Christopher Ling
CountryEngland
FullnameChristopher George Ling
Birth date6 November 1880
Birth placeWetheral, Cumberland, England
Death date21 May 1953 (aged 72)
Death placeCamberley, Surrey, England
BattingUnknown
BowlingUnknown
Club 1Europeans
Year 11905/06
Columns1
Column 1First-class
Matches 11
Runs 118
Bat avg 118.00
100s/50s 1–/–
Top score 114
Deliveries 166
Wickets 10
Bowl avg 1
Fivefor 1
Tenfor 1
Best bowling 1
Catches/stumpings 1–/–
Date4 December
Year2022
Sourcehttps://www.espncricinfo.com/player/christopher-ling-30782 ESPNcricinfo

Christopher George Ling (6 November 1880 – 21 May 1953) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer.

The son of Christopher Ling senior,[1] he was born in November 1880 at Wetheral, Cumberland. He was educated at Bradfield College, where he played for both the cricket and football elevens.[2] Ling was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) in June 1900.[3] Transferring to the 1st Middlesex Engineers,[4] he attended the Royal Indian Engineering College and graduated from there in October 1902.[5] He was sent to British India in 1905, where he was posted to the 3rd Sappers and Miners of the British Indian Army.[2] In July 1905, he was promoted to lieutenant.[6] While serving in India, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Parsees at Poona in the 1905–06 Bombay Presidency Match.[7] Batting twice in the match, he ended the Europeans first innings of 137 all out on 4 not out, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 14 runs by Jehangir Warden. With the ball, he bowled 11 wicketless overs.[8] He was seconded to the Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich in January 1913, where he was placed in command of a company of gentlemen cadets,[9] with promotion to captain following in October of the same year.[10]

At the beginning of the First World War in the summer of 1914, he was placed in command of companies of gentlemen cadets at the RMA.[11] Later serving on the Western Front with the Royal Engineers, Ling was decorated with the Military Cross in 1916 Birthday Honours.[12] He was promoted to major in October 1917,[13] with appointment to the General Staff in December of the same year.[14] Ling was further decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 New Year Honours.[15]

Following the war, he was temporarily appointed in February 1921 as chief instructor in military engraving and geometrical drawing at the RMA.[16] In December 1923, he was appointed to the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel,[17] before being appointed to the War Office in March 1926,[18] an appointment which he relinquished in January 1927.[19] Ling was promoted to colonel in April 1928,[20] before being appointed a temporary brigadier in February 1931 whilst director of military operations at British Indian Army headquarters.[21] In October 1936, his employment in the army ceased and he was placed on the half-pay list.[22]

Ling was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1937 Coronation Honours,[23] and was later appointed by George VI as an Officer in the Order of Saint John in the 1947 New Year Honours.[24] During his military career, Ling served as the honorary secretary of the Army Football Association.[1] Ling retired to England, where he died at Camberley in May 1953.

References

  1. ^ Debrett, John (1931). Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, with the Knightage, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Dean & Son. p. 1829.
  2. ^ The Bradfield College Register. Oxford: Holywell Press. 1909. p. 183.
  3. ^ No. 27203. 19 June 1900. p. 3821.
  4. ^ No. 27381. 29 November 1901. p. 8415.
  5. ^ No. 27488. 28 October 1902. p. 6805.
  6. ^ No. 27822. 28 July 1905. p. 5226.
  7. ^ "First-Class Matches played by Christopher Ling". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Presidency Match 1905/06". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  9. ^ No. 28680. 10 January 1913. p. 245.
  10. ^ No. 28762. 7 October 1913. p. 6983.
  11. ^ No. 28953. 27 October 1914. p. 8636.
  12. ^ No. 29608. 2 June 1916. p. 5575.
  13. ^ No. 30468. 8 January 1918. p. 685.
  14. ^ No. 30479. 15 January 1918. p. 920.
  15. ^ No. 30450. 28 December 1917. p. 23.
  16. ^ No. 32222. 8 February 1921. p. 1133.
  17. ^ No. 32892. 28 December 1923. p. 9110.
  18. ^ No. 33146. 30 March 1926. p. 2275.
  19. ^ No. 33240. 18 January 1927. p. 364.
  20. ^ No. 33374. 10 April 1928. p. 2634.
  21. ^ No. 33709. 21 April 1931. p. 2578.
  22. ^ No. 34329. 6 October 1936. p. 6364.
  23. ^ No. 34396. 11 May 1937. p. 3079.
  24. ^ No. 37842. 3 January 1947. p. 122.