Harry Tytler

Who was Harry Tytler?

Major-General Sir Harry Christopher Tytler KCB CMG CIE DSO was a British Indian Army officer who specialised in running lines of communication, and also an amateur naturalist.

Tytler was born in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, the son of Colonel Robert Christopher Tytler, a retired officer of the East India Company Army. He was educated at Mr Frank Townsend's School, Clifton, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Leaving as Queen's Cadet, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment in January 1886 and in November 1887 transferred to the Indian Army and joined the 17th Infantry. He was mentioned in despatches for his service in the Sikkim Expedition in 1888, and in the Lushai Expedition of 1890–1891 he commanded the small force which relieved Changsil. He was promoted captain in July 1897 and served in the Waziristan Expedition on 1901–1902. He was promoted major in January 1904.

During the First World War he served in the East Africa Campaign, first as deputy inspector-general of the lines of communication, then as assistant adjutant-general of the lines of communication, and finally as a column commander in the advance from Iringa and in the Lindi area.