Christopher_Ling

Christopher Ling

Christopher Ling

English cricketer and soldier (1888–1953)

Christopher George Ling CB OStJ MC DSO (6 November 1880 — 21 May 1953) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

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The son of Christopher Ling senior,[1] he was born in November 1880 at Wetheral, Cumberland. He was educated at Bradfield College, where he played for both the cricket and football elevens.[2] Ling was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) in June 1900.[3] Transferring to the 1st Middlesex Engineers,[4] he attended the Royal Indian Engineering College and graduated from there in October 1902.[5] He was sent to British India in 1905, where he was posted to the 3rd Sappers and Miners of the British Indian Army.[2] In July 1905, he was promoted to lieutenant.[6] While serving in India, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Parsees at Poona in the 1905–06 Bombay Presidency Match.[7] Batting twice in the match, he ended the Europeans first innings of 137 all out on 4 not out, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 14 runs by Jehangir Warden. With the ball, he bowled 11 wicketless overs.[8] He was seconded to the Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich in January 1913, where he was placed in command of a company of gentlemen cadets,[9] with promotion to captain following in October of the same year.[10]

At the beginning of the First World War in the summer of 1914, he was placed in command of companies of gentlemen cadets at the RMA.[11] Later serving on the Western Front with the Royal Engineers, Ling was decorated with the Military Cross in 1916 Birthday Honours.[12] He was promoted to major in October 1917,[13] with appointment to the General Staff in December of the same year.[14] Ling was further decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 New Year Honours.[15]

Following the war, he was temporarily appointed in February 1921 as chief instructor in military engraving and geometrical drawing at the RMA.[16] In December 1923, he was appointed to the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel,[17] before being appointed to the War Office in March 1926,[18] an appointment which he relinquished in January 1927.[19] Ling was promoted to colonel in April 1928,[20] before being appointed a temporary brigadier in February 1931 whilst director of military operations at British Indian Army headquarters.[21] In October 1936, his employment in the army ceased and he was placed on the half-pay list.[22]

Ling was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1937 Coronation Honours,[23] and was later appointed by George VI as an Officer in the Order of Saint John in the 1947 New Year Honours.[24] During his military career, Ling served as the honorary secretary of the Army Football Association.[1] Ling retired to England, where he died at Camberley in May 1953.

References

  1. [1]
    Debrett, John (1931). Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, with the Knightage, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Dean & Son. p. 1829.
  2. [2]
    The Bradfield College Register. Oxford: Holywell Press. 1909. p. 183.
  3. [3]
    "No. 27203". The London Gazette. 19 June 1900. p. 3821.
  4. [4]
    "No. 27381". The London Gazette. 29 November 1901. p. 8415.
  5. [5]
    "No. 27488". The London Gazette. 28 October 1902. p. 6805.
  6. [6]
    "No. 27822". The London Gazette. 28 July 1905. p. 5226.
  7. [7]
    "First-Class Matches played by Christopher Ling". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. [8]
    "Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Presidency Match 1905/06". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  9. [9]
    "No. 28680". The London Gazette. 10 January 1913. p. 245.
  10. [10]
    "No. 28762". The London Gazette. 7 October 1913. p. 6983.
  11. [11]
    "No. 28953". The London Gazette. 27 October 1914. p. 8636.
  12. [12]
    "No. 29608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1916. p. 5575.
  13. [13]
    "No. 30468". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 1918. p. 685.
  14. [14]
    "No. 30479". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 January 1918. p. 920.
  15. [15]
    "No. 30450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1917. p. 23.
  16. [16]
    "No. 32222". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 February 1921. p. 1133.
  17. [17]
    "No. 32892". The London Gazette. 28 December 1923. p. 9110.
  18. [18]
    "No. 33146". The London Gazette. 30 March 1926. p. 2275.
  19. [19]
    "No. 33240". The London Gazette. 18 January 1927. p. 364.
  20. [20]
    "No. 33374". The London Gazette. 10 April 1928. p. 2634.
  21. [21]
    "No. 33709". The London Gazette. 21 April 1931. p. 2578.
  22. [22]
    "No. 34329". The London Gazette. 6 October 1936. p. 6364.
  23. [23]
    "No. 34396". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1937. p. 3079.
  24. [24]
    "No. 37842". The London Gazette. 3 January 1947. p. 122.
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