Reginald Salmond Curtis

Major-General Sir Reginald Salmond Curtis, (21 November 1863 – 11 January 1922) was a British Army officer, responsible for the reorganisation and modernisation of the Royal Engineers during the First World War.

Early life Curtis was the eldest son of Major-General Reginald Curtis, Royal Artillery, and Marianne Emma Salmond. He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He received his commission as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in July 1883.

Career in Africa From 1890 to 1893 Curtis served in the Egyptian Army, and was present at the capture of Tokar, in the Sudan campaign of 1891. In the Ashanti expedition of 1895–6 he served as Director of Telegraphs.

The Second Boer War broke out in South Africa in October 1899. Curtis was at first aide-de-camp to the Engineer-in-Chief, and was afterwards appointed Assistant Director of Telegraphs. He was involved in military operations in the Orange Free State from February to May 1900, including the battles of Paardeberg and Driefontein, and operations at Vet River and Zand River. He served in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, in actions near Johannesburg and Pretoria, then east of Pretoria from July to October 1900, including the action at Belfast, also in Cape Colony south of the Orange River. For his service with the paramilitary South African Constabulary during the later part of the war, he received a brevet promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 22 August 1902.

After the end of the war in June 1902, Curtis remained in South Africa and was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel, staying there until 1908 as Chief Staff Officer, and then Inspector-General of the South African Constabulary. He was a member of the Inter-Colonial Council of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony. which saw him promoted to colonel.

First World War However, when the First World War broke out Curtis was assistant adjutant general at the War Office, where he remained until 1917. Curtis's fellow officer, Major General Sir George Scott-Moncrieff, explained the importance of Curtis's work in a letter to The Times newspaper, dated 16 January 1922:

He retired in 1920, having been promoted to major-general and knighted for his services.