James Bruce Jardine
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
James Bruce Jardine CMG DSO
DL
(1870—17 March 1955) was a British
soldier and diplomat. He earned the rank of Brigadier-General in the service of the 5th Lancers.
and then the Royal Military College
at Sandhurst. Jardine was the grandson of the explorer James Bruce
who traced the source of the Nile River; and he was named for that maternal ancestor. In December 1908, he married Agnes Sara Hargreaves Brown. His wife was the daughter of Sir Alexander Brown, 1st Baronet
.
, including the defence of Ladysmith and the sortie of 7 December 1899, for his actions in South Africa he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1901.
In 1904, Captain Jardine was sent to Tokyo
to learn the Japanese language
. He and his superiors were anticipating what would become the Russo-Japanese War
. He was posted to the British legation as one of several military attaché
s, including Captain Alexander Bannerman
, Captain Berkeley Vincent
and Captain Arthur Hart-Synnot
.
When the First World War
began, Jardine held the rank of Major. He commanded 97th Brigade of 32nd Division during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
In later life, Jardine was named Deputy Lieutenant
(DL
) of Roxburghshire
, Scotland. and from 1952 an ensign in the Royal Company of Archers
.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
James Bruce Jardine CMG DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(1870—17 March 1955) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier and diplomat. He earned the rank of Brigadier-General in the service of the 5th Lancers.
Family life
Jardine was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1870 and was educated at Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and then the Royal Military College
Royal Military College
The Royal Military College can refer to:* Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, Canada* Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada* Royal Military College, Duntroon in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, Australia...
at Sandhurst. Jardine was the grandson of the explorer James Bruce
James Bruce
James Bruce was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia, where he traced the origins of the Blue Nile.-Youth:...
who traced the source of the Nile River; and he was named for that maternal ancestor. In December 1908, he married Agnes Sara Hargreaves Brown. His wife was the daughter of Sir Alexander Brown, 1st Baronet
Sir Alexander Brown, 1st Baronet
Sir Alexander Hargreaves Brown, 1st Baronet was an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1906....
.
Career
Jardine joined the 5th Lancers in 1890 and saw active service in the South African WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, including the defence of Ladysmith and the sortie of 7 December 1899, for his actions in South Africa he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1901.
In 1904, Captain Jardine was sent to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to learn the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. He and his superiors were anticipating what would become the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. He was posted to the British legation as one of several military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
s, including Captain Alexander Bannerman
Alexander Bannerman
Sir Alexander Bannerman was a British merchant, vintner, politician and colonial governor.-Background:...
, Captain Berkeley Vincent
Berkeley Vincent
Brigadier-General Sir Berkeley Vincent, KBE CB CMG was a British army officer and sportsman.-Biography:...
and Captain Arthur Hart-Synnot
Arthur Henry Seton Hart-Synnot
Arthur Henry Seton Hart-Synnot CMG, DSO and Bar was a British Army general. He was educated at Clifton College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst....
.
When the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began, Jardine held the rank of Major. He commanded 97th Brigade of 32nd Division during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
In later life, Jardine was named Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
) of Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, Scotland. and from 1952 an ensign in the Royal Company of Archers
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
.
Honours and awards
- Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG)., 1917.
- Order of the Sacred TreasureOrder of the Sacred TreasureThe is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 1905. - Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO), 1901.