Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Edward Douglas Loch, 2nd Baron Loch (4 April 1873 – 14 August 1942) was a senior

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 Gurkha ...

officer and peer. After serving in

Cape Colonial Forces The Cape Colonial Forces (CCF) were the official defence organisation of the Cape Colony in South Africa. Established in 1855, they were taken over by the Union of South Africa in 1910, and disbanded when the Union Defence Forces were formed in ...

in South Africa he joined the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

in 1893. He first saw active service in the Sudan Campaign in 1898, receiving the first of many decorations. He served on the

staff Staff may refer to: Pole * Staff, a weapon used in stick-fighting ** Quarterstaff, a European pole weapon * Staff of office, a pole that indicates a position * Staff (railway signalling), a token authorizing a locomotive driver to use a particula ...

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 So ...

, and was further honoured. In 1911, in addition to his army duties, he became a member of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he initially continued to serve in staff positions, but commanded a brigade later in the war before returning to the staff. He received further decorations, both British and foreign. After his retirement from the army in 1922, he became Deputy Lieutenant of

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

and undertook various other public and charitable duties. He was also

Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK Government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is The 9th Earl of Courtown, who was appointed to the position ...

and chairman of the

Greyhound Racing Association The Greyhound Racing Association was a UK-based private company founded in 1925 and existed until 2019. It was involved in the management of sports venues, notably greyhound racing stadia. The GRA was responsible for introducing Greyhound racing ...

Early life and military career

Loch was the son of

Henry Loch, 1st Baron Loch Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron Loch, (23 May 1827 – 20 June 1900) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Military service Henry Loch was the son of James Loch, Member of Parliament, of Drylaw, Midlothian. He entered the Royal Na ...

, and his wife Elizabeth Villiers, daughter of the Hon. EE Villiers and niece of the 4th Earl of Clarendon. He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

. the Peerage.com
/ref> He then went to the

Colony of the Cape of Good Hope The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with th ...

and served in the locally raised militia, the

, rising to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. He transferred to the regular British Army on 3 May 1893 when he was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant on 12 May 1897. He fought in the Sudan Campaign in 1898, being

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 ...

for his part in the

Battle of Omdurman The Battle of Omdurman was fought during the Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan between a British–Egyptian expeditionary force commanded by British Commander-in-Chief ( sirdar) major general Horatio Herbert Kitchener and a Sudanese army of the ...

, and awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

on 15 November 1898. He was also awarded the Khedive's Star and clasp.

Boer War

Loch was seconded from his regiment to the

on 9 October 1899, serving as divisional signalling officer, South African Field Force in the

. He was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 28 January 1900, this was subsequently backdated to 30 November 1899. He inherited the title

Baron Loch Baron Loch, of Drylaw in the County of Midlothian (now part of Edinburgh), was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1895 for the soldier and colonial administrator Sir Henry Loch. He was the son of James Loch, Membe ...

on the death of his father in 1900. He was Mentioned in Despatches again in April 1901, and on 19 April it was announced he would receive a brevet promotion to

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 indicato ...

, dated 29 November 1900. He participated in the battles of Belmont,

Enslin Theodore Vernon Enslin (March 25, 1925 – November 21, 2011) was an American poet associated with Cid Corman's ''Origin'' and press. He is widely regarded as one of the most musical of American avant-garde poets. Enslin was born in Chester, Penn ...

Modder River The Modder River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Riet River that forms part of the border between the Northern Cape and the Free State provinces. The river's banks were the scenes of heavy fighting in the beginning of the S ...

and

Magersfontein The MagersfonteinMisspelt "Maaghersfontein" in some British texts ( ) battlefield is a site of the Battle of Magersfontein (11 December 1899), part of the Second Boer War in South Africa. The battlefield is located at south of Kimberley, Northern ...

