Sir Aylmer Haldane | |
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General Sir Aylmer Haldane |
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Born | 17 November 1862 |
Died | 19 April 1950 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | British Army |
Years of service | 1882-1925 |
Rank | General |
Commands held | 10th Infantry Brigade 3rd Division 6th Army Corps |
Battles/wars | Second Boer War World War I |
Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
General Sir James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane GCMG, KCB, DSO (17 November 1862 – 19 April 1950)[1] was a senior British Army officer with a long and distinguished career.
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Born to physician Daniel Rutherford Haldane and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth née Lowthorpe, James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane came from a family of distinguished Scottish aristocrats based in Gleneagles. In 1882, at the age of 20, Aylmer was commissioned as a British officer of the Gordon Highlanders.[2] On 18 February 1886, he was promoted to Lieutenant.
Between 1894 and 1895, Haldane was part of the Waziristan Field Force and participated in the Chitral Expedition. [2] Promoted to Captain on 13 Aug 1896, he was soon dispatched to quell the Afridis rebellion in the Tirah campaign for the next two years (1897–1898).[2] He became aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief East Indies in 1898 and then fought in the Second Boer War.[2] While imprisoned in Pretoria during the Boer War, he planned the escape which made Winston Churchill famous. Haldane failed to escape at the same time and later complained of Churchill's lack of regard for those who should have escaped with him. However, Haldane later managed his own escape. He became military attaché with the Japanese Army in 1904 and in 1910 become Commander of 10th Infantry Brigade.[2]
He fought in World War I initially as General Officer Commanding 3rd Division, then part of the British Expeditionary Force.[2] He was given command of 6th Army Corps in France in 1916.[2]
After the War he was appointed General Officer Commanding Mesopotamia 1920 remaining in that post until 1922; he retired in 1925.[2] Haldane died on 19 April 1950, at his home in London and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery.[1]
"I regret that on my arrival in Mesopotamia I was too much occupied with military matters, and too ill-informed regarding the political problem." [3]
Captain Aylmer Haldane was portrayed in the 1972 movie Young Winston by British actor Edward Woodward, OBE.
Haldane's published writings encompass 6 works in 8 publications in 1 language and 311 library holdings.[4]
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Colin Mackenzie |
General Officer Commanding the 3rd Division 1914–1916 |
Succeeded by Cyril Deverell |
Preceded by John Keir |
General Officer Commanding the VI Corps 1916–1919 |
Succeeded by Post Disbanded |