About Henry Kelham
Lived 1853 – 1931 (aged 77–78). Henry Kelham was a military leader.
Brigadier-General Henry Robert Kelham (1853 – 4 October 1931) was a senior British Army officer.
Military career Kelham was commissioned into the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot as a lieutenant on 28 May 1873. He was promoted to captain on 7 January 1882, and fought at the Battle of Tell El Kebir in September 1882 during the Anglo–Egyptian War. Promoted to major on 31 January 1890, he served with the 1st battalion in the occupation of Crete in 1898.
Kelham was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 4 November 1899, and appointed in command of the 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, which was sent to South Africa to reinforce British troops during the Second Boer War. For his service in the war, he was mentioned in dispatches, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). The battalion stayed in South Africa throughout the war, which ended on 31 May 1902, when they were reassigned to Egypt. Kelham was in command of 700 officers and men when they left Durban for Egypt on the SS Plassy in January 1903.
Promoted to colonel in November 1903, he went on to become the first general officer commanding (GOC) of the Lowland Division, part of the newly created Territorial Force (TF), in April 1908 before relinquishing command and being placed on half-pay and retiring from the army in March 1910. He was promoted to the honorary rank of brigadier general in February 1912.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Henry Kelham's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry Kelham?
British Army general
When was Henry Kelham born?
Henry Kelham was born in 1853.
When did Henry Kelham die?
Henry Kelham died on 4 October 1931.
What was Henry Kelham's occupation?
Henry Kelham was a military leader.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Kelham. https://biography.guide/henry-kelham/
MLA: "Henry Kelham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-kelham/.
Chicago: "Henry Kelham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-kelham/.
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