Colonel Richard George Amherst Luard KCB, 62nd Regiment of Foot. Luard was born on 29 July 1827 the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Luard, 4th Dragoons and 16th Lancers who served with Wellington in the Peninsula and at Waterloo. Luard was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and obtained his commission without purchase in the 51st Regiment of Foot on 3 July 1845. He transferred to the 3rd Foot (the Buffs) later the same year. He served in the Crimea with the 77th regiment of Foot from March 1855 and on the staff as Brigade Major to General Straubenzee. He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at Head Quarters from June 1855. For service in the Crimea he was entitled to the Crimea War medal with the "Sebastopol"clasp, the Sardinian Crimea Medal, and the Turkish Order of the Medjidie 5th Class. He served in the 2nd China War (1857-58) as Brigade Major of the 2nd Brigade and received a Mention in Despatches for being the first man on the walls of Canton. He was entitled to the 2nd China War Medal with the clasp "Canton". He transferred to the 62nd Regiment of Foot on 2 May 1865. Back in England, he served as A.D.C. to General Sir James Scarlett and as Assistant Inspector of Volunteers from 1860 to 1865. He was Assistant Military Secretary to Sir William O'Grady Haly in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1873 to 1875. Assistant Adjutant General , Northern District (Manchester) from 1875 to 1877. From 1880 to 1884 he was General Officer Commanding the Forces of Canada. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Ensign - 6 July 1845 Lieutenant - 14 May 1847 Captain - 23 November 1852 Major - 2 November 1855 Lieutenant-Colonel - 20 July 1858 Half Pay/Adjutant 1st Cinque Ports Rifles - 30 October 1859 Assistant Inspector of Volunteers - 1860 to 1865 Colonel - 4 August 1864 Major-General - 11 January 1870 Lieutenant-General - 1 December 1884 Justice of the Peace, Sussex - 1887 Retired Pay - 1 May 1890 He married Hannah Chamberlin in 1863. The couple had six sons an one daughter. One son, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Bourryau Luard, DSO, of the 1/Shropshire Light Infantry was killed in action at Ypres in 1915. Richard George Amherst Luard passed away on 24 July 1891. Colonel Richard Luard was the cousin of Captain Henry Reynolds Luard. R. E. who served in British Columbia. Carte de Visite G. H. Martyn Photographer 145 Union Street, Plymouth, England c. 1865 |