in the North American colonies. During this time he became embroiled in border disputes and dealt with the construction of fortifications.

Inspector of Railways

After his return to England in 1846 he was promoted to captain and 1847 ( Inspector of Railways ) has been appointed Inspector of Railways. In 1850 he became secretary of the Rail Commission ( Railway Commission). He examined several railway accidents, as well as the railway accident on the Dee Bridge in Chester, a bridge collapse that claimed five lives. His report blamed the cast-iron girder of the bridge for the accident. The accident was at this time of great importance since the bridge was constructed by Robert Stephenson. Many other bridges that were designed according to the same pattern, had to be demolished and replaced. In 1851, Simmons became the first Secretary General of the railway department within the Board of Trade.

Military career

In 1853, during a leave of absence from his post in the Board of Trade, he was in Constantinople Opel, when Turkey declared war on Russia. The British Ambassador took Simmons ' support offered and charged him with a report on the Turkish fortifications and their ability to withstand an attack by the Russian troops. After the expiration of his leave of absence, he resigned his commission in the Board of Trade, which enabled him to return to Turkey. First used as a British military liaison officer with Omar Pasha, he was appointed the rank of lieutenant colonel to the British Commissioner in the Ottoman army later. In this capacity he took part in the Crimean War, 1854-1856. 1857 Simmons returned as a British representative to the Commission to define the border between Russia and Turkey in Asia Minor back.

Subsequently, he served in the Foreign Office as Consul General in Warsaw. In 1860 he re-entered the Royal Engineers, first as head of the pioneering nature of the British Army ( Commanding Royal Engineer) in Aldershot and later as director of the Royal Engineer Establishment at Chatham.

In 1868 he was appointed Major General. It was in March 1869 Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military Academy and a short time later commander of the academy. In June 1869 he became Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, promoted to lieutenant general in 1872 and Supreme Commander ( Colonel Commandant ) of the Royal Engineers appointed. From 1875 to 1880 he was inspector general of the attachment system ( Inspector General of Fortifications ). During this time he was promoted to general in 1877 and 1878 received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

As governor of Malta from 1884 to 1888, he led a substantial constitutional and social changes on the island. In 1887 he received the Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. He left Malta at the age of 67 years when he ended his active service in the British Army. The Foreign Office took its services continue to claim and sent him in 1889 as Associate Commissioner and Minister Plenipotentiary ( Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary ) to Rome to Pope Leo XIII.

In 1890 he was awarded by the Turkish Sultan, the Grand Cordon of the Order of Medjidieh, and was appointed Field Marshal of the British Army promoted.

He retired after Hawley near Blackwater, Hampshire back and died there on 14 February 1903.

He was the maternal grandfather of Rotha Lintorn - Orman, a leader of the British fascists in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century.