Charles Luard


Charles Camac Luard, CB, CMG was Commander of British Troops in South China.

Military career

Fourth in a line of British army officers, and born the son of Richard Luard and educated at Clifton College, Luard was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry on 2 September 1885. He served as an Assistant Superintendent of Army Signalling in the Zhob Field Force in 1890, and was promoted captain on 13 February 1895.
In late December 1901 he was placed in command of the Burma Mounted Infantry serving in the Second Boer War in South Africa, with the local rank of major whilst in command. He was mentioned in despatches and received a brevet promotion as major in the South African Honours list published on 26 June 1902. Following the end of the war, he left South Africa on the SS Kildonan Castle, which arrived at Southampton in October 1902.
He later served in World War I commanding a Brigade in India followed by 9th Infantry Brigade and was then deployed as part of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force and then the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
After the war he again became a Brigade Commander in India and moved on to be Commander of British Troops in South China in 1925: he retired in 1929.

Cricket

He was a keen cricketer and played for the Europeans cricket team in India, playing four matches in the 1892/3 and 1898/9 seasons.