, was badly wounded and received the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps. Loch returned to regimental duty in the Grenadier Guards on 23 January 1902, and took part in a special diplomatic mission to promote British interests in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

in early 1902. He was appointed a Member of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

(MVO) on 30 May 1902, following the presentation by King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

of State colours to the King′s Company of the Grenadier Guards. The following year, he was appointed regimental

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

on 26 January 1903, and held the post until 1 July 1905. On 22 January 1908 he began the staff course at

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, whic ...

, and he was promoted substantive major on 15 August 1908. He was

brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section dire ...

of the 3rd Infantry Brigade from 12 April 1910 to 16 August 1911, when he became a

General Staff Officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military ...

(GSO), Grade 2 at the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

. On 4 December 1911 he became

Lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (withou ...

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and he received brevet lieutenant-colonelcy on 10 May 1913. He left the War Office on 12 April 1914.

First World War

After the outbreak of the

Loch served with the BEF Staff in August 1914. He was liaison officer between GHQ and Smith-Dorrien's

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

. On 16 December 1914 was appointed GSO Grade 1. Loch was given substantive promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 13 March 1915. By 27 May he was a temporary

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 t ...

and had been appointed Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. He received a brevet colonelcy on 1 January 1916. He served as chief of staff in

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

. He received the Croix d'Officier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1917. On 22 July 1917 he was given command of 110th Infantry Brigade. He was appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregiv ...

in the

1918 New Year Honours The 1918 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Ja ...

. He returned to the staff on 16 May 1918. He was promoted major-general "for valuable services rendered in connection with the War" in the 1919 New Year Honours. During the war he was Mentioned in Despatches a further five times.

Retirement

Loch retired from the army in 1922. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk on 27 February 1922, when he was living at

Stoke College Stoke College in Stoke-by-Clare, near Haverhill, Suffolk, England, is a co-educational day school for children aged 11 to 18, with boarding for children aged 11 to 18. It is built on the site of a major medieval monastic college. History of t ...

Stoke-by-Clare Stoke-by-Clare is a small village and civil parish in Suffolk located in the valley of the River Stour, about two miles west of Clare. In 1124 Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford, moved the Benedictine Priory that had been established at ...

, Suffolk. From 1924 to 1925 he was

.Captains of the Yeoman of the Guard
/ref> He also became president of the Legion of Frontiersmen. He was still in the Reserve of Officers at the outbreak of the Second World War, but was not recalled for service. However, when the Home Guard was formed, he served as an Area Commander, despite being over-age, and this position being equivalent in rank only to a brigadier. In 1927, Loch became chairman of the

. In 1931 this involved him in the case of Mick the Miller, which led to a controversial rerun of the Greyhound Derby. He became Captain of the Yeoman of the Guard again in 1929. In 1931 he took part in the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one ...

on the yacht ''Candide''. Loch had an estate in Suffolk and was an

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members ...

on West Suffolk County Council. Other positions he held included chairman of the United Service Fund, chairman of governors of

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...

and associate joint treasurer for

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

, London.

Family

Loch married Lady Margaret Louisa Lizzie Compton, daughter of

William Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton William George Spencer Scott Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton, KG (23 April 1851 – 15 June 1913), known as Lord William Compton from 1877 to 1887 and as Earl Compton from 1887 to 1897, was a British peer and Liberal politician. Early li ...

, on 6 June 1905. They had two sons and three daughters, and he was succeeded by George Loch, 3rd Baron Loch. He died in a London hospital on 14 August 1942, his funeral service was at the

Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks The Royal Military Chapel, commonly known as the Guards' Chapel, is a British Army place of worship that serves as the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in Westminster, Greater London. Completed in 1838 in the sty ...

, London on 20 August 1942, followed by burial at Stoke-by-Clare. Grave of Edward Loch

References

External links

Loch welcoming Prince and Princess Chichibu 1937
* * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Loch, Edward, 2nd Baron 1873 births 1942 deaths People educated at Winchester College Grenadier Guards officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army generals of World War I Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom People in greyhound racing British Army major generals British Army personnel of the Mahdist War Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the Royal Victorian Order Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Deputy Lieutenants of Suffolk Members of West Suffolk County Council Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley