Career
Thwaites was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1887. He served in the Second Boer War as an Adjutant in 33rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery. He served in World War I in France and Belgium becoming Commander of 141st (5th London) Brigade in 1915.
He was then made General Officer Commanding 46th (North Midland) Division in 1916.
After the War he became Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office from 1918, and then Director of Military Operations and Intelligence from 1922. In 1923 he became General Officer Commanding 47th (2 London) Division and in 1927 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for British Army of the Rhine: he was the last person to hold this post until after World World War World War II He was Director General of the Territorial Army from 1931 to 1933 when he retired.