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Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Bourryau Luard, DSO

Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Bourryau Luard, DSO (20 September 1870 to 24 April 1916), was a British Army Officer (1891 to April 1916).

Family Life He was born in 1871 at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, Sussex, England, the son of Lieutenant-General Richard George Amherst Luard, CB, British Army and Commander-in-Chief Canadian Militia and Hannah Chamberlin of Hale, Surrey, England. They had five children including Edward: Lieutenant Richard Chamberlin Luard, Oxfordshire Light Infantry (born 12 July 1864); Admiral John Scott Luard, CB (Born 1865 – died 1936); Lieutenant George D. Luard, Scottish Rifles (born 1866) and Jessie Elizabeth de V. Luard (born 1867).

Edward married Louise Henrietta Smith in 1905 at Hereford, Herefordshire, England in the Lady Chapel of the Hereford Cathedral. (Reference The Peerage Person page 53498). She was the daughter of Reverend Sidney Smith, treasurer of Hereford Cathedral. Louise Henrietta Luard was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) (London Gazette 30 March 1920) for her services as Honorary Secretary, Shropshire Light Infantry Prisoners of War Fund. She became the first Lady Mayor of Hereford in 1929 and again in 1936. She died at home in Hereford on 21 June 1945.

Military He entered Sandhurst and then joined the British Army as an Ensign in the Shropshire Light Infantry on 2 May 1891. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 11 February 1894 and was awarded the Gold Medal for services rendered during the plague at Hong-Kong in 1894, "for services in connection with operations in the field.” He was promoted to Captain on 11 August 1900. He served in South Africa from 1899 to 1902 on staff and was present in operation in the Transval from 1900 to 1902 also serving as a Signalling Officer from 09 June to 04 September 1901.  He received the Queen’s Medal with three clasps.  He was promoted to Major on 11 February 1910.  He served in WW1 from 1914 including Armentiere and Ypres.  He was Mentioned-in-Despatches on 08 October 1914 (London Gazette of 19 October 1914).  He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1915 (London Gazette 18 February 1915).  He was mentioned in Despatches 14 Jan 1916 and 30 November 1915 and 30 April 1916.

He was made a Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 1st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 06 August 1915 and relinquished the rank on 29 December 1915 (London Gazette). On 22 March 1916 he was again made a Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel (London Gazette of 19 April 1916). He was mortally wounded with a shrapnel bullet in the head on Good Friday 21 April 1916 at the retaking of the Ypres Langemark Trenches and died of his wound on Easter Monday 24 April 1916 while commanding the 1st Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. His grave reference is Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery V-A-23. He is named on a memorial at St Alkmund's church, Blyborough, Lincolnshire, along with four members of the Luard family who were killed in the First World War: Major Charles Elmhirst Luard DSO, Norfolk Regiment, killed in action at Chivres Hill, Missy-sur-Aisne on 15 September 1914; Colonel Frank William Luard, Royal Marine Light Infantry, killed in action at Gallipoli on 13 July 1915; Lieutenant Peter Dalbiac Luard, Scottish Rifles, reported missing and believed killed in action in the attack on