Colonel Charles Frederick Cobbe Beresford (1844-1925), R.E.
Presumably a relation of Henry Beresford
1926 Obituary [1]
COLONEL CHARLES FREDERICK COBBE BERESFORD, R.E., whose last appointment was Colonel on the Staff Chief Engineer in Ireland (1898-1902), was born in 1844, being the elder son of the late Rev. Charles Claudius Beresford, and great-grandson of the Rt. Hon. John Beresford, M.P., brother of the 1st Marquess of Waterford, and second son of the 1st Earl of Tyrone.
He obtained his first commission in the Royal Engineers in 1865, and as a subaltern he was employed with the G.P.O. Telegraphs, and for 4 years with the Telegraph Troop of the Royal Engineers.
He married in 1877 Edith Gertrude, daughter of Salisbury Baxendale, Esq., of Bonningtons, Ware.
He was promoted Captain in 1878, and in 1879 passed for the Staff College, passing out in 1880.
In 1881, Captain Beresford served with the Expeditionary Force in the Transvaal, being present at several of the actions, and rendering excellent service with the field telegraphs and signalling. On his return to England, he was posted to the Intelligence Branch in the War Office, but in 1883 he returned again to the Postal Telegraphs.
In 1885 he was sent as Director of Telegraphs with the Sudan Expeditionary Force, to Suakin, for which service he received the medal and clasp and bronze star. After the campaign was over, being promoted to Major's rank, he was given command of the 2nd Division of the Telegraph Battalion, employed with the Postal Telegraphs, holding that appointment for four years. In 1889 he was selected for the command of the 1st Division of the Telegraph Battalion at Aldershot, commanding it until he was promoted Lieut.-Colonel in 1892. His later services were with the general duties of his corps. He was promoted Colonel in 1898.
He was an ardent advocate of telegraph services in the Army, and was largely responsible for the progress made, furthering with all his power the alliance between Civil and Military Telegraphs. He contributed many papers to the Journal of the R.E. Institution, on the use of telegraphs and telephones in the field, as well as on the collection and transmission of intelligence in war. He was placed on retired pay on account of age in 1902, and died at Camberley, where he resided, on the 13th December, 1925.
He joined the Institution as a Member in 1877 and served on the Council in 1887-88. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Dublin Local Section Committee in 1900.