General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton GCB GCMG DSO TD (1853-1947) was a general in the British Army and is most notably known for commanding the ill-fated Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Battle of Gallipoli. In the First Boer War he was present at the battle of Majuba, where he was injured and then taken prisoner. He returned to England to recover, where he was treated as a hero and introduced to Queen Victoria. In 1882 he was made captain and took part in the Nile expedition of 1884-1885, becoming brevet major and winning the Khedive's star. In the Second Boer War he was attached to the Natal Field Force as acting adjutant general and commanded the infantry at the Battle of Elandslaagte. He took part in the Battle of Wagon Hill at Ladysmith and was frequently mentioned in despatches. He was knighted in 1902, was promoted major general, received a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and became Chief of Staff to Lord Kitchener. His works include: The Ballad of Hadii and Other Poems (1888), Gallipoli Diary (2 volumes) (1920) and Life and Letters (c1929).