Major-General Sir Oliver Stewart Wood Nugent KCB DSO

Major-General Sir Oliver Stewart Wood Nugent KCB DSO

(9 November 1860–1929)

British Army officer known for his command of the 36th (Ulster) Division during the First World War and particularly at the Battle of the Somme.

• Son of Major General St George Nugent and Emily, daughter of the Right Honourable Edward Litton, who was a senior Irish judge and MP for Coleraine at Westminster
• Educated at Harrow and Sandhurst
• Joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers in July 1882.
• Transferred in April 1883 to the King's Royal Rifle Corps
• Gained the rank of Captain in 1890.
• Awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1896.
• Gained the rank of Major in 1899
• He was promoted Major-General 1 January 1916.
• Invested as a Companion, Order of the Bath (C.B.) in 1917
• invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) in 1922

Served/fought in ...

• Fought in the Samana Expedition in 1891, where he was mentioned in despatches
  
• the Hazara, Miranzai expedition 1891 (where he was mentioned in dispatches)
  
• the Izazi Expedition in 1892.
  
• the Chitral Relief Force in 1895, being mentioned in dispatches again
  
• the Boer War between 1899 and 1900, where he was mentioned in despatches, and wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Talana Hill.
  
• First World War between 1914 and 1918.
  

Held the office of...

• Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.).
  
• Justice of the Peace (J.P.).
  

He lived at Farren Connell, Mount Nugent, County Cavan, Ireland.

The First World War saw him serving in England until 1915 when he was appointed to command the 41st Infantry Brigade (part of the 14th (Light) Division) on the Western Front. In September 1915 he was appointed to command the 36th (Ulster) Division with which he served until 1918.

Nugent devised the strategy that led to the Ulster Division going 'over the top' twenty minutes before Zero Hour. This allowed his soldiers to get the advantage and capture the main objective of the Schwaben Redoubt. However along the rest of the line, the attack faltered and this caused the 36th Division to withdraw.

He commanded the Meerut Division in India from August 1918 to 1920, and retired in 1920.

References and Sources

• http://thepeerage.com/p15270.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Nugent