Career
Hamilton was commissioned into the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1877. He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1880 and the South African War in 1881. He became Commander of the Niger Coast Protectorate Force in Benin in 1897 and took part in the Second Boer War in 1900.
He played a key role in the capture of Naauwpoort.
During the latter part of the war he was in command of the military columns operating in Eastern Transvaal, and following the announcement of peace on 31 May 1902, he supervised the surrender of arms in that area. He became General Officer Commanding 2nd Division within 1st Army Corps in 1904 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Scottish Command in 1909.
He led the Army Command Home Defence during World War I.