Charles Knox (British Army officer)

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Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Edmond Knox, KCB (28 February 1846 – 1 November 1938) was a British Army officer from Ulster Scots. He was the son of Archbishop Robert Knox and was educated at Eton and Sandhurst. He began his military career in 1865 with the 85th Regiment of Foot (Bucks Volunteers), which later became part of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.

Knox steadily rose through the ranks: lieutenant in 1867, captain in 1876, and major in 1883. He served in the Bechuanaland Expedition (1884–1885), where he raised and led the 4th Pioneer Regiment. He received brevet promotions to lieutenant colonel (1889) and colonel (brevet), and he commanded a battalion from 1890 to 1894. He then led the 32nd Regimental District at Bodmin (1895–1899).

In 1899 he became temporary major general in charge of an infantry brigade at Aldershot. At the start of the Second Boer War in 1900, he commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade in the 6th Division. He fought at Paardeberg, where he was wounded, and by 1902 he commanded the Bloemfontein garrison. For his Boer War service he was mentioned in despatches three times and received the Queen’s South Africa Medal and the King's South Africa Medal. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1901 (invested in 1902).

After the war, Knox commanded the 4th Division, 2nd Army Corps at Salisbury Plain, and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1905, relinquishing command in 1906. He declined the post of Governor of Bermuda because he was unmarried. He served as Colonel of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry from 1907 to 1921 and retired from active service in 1909. In retirement he was a company chairman and a member of the Naval and Military Club.

He died on 1 November 1938 at the age of 92. His nickname “Nice Knox” reflected his cheerful nature and his care for those under his command.