Obituary. Field Marshal Sir John Lintorn Arabin

312 SIR JOHNLINTORN ARABIN SIMMONS. [Obituary. OBITUARY. FrELn-MARsHBr, SIR JOHN LINTORNARBBIN SIMbfONS,l G.C.B., G.C.M.G., Royal Engineers, died on the 14th February, 1903, at Hawley House, Blackwater, Hants. He was the fifth son of the late Captain Thomas Frederick Simmons, Royal Artillery, a well-known authority on MilitaryLaw, whose book on the “ Constitution and Practiceof Courts-martial ” was for many years thestandard treatise on the subject. Lintorn Sinlmonswas born at Langford, in Somerset, on the12th February, 1821, and after being educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, obtained hisfirst commission as a second lieutenant, Royal Engineers, in December, 1837. His early service was in North America; and for the first portion of his professional career he devoted his attention largely to railway work, holding successively the appointmentsof Inspector of Railways, Secretary to the Railway Commission, and Secretary to theRailway Department of the Board of Trade. In 1853, however, his presence, on leave, in Turkey led to his employment by LordStratford de Redcliffe onseveral important missions connected withthe Embassy at Constantinople. This was followed by the appointmentof Captain Simmons as Her Majesty’s Conlmissioner at the headquartersof the Ottoman army in Europe, which post heretained until 1857, having in the meantime obtainedpromotion bytwo brevets to the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel. In the spring and summer of 1854 Simmons served with the army under Omar Pasha and in the operations on the Danube, and was present at the siegeof Silistria, which, although Ton Moltkc accounted it the worst of the Danubian fortresses, has repeatedly playedan important part in Russo-Turkish wars. In 1854 the defences had been renovated, and, under the leadership of several British officers, they were brilliantly and tenaciously held by the Turks. After pressing the siege with great vigour, the Russians were forced, on the 22nd June,to raise it andto recross the Danube. For his services inthe Danubecampaign Simmons 1 This notice, with some slight modification and addition, is reprinted from !I?e Times of the lGth February, 1903. Downloaded by [] on [12/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. Obituary.] SIR JOHN LINTORN AEABIN SIYMONS. 313 received the Turkish goldmedal, withan additional medal for Silistria. In December, 1854, having become a major by brevet, he proceeded to the Crimea, where he took part in the siege of Sevastopol, and waspresent at the action of Eupatoria on the 17th February, 1855. For some time previously a cordon of Russian cavalry had surrounded Eupatoria, which washeld by a Turkish garrison from Omar Pasha’s army. On the 17th February the Russians made a determined attack on the town with 40,000 of all arms, but were rcpulsed, leaving nearly 500 dead. The Turkish garrison, with which Major Simmons served, lost 97 killed and had nearly 300 wounded. For his services in the Crimea, Simmons received, in addition to a brevet anda mention in despatches, the C.B., the third class of the Medjidieh-of which he afterwards had the Grand Cordon-the fifth class of the Legion of Honour, and a sword of honour from theSultan. Later, in 1855, he accompanied Omar Pasha to Asia Minor, and was present at the action on the River Ingur,where he rendered notable service by leading a column across the river, turning the Russian position, and capturing the enemy’s works andguns. This ended a war record which, although brief, was full of distinction, and would only have been possible in thecase of a man of great tact andsavoir faire, as wall as of marked military talent and many-sided ability. During 1857 Colonel Simmons acted as British Commissioner fur the regulation of the Russo-Turkish boundary in Asia, and from 1858 to 1860 he served.as Consul-General at Warsaw. At theclose of 1860 he was given the command of the Royal Engineers at Aldershot, and five years laterwas appointed Directorof the Royal Engineer establishment at Chatham, where he remained until his proniotion to Major-General in 1868. In 1869 he was created a K.C.B., and madeLieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, becoming Governor in the following year. Among the cadets at the ‘‘ Shop” during the earlier period of Sir Lintorn Simmons’s direction of that establishment mere two who haverisen to peculiar distinction as RoyalEngineer officers- namely, Lord Kitchener of Hhartum andMajor-General Sir Herbert Chermside. In 1871 Sir Lintorn Simmons published an important pamphlet, of which probably very few copies now exist, on “The Military Forces of Great Britain.” In this luminous and foroible brochure he argued that the existingsystem of a small army with partially- trained reserves of Militia, Volunteers, &C., did not and could not possibly afford such a military force as was requisite. After