DEATH OF LT. GEN. SIR GERALD DE COURCY MORTON AT THE CURRAGH

The Kildare Observer 28 April 1906

OBITUARY

Death of Lieut.-General Sir Gerald de Courcy Morton

We deeply regret to record the sudden death, at the Curragh Headquarters, on Friday, of Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald de Courcy Morton, K.C.I.E., C.B., C.V.O., Commanding the 7th Division Irish Command. Though had lately been in somewhat indifferent health, the news will come with a shock to his many friends, the more so as he himself made light of his indisposition, and carried on his work up to the last with his usual vigour. Sir Gerald Morton was in Dublin on Thursday week last, lunched at the Kildare Street Club, and attended the Royal Dublin Society’s Spring Show, where he complained of faintness and returned home.

Born at Calcutta in 1845, Sir Gerald Morton was educated at Eton and Sandhurst, and in 1863 was gazetted to his first commission in the 6th the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, one battalion of which is now serving at the Curragh. His military career has been a long one, distinguished by solid good work, and utterly free from egotism or self-advertisement. As Adjutant of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1868, he served in the Hazara campaign and Black Mountain Expedition (medal, with clasp). This was followed by three years of regimental work, after which, appointed A.D.C. and private secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjaub, he acquired early a marked knowledge of men and things. First as Brigade-Major and then as A.A.G., he rendered valuable service to Sir Frederick Roberts in the Afghan war of 1878-79-80, being four times mentioned in despatches, and receiving the medal and four clasps, the Khandahar Star, and the brevets of Major and Lieutenant Colonel. From that date on he passed through various staff offices of importance, until, in 1889, he was appointed to command the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. Promoted Brigadier-General in 1891, he passed, in 1895, to the all-important post of Adjutant-General in India, a position which he filled with distinction for three years. His Indian career closed with the command of the Lahore District, whence he came in 1902 to take up the command of an Irish division, which he held at the time of his death.

Of an acute and refined mind, devoted to his profession, and eager always to increase his store of knowledge, Sir Gerald Morton was possessed of a quick grasp of detail and of broad principles, which caused his advice to be eagerly sought for by superior and subordinate alike. No higher compliment could have been paid to the judicial tenour of his mind than his selection as President of the Court of Inquiry into the recent Scots Guards “ragging” case at Aldershot. An indefatigable worker, those who have seen him in the field will admit that few men possessed in such a marked degree the affection of all ranks, because in everything that he did he remained under all conditions a perfect type of the thoughtful, kindly gentleman, yielding no part of his duty to courtesy, but still retaining courtesy in all his duties.

At the Curragh preparations were in progress to pay him some marked compliment upon his relinquishing the command in May.