Thom's Irish Who's Who/Fox, Lt.-Colonel Charles Vincent

FOX, Lt.-Colonel Charles Vincent, D.S.O., Scots Guards; Deputy Inspector-General, Iraq Levies. Cr. D.S.O. for "Conspicuous gallantry at Kruisik, in which action he captured 5 officers and 200 men" (London Gazette, 1-1-1915). Order of the Mejidieh, 1912. Educ.: Clongowes and Oxford University. Gazetted Scots Guards, 1900. Captain, 1906; Major, 1915; 2nd in Command and (temporarily) Commanding 2nd Batt., 1919; Lieut.-Col., 1921, on appointment D.I.G., Iraq. Employed with Southern Nigerian Regt. W. African Frontier force, 1901-7. Adjutant, 1904-6. Attached Egyptian Army, 1908-10; appointed Political Inspector Mungala Province, Sudan, 1910-12. Special War Correspondent, Turkish Army, Turko-Balkan War, 1912. Active Service: West Africa; Aro Expedition, 1901 (despatches, medal with clasp, wounded), again in 1902. Operatons N. Ibibio District, 1904 (despatches, clasp); Ouitsha Hinterland Expedition, 1904-5 (despatches, clasp); Bende-Ouitsha Hinterland Expedition, 1905-6 (despatches). Central Africa: Sudan; Duk Fudiat Patrol, 1911 (despatches); Bier Patrol, 1912; Annak Patrol, 1912 (despatches, medal with clasp, Mejidieh). Conducted Elephant Poacher Hunt, Sudan, 1911 (despatches). European War, 1914, VII. Division; covering retreat from Antwerp, and 1st Battle of Ypres (despatches twice, D.S.O., 1914 Star), wounded thrice, prisoner, escaped (despatches); Iraq Engagement (Turks), Dec, 1921, injured. Imprisonment; Germany, two years and eight months; caught escaping (Werl, Westphalia), tried by courts martial and by Straff Court. During trial for mutiny directly approached in connection Casement's "Irish Brigade." Escaped from Crefeld. Escaped from Berlin Express (injured, fractures, etc.) Re-captured, maltreated, confined straff cells, tried by court martial. Escaped from Schwarmstedt, 26-6-17; crossed Dutch frontier, 2/3-7-17; Landed England 6-7-17, and arrested by British authorities. Received in special audience by the King, Buckingham Palace, 17-7-17. Elected President of the Excapers, 1918; founded the Escapers' Club. Secured recognition of "Escape" as special feature of war, and (where merited) "eligible for such gallantry distinctions as are normally reserved for services under fire" (London Gazette, 5-5-19). Prevented returning Western Front. Inaugurated (personal) platform campaign industrial storm-centres Great Britain, Munition and mining areas, 1917-18 (own expense), result (per statistics, statement Minister of Munitions), output increased one-sixth, strikes averted. Invited join Ministry of Munitions as head of special department; refused connection British Government, proceeded independently, own expense. Invited contest nine constituencies (Great Britain), general election, 1918. Lecturer for Ministry of Labour (Reconstruction and Demobilisation) to Army of Occupation, Rhine, 1919. Pubns.: (serial), various, on war and sport. Sport: record-holder sculling championships of Great Britain (Wingfields), France, Ireland; also of Oxford University Sculls; won Inter- Varsity Sculls (v. Record-Sculler, Cambridge, 1899); Won Diamond Sculls, 1901; yachtsman, oar, big game, boxing, rugby, polo, hunting, cricket, golf; b. Dublin, 30th Dec, 1877; eldest son of the late Capt. H. C. Fox, King's Dragoon Gds., Glen-na-geragh Hall, Co. Dublin, and of Mary Rebecca, dau. of the late Capt. A. Colclough Coakley, Assistant Commisariat-General of Ceylon; Lineage, Fox, or Sionnach of Kilcourey (Co. Tipperary). Address: Brookfield. Milltown, Co. Dublin. Clubs: Guards', Escapers', The Rag, R. Automobile, etc.