Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet

General Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, 1st Baronet of Bearcrofts, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, (15 June 1860 – 7 December 1929) was a British Army General during World War I and Governor of Gibraltar from 1923 to 1929.

Military career
Educated at Sherborne School and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Monro was commissioned into the 2nd Regiment of Foot in 1879. He served in the Second Boer War and was present at the Battle of Paardeberg in 1900. In 1907 he was appointed Commander of 13th Infantry Brigade in Dublin and in 1912 he became General Officer Commanding 2nd London Division.

He was deployed to France as General Officer Commanding 2nd Division at the start of World War I and played an important part in the First Battle of Ypres. In December 1914 he became General Officer Commanding I Corps and then in July 1915 he was made General Officer Commanding Third Army. After the Gallipoli Campaign, General Ian Hamilton was dismissed as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and replaced by Charles Monro in October 1915. Monro ordered the evacuation of troops from Gallipoli.

In 1916 Monro briefly commanded the British First Army in France before becoming Commander-in-Chief India later that year. As Commander-in-Chief, India Monro had responsibility for the Mesopotamian campaign. Robertson told him to “keep up a good show” (1 August 1916) in Mesopotamia but not to make any further attempt to take Baghdad, but this was overruled by Curzon and Chamberlain on the War Committee. Monro inspected Maude’s forces on his way out to India, and after receiving his favourable report the War Committee authorised Maude to attack (18 September 1916).

In 1923 Monro was appointed Governor of Gibraltar.

Monro died in 1929 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.