Charles Grant Mansell Fasken

Charles Grant Mansell Fasken was the son of General E T Fasken. He was commissioned in the 17th Foot [Leicestershire Regiment] on 13 June 1874, transferring to the 16th Foot [Bedfordshire Regiment] the following year. The principal part of his career, however, was spent in the Indian Army, which he joined in 1878. He served in the Afghan War (1878-80) and as a brigade major in the Hazara Expedition (1888). He commanded 52nd Sikhs (1898-1905) in the Tochi Valley (1900) and in Somaliland (1902-4), for which he was made CB in 1904. He was GOC Ferozepore Brigade in India from November 1907 until November 1911 with the rank of brigadier-general. His honourable career in frontier war ended with his retirement on 2 January 1914.

Like many other ex-Indian Army officers he was ‘dug out’ of retirement when the Great War broke out. He was promoted major-general and charged with raising and training the 19th (Western) Division, a New Army formation. Fasken’s wartime career was unusual only in his length of service as a divisional commander (25 September 1914-13 December 1915). The usual pattern with ‘dug outs’ was for them to be replaced by younger commanders with Western Front experience, either shortly before or shortly after their division was deployed to France. In Fasken’s case, however, he continued to command 19th (Division) after it entered the line on 31 August 1915 and during an uncomfortable baptism of fire at Loos (September 1915).

He was replaced, together with two of his brigade commanders, Brigadier-General B G Lewis (GOC 56th Brigade) and Brigadier-General D M Stuart (GOC 58th Brigade). Fasken was 60, Lewis (another ‘dug out’) 57 and Stuart 52. Fasken’s successor was the 54-year-old Tom Bridges.

Major-General Fasken was invalided in 1916 and took no further part in the war. He was the brother of Brigadier-General W H Fasken.