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

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer and peer. After serving in Cape Colonial Forces in South Africa he joined the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

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

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

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

Royal Household of the United Kingdom The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, f ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, 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 in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

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 Government of the United Kingdom, UK Government post usually held by the Government Whip (politics), Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is Margaret Whe ...

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 people, British soldier and colonial administrator. Military service Henry Loch was the son of James Loch, Member of Parliament, of Drylaw, Midlothian. He enter ...

, 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 an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

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

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

and served in the locally raised militia, the Cape Colonial Forces, rising to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

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

. 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) 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 of t ...

for his part in the

Battle of Omdurman The Battle of Omdurman, also known as the Battle of Karary, 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 ...

, and awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

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

Boer War

Loch was seconded from his regiment to the staff 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 or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

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, Member ...

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 most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, dated 29 November 1900. He participated in the battles of Belmont, Enslin, Modder River 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, Norther ...

, was badly wounded and received the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

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 a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

in early 1902. He was appointed a Member of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(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 and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

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 (armed forces), 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 ...

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, which ...

, 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 direct ...

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 rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

(GSO), Grade 2 at the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

. 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" (without ...

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. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

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 Horace Smith-Dorrien's II Corps. On 16 December 1914 was appointed a general staff officer, grade 1 of the 28th Division. Loch was given substantive promotion to lieutenant colonel on 13 March 1915 and continued to serve as the 28th Division's GSO1 during the

Second Battle of Ypres The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915, during the First World War, for control of the tactically-important high ground to the east and the south of the Flanders, Flemish town of Ypres, in western Belgium. The ...

. On 27 May he was promoted to temporary brigadier general and became brigadier general, general staff of

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 dur ...

. He was appointed a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

the next month. He received a brevet colonelcy on 1 January 1916. He served as chief of staff in

. He received the Croix d'Officier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1917. On 22 July 1917 he was given command of 110th Brigade in 21st Division. 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 caregi ...

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 Janu ...

. 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 Clare, 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 the ...

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

, Suffolk. From 1924 to 1925 he was

. He also became president of the

Legion of Frontiersmen The Legion of Frontiersmen is a civilian nationalist paramilitary organisation formed in Britain in 1905 by Roger Pocock, a former North-West Mounted Police constable and Boer War veteran. Prompted by fears of an impending invasion of Britain and ...

. 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 Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

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 Mick the Miller (29 June 1926 – 6 May 1939) was a male brindle greyhound. He is celebrated as the first great greyhound racing, racing greyhound to compete in England (although he was born in Ireland). Despite a short three-year racing career ...

, 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 is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

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

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

West Suffolk West Suffolk may refer to the following places in Suffolk, England: * West Suffolk (county), a county until 1974 * West Suffolk District, a local government district established in 2019 * West Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency), an electoral di ...

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

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2-18 private, day and boarding school for boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a public school, it began as the College of God's Gift, founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, with the original purpose of ...

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 f ...

, London.

Family

Loch married Lady Margaret Louisa Lizzie Compton, daughter of William Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton, 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, 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 Officers of the Legion of Honour Deputy lieutenants of Suffolk Members of West Suffolk County Council Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley