Cecil Toogood was born on the 31st March 1870 the son of Captain A D Toogood of the Bengal Fusiliers and later the Queen’s Bodyguard.
He was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29th October 1890 into the Border Regiment. He was promoted Lieutenant on the 21st December 1892 and served overseas during the Waziristan Expedition of 1894-95.
He later was promoted Captain in the Manchester Regiment on the 26th May 1900. He served on the Staff in the South African War of 1899-1900, later serving with the Mounted Infantry Contingent (1900-1902). He received the Queen’s Medal with three clasps and the King’s Medal with two clasps and was mentioned in despatches twice by Sir Redvers Buller in March and November of 1900 (London Gazette, 8th February 1901 and 25th April 1902). He was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette, 19th April 1901); “Cecil Toogood, Captain, Manchester Regiment. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa”. The Insignia were sent to South Africa and presented by the Duke of Cornwall and York on the 14th August 1901.
Cecil Toogood was Adjutant in the Volunteers from the 3rd January 1904 until 31st October 1907 and a Regimental Staff Officer from 13th December 1907. He was promoted to Captain in the Lincolnshire Regiment on the 18th January 1908 and becoming the Recruiting Staff Officer in the Sheffield Recruiting Area from 3rd December 1907 to 4th May 1911. He later became the Recruiting Staff Officer in the Belfast Recruiting Area from 5th May 1911 to 31st March 1912. He was promoted to Major on the 15th May 1914 and was Adjutant in the Officers’ Training Corps (attached to the General Staff) from 23rd May to 4th August 1914.
He arrived in France with the 1st Battalion the Lincolnshire Regiment on the 13th August 1914. During the battle of Le Chateau (26th August to 1st September 1914) he was wounded by a sniper whilst observing the Germans through field glasses and left in the trenches, leading to his capture as a prisoner of war. For his part played in this battle he was subsequently mentioned in despatches (London Gazette, 19th October and 9th December 1914).
Major Toogood was later the Senior British Officer at Strohen prisoner of war camp near Hanover and was again mentioned in dispatches for escaping or attempting to escape from captivity (London Gazette, 30th January 1919). He was awarded the 1914 Star (with Clasp), the British War and Victory Medals.
After the War Cecil Toogood was Officer commanding the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, which were stationed in Poona, India. He retired from the army on 5th January 1922 (London Gazette, 7th February 1922) and in March 1925 he ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers having attained the age limit of liability for recall (London Gazette, 31st March 1925).
The British Army in Tipperary 1919-1921 