Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Edward William David Baird (29 June 1864 – 8 August 1956), known as Ned Baird, was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

officer in the regular

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and the reserve

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

. Following service in the army, he became a successful horse trainer, winning the Grand National and the

St. Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

. He was also a steward at the

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...

, a Deputy Lieutenant and a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

History

Born in 1864, Edward William David Baird attended

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

before deciding to join the

in February 1885. Firstly in the

3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards The 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685 as the Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 3rd Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1751 and the 3rd (Prince of Wales's) ...

but soon after transferred to the, junior but more socially prestigious,

10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 11th Hussars (Prince Al ...

. He resigned his regular commission in February 1892. In November 1896 Baird joined the

Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars The Duke of York's Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army. Originally formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1793, it fought in the Second Boer war as part of the Imperial Yeomanry. In the World War I the regiment ...

as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. The Suffolk Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the

reserve army A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve f ...

. It was as a major that he was seconded for active service with the Imperial Yeomanry, in January 1900, during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

. He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

(29 November 1900) by Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief during the early part of the War. The following year, 1901, he was promoted to

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

and given command of the Suffolk Hussars. After his five years he retired from the reserve in December 1906, and was given the honorary rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in January 1907. Having first registered his racing colours in 1887, he became a very successful horse trainer. His horse Playfair winning the

1888 Grand National The 1888 Grand National was the 50th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the ...

, that was followed in 1907 when his horse

Wool Winder Wool Winder (5 April 1904–28 November 1928), also known as Woolwinder, was a British-bred and raced Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1907 St. Leger Stakes. Wool Winder excelled as a three-year-old but suffered from health problems in hi ...

won the

St. Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

, and just missed out on winning The Derby. As a race horse owner he joined the

, remaining a member for sixty-two years, and acted as a steward between 1904 and 1906. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was recalled to the army, in October 1914, and eventually given command of the

179th (2/4th London) Brigade The 179th (2/4th London) Brigade was a formation of the British Army during the First World War. It was assigned to the 60th (2/2nd London) Division and served in the Middle East. Raised by Colonel, later Brigadier-General, Ned Baird. Formation A ...

, part of the

60th (2/2nd London) Division The 60th (2/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised during the First World War. It was the second line-formation of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division, and was the second of two such Territorial Force divisions for ...

. He was promoted to

brigadier-general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in May 1916. That November the division was warned for service overseas in the

Salonika Campaign The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...

. But Baird now aged fifty-two was deemed too old for active service as a brigade commander and was replaced shortly afterwards. He was instead given command of the Welsh Reserve Brigade, in January 1917 until May 1918 when he finally retired from the army. His service was recognised in the victory honours list being invested as a Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of

Caithness Caithness ( gd, Gallaibh ; sco, Caitnes; non, Katanes) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Caithness has a land boundary with the historic county of Sutherland to the west and is otherwise bounded by ...

on 30 July 1920. He married twice, first in 1893 to Millicent Clarke, by whom he had four sons and three daughters. She died in 1936. Post war Baird married Helen Cicely Kerr, in April 1939. The family lived at

Kelloe House Kelloe House was a country house in the former Berwickshire, in the Parish of Edrom, in the Scottish Borders. The house has been demolished. Kelloe Mains and Kelloe Bridge remain. See also *George Buchan of Kelloe *Kelloe in County Durham *Allanba ...

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...

in Scotland, and Baird became a

until he died 8 August 1956.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baird Edward 1864 births 1956 deaths British Army cavalry generals of World War I 3rd Dragoon Guards officers 10th Royal Hussars officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Suffolk Yeomanry officers English justices of the peace Deputy Lieutenants of Caithness