Charles Maynard

Major-General Sir Charles Clarkson Martin Maynard, (15 September 1870 – 28 June 1945) was a senior British Army officer, best known for his role in the North Russia intervention where he was General Officer Commanding Allied Forces, Murmansk (1918–1919). Having spent his early career in Burma and India, he also saw active service in the Second Boer War and the First World War.

Early life and education Maynard was born on 15 September 1870 in Rangoon, Burma, to Forster Fowler Martin Maynard, a physician. The following year, he was promoted to lieutenant and posted to Burma where he was given command of a mounted infantry unit. He saw active service during the Burmese resistance for which he was awarded the India General Service Medal with "Burma 1889–92" clasp. He was then a staff officer specialising in press censorship from September 1901 until the end of the war in May 1902. He was mentioned in despatches three times and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1900. One of his mentions, in November 1900, was for his service as second-in-command of the Imperial Light Infantry. By the end of the war, he had qualified for the Queen's South Africa Medal with 6 clasps and the King's South Africa Medal with 2 clasps. His first post after graduating was to be seconded for service on the staff to serve as brigade major of the 7th Infantry Brigade, Southern Command, between March 1905 and July 1907. From then on he served on the general staff at Army Headquarters, taking over the role of general staff officer, grade 3, or GSO3, from Major Thomas Marden.

He was in March 1910 made a GSO3 at the War Office (formerly Army Headquarters). and was promoted to brevet major on 23 July and again, this time to full major, on 2 November. One of his duties while attached to the War Office's directorate of military operations was "concerned with providing liaison with the Dominion forces in the event of a European war".

First World War During the First World War, he served in various staff and command appointments. Having re-joined his regiment, he was posted to France in August 1914 with the British Expeditionary Force as a company commander in the 1st Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. However, only one month later he took command of the 1st Battalion and led them during the Battle of La Bassée in October 1914. He then served as assistant quartermaster-general, first for the II Corps and then for the Third Army. However, he was soon taken ill, and although he returned to command his brigade briefly, he then took months away from the front-line to recover: without this illness, he was likely to have gone on to command a division. In January 1917, after being promoted to brevet colonel, he was once more given a command as brigade commander of the 82nd Infantry Brigade and promoted to temporary brigadier general. After almost one year in command of the brigade, part of the 27th Division, on the Macedonian front with the British Salonika Army, he was once more taken ill and was invalided to England. He was promoted to temporary major-general on 24 May 1918. He served in North Russia from 23 June 1918 to 20 September 1919. In September 1919, Maynard was once more taken ill, and returned home to England.

Later career On 1 December 1919, Maynard relinquished the rank of major-general, having ceased to command the Allied Forces, Murmansk, thereby reverting to the rank of colonel. He was also placed on the half-pay list on the same date. Having recovered from his illness, he was appointed brigadier-in-charge (administration) at Western Command in 1920. He retired from the British Army on 25 July 1925 "on account of ill-health contracted on active service".

In September 1930 he succeeded Lieutenant General Sir Louis Bols as colonel of the Devonshire Regiment.

Honours Maynard was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 28 November 1900 "in recognition of the services [...] in connection with the Campaign in South Africa, 1899-1900". In the 1919 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) "for valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations in North Russia". On 1 August 1919, he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB), also "for valuable services rendered in connection with Military operations in North Russia", and thereby granted the title sir. He was knighted by King George V during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 3 November 1919. By 1920, he had been appointed Commander (3rd class) of the Order of the White Eagle with swords by the King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

Personal life In 1909, Maynard married Dorothy Agnes Davidson. Together they had one son and one daughter.

In retirement, Maynard wrote his memoires of the North Russia intervention and this was published as The Murmansk Venture in 1928. He held the honorary appointment of colonel of The Devonshire Regiment between 1930 and 1943.

Maynard died on 28 June 1945 in Bexhill, Sussex, England; he was aged 74.

Selected works