James Trotter (British Army officer)


Sir James Keith Trotter was a senior British Army officer.

Military career

Educated at Rossall School, Durham School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Trotter was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 7 January 1870. He became Deputy Director of Mobilisation and Military Intelligence at the War Office in 1903, Brigadier in charge of Administration at Western Command in 1905 and commander of the troops in Sierra Leone in September 1906. He went on to be General Officer Commanding the South Coast Defences in April 1908 and retired from the army in July 1911 before taking up a civilian role in the Secret Intelligence Service where he set up G Branch to expose subversion among trade unionists and pacifists.
He was recalled to become General Officer Commanding 62nd Division in February 1915 during the First World War. He handed over his command and returned to retirement in December 1915.

Family

In 1878 he married Alice Crow; they had one son.