Christopher Bromhead Birdwood, 2nd Baron Birdwood, MVO (22 May 1899 – 5 January 1962), was a British hereditary peer, soldier and author.
The son of Field Marshal Lord Birdwood and Janetta Hope Gonville Bromhead (daughter of Sir Benjamin Parnell Bromhead, 4th Baronet,[1] and niece of Gonville Bromhead, VC). He was baptised at Twickenham, London, England. Lord Birdwood was educated at Clifton College and Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Berkshire. He was commissioned as a second Lieutenant on to the Unattached List, Indian Army on 21 December 1917. In France he was Aide-de-Camp to the General Officer Commanding the Australian Corps and 5th Army, his father, from 10 March 1918 to 28 February 1919. For his service he was Mentioned in Dispatches. He was decorated with the Order of Aviz of Portugal (London Gazette 21 August 1919). He arrivied in India on 10 April 1919 and was appointed to the Indian Army on 15 April 1919 and posted to the King Edward VII's Own Lancers (Probyn's Horse) of the Indian Army. As per the London Gazette of 12 September 1919 he was promoted Lieutenant, antedated to 22 December 1918. In February 1920 he was promoted Acting Captain whilst attached to the 2/76th Punjabis, additionally being made Adjutant in July 1920. He fought in the Waziristan Campaign between 1919 and 1920. He returned to the 11th KEO Lancers by March 1921, by which time they had amalgamated with the 12th Cavalry to form 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse. He was promoted to Captain on 21 December 1921. Between 1923 and 1925 he served on the North West Frontier with various units of the Frontier Corps. He was Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief at India, his father, between 13 May 1929 and 29 November 1930. He was appointed British Officer in Charge of the King's Indian Orderly Officers in 1932. He was promoted to Major on 21 December 1935. He fought in the Waziristan Campaign again between 1936 and 1937. He was appointed a Squadron Commander in Probyn's Horse 15 January 1938, but was appointed Commandant of the Governors Body Guard, Bombay on 21 March 1938. He was again appointed British Officer in Charge of the King's Indian Orderly Officers in 1939. For this service he was invested as a Member, Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1939 (London Gazette 8 June 1939). He fought in the Second World War, returning to Probyn's Horse in August 1940 and rose to become temporary second in command by April 1942, later he served on the Staff. He was promoted to Lt-Col on 21 December 1943 and retired due to ill-health on 4 June 1945.
He married, firstly, Elizabeth Vere Drummond Ogilvie, daughter of Lt.-Col. Sir George Drummond Ogilvie and Lorna Rome, on 7 March 1931 at Delhi, India. He and Elizabeth Vere Drummond Ogilvie were divorced in 1953. In the meantime, he had succeeded to his father's titles on 17 May 1951. He married, secondly, Joan Pollack Graham, by then known as Jane, the daughter of Christopher Norman Graham, on 22 February 1954. After his death, Jane Birdwood, Baroness Birdwood became an activist on the far-right of British politics.
Works[]
- Nuri as Said: a study in Arab leadership
- Two Nations and Kashmir
- A History of the Worcestershire Regiment
- A Continent Decides
- A Continent Experiments
References[]
- London Gazette
- Indian Army List (Various issues between 1919-1945)
External links[]
- A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Lord Christopher B. Birdwood" is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
The original article can be found at Christopher Birdwood, 2nd Baron Birdwood and the edit history here.