John Fowler

Lieutenant-General Sir John Sharman Fowler, (29 July 1864 – 20 September 1939) was a British Army engineer officer who specialised on telegraph on signals, and who was later Commander of British Forces in China.

Early life and education Fowler was born in Navan, County Meath, the second son of Robert Fowler and Letitia Coddington. He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. His elder sister Louisa married Sir Alexander Godley. He took part in the Izazai expedition in 1892, was promoted to captain on 24 September 1895, and went to Chitral in the North West Frontier of India in 1896.

Fowler served in the Second Boer War as a member of the South Africa Field Force, Following the end of the war in June 1902, he received a brevet promotion to major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902, and returned home with his division on the SS Britannic from Cape Town to Southampton in October that year.

After his return, he was stationed with the 1st Division Telegraph Battalion, at Aldershot. In March 1905 he succeeded Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Edward Bulfin as a deputy assistant adjutant general.

He was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in January 1911.

Fowler also served in the First World War as Director of Army Signals for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). he was promoted to temporary brigadier general in October 1914, he was made a brevet colonel in January 1916 a major general in January 1917 and appointed a CB in February 1915 and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1918.

In 1921 he was appointed General Officer Commanding the Straits Settlements and the following year he was appointed Commander of British Forces in China. He retired in 1925. They had two daughters.

Fowler died in Harrogate, Yorkshire, aged 75.