George Cockerill

Brigadier-General Sir George Kynaston Cockerill, (13 August 1867 – 19 April 1957 ) was a British Army officer and a Conservative Party politician.

Career Cockerill was born in Newquay. He was the son of Surgeon-General Robert William Cockerill, and his wife Clara Sandys, daughter of Major-General Charles Pooley.

He joined the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) in February 1888, was promoted to a lieutenant on 26 June 1889, and served in the Hazara Expedition in 1891. and received brevet promotion to major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902. Following the end of the war, he received a regular commission as a captain in the 4th battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment in August 1902, and left Cape Town on the SS Norman two months later to join his battalion at Dublin. In 1907 he became a major in the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), and retired in 1910.

At the December 1910 general election Cockerill stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate in the Thornbury division of Gloucestershire. He was British technical delegate at the Second Hague Conference in 1907. and then served in the War Office, first as Sub-Director of Military Operations, then as Deputy Director of Military Intelligence and Director of Special Intelligence with the rank of brigadier-general. as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Reigate division of Surrey, having stood as a Coalition Conservative. He was returned unopposed in 1922 and in 1923, and re-elected with large majorities in 1924 and 1929.

Animal welfare

Cockerill advocated for animal welfare and as a member of Parliament was instrumental in securing passage of the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.

Selected publications Sir George Cockerill. "Pioneer Exploration in Hunza and Chitral". The Himalayan Journal. Vol. 11. 1939. 14–41.