con- Ridering the Continental syatems, he deprecated the idea that even Downloaded by [] on [12/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 314 SIR JOHN LINTORN ARABM SIMMONS. [Obituary. the Swiss plan of modified conscription, then being widely advo- cated, would produce adequate results in this country,for which a force more highly trained than the Swiss Militia was, he thought, a necessity. In view of the changes that have since taken place, and of further changes that are being suggested as regards the military system of the country, it is interesting to note that the late Field-Marshal, so far back as 1871, was warmly in favour of enlisting men between the ages of 20 and 24 by voluntary enlist- ment, on clear and intelligible terms, offering a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, for periods of three years in the infantry and six years in the cavalry, Artillery and Engineers. The men so en- listed, to the number annually of about 40,000, were to form the standing Army, and to be liable to additional service so long as required during war,if such occurred during theirperiod of service with the colours. A Reserve was provided for, but on voluntary lines, and three years’ men were to be encouraged to volunteer for a six years’ period of Indian and colonial service. The lapse of years has naturally deprived the scheme of much of its original weight ; but there are several points it in which may yetbe studied with advantage ; and the pamphlet indicates theauthor’s clear and vigorous perception of contemporary military deficiencies. After six useful years spent in directing the studies at Royalthe Military Academy, Sir Lintorn Simmons, nowa Lieutenant- General, was appointed in 1875 Inspector-Generalof Fort,ifications, in which extremely important post he remained until 1880. In the meantime,however, hehad performed excellentservice in several public capacities outside the Army headquarters staff. In 1874 he served on the Royal Commission on Railway hccidents, a duty for which his early railwayexperience specially qualified him. In 1878 he achieved the greater distinction of being attached to the Special Embassyduring the Berlin Congress. In 1879he served on the Colonial Defence Commission, and in 1880 he was specially appointed to assist Lord Odo Russell at the Berlin Con- ference on theGreek Frontier question. His seniority-he had become fullGeneral in 1877-now restrictedthe area of his military employment ; but in 1884a fitting post was found for him in the Governorship of Malta, which he was enabled to hold until 1888, when he was retired under the age rule which forbids the employment of army officers after reaching 67. The last public service rendered by thisdistinguished veteran was as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Pope in 1889. In May, 1890, SirLintoru Simmons, who had been created a G.C.R. in 1878 and a G.C.M.G. in 1887, was given the biiton of a Downloaded by [] on [12/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. Obituary.] SIR JOHN LINTORN ABABIN SIMMONS. 315 Field-Marshal, in which rank he had been senior of those not of Royal blood for several yearsbefore his death. Sir Lintorn Simmons was twice married-first, in 1846, to Ellen, daughter of Mr. John Lintorn Simmons, of Eeynsham, secondly, in 1856, to Blanch, daughter of Mr. Samuel CharlesWeston, who died in 1898. Sir Lintorn Sinlmons at the time of his death, was one of the senior members of the Institution. He was elected an Associate on the 1st June, 1847, and an HonoraryMember on the 1st March, 1892. JOHN ADDISON, born at Liverpool on the12th April, 1820, belonged to a family who hadlived for manygenerations at Upper Teesdale. Early in life he showed a taste for engineering work, and during thedevelopment. of the railway system through- outthe country adopted that profession. Hewas educated at Darlington.At the age of 10, whenstaying in Liverpool,he was present at the funeralof Mr. Huskisson, M.P., who was killed at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and this great demonstration of public feeling made a lasting impression n his mind. On leaving school in October, 1836, Mr. Bddison was articled to Mr. StephenRobinson of Hartlepool, wherehe acquired some experience in railway anddock construction, and during the latter part of his pupilage he wasemployed as Resident Engineer on the Clarence and Hartlepool Junction Railway then in course of construction.After this he spent about a year atthe Hartlepool EngineeringWorks in order togain some knowledge of the mechanical branch of the profession. During the years 1839 and 1840 he lectured on surveying, levelling and mechanical drawing to the newly-formed engineering class at Durham University. In 1842 he entered the office of Messrs. John and Benjamin Green, Architects and Civil Engineersof Newcastle-on-Tyne, but was soon afterwards engaged by Mr.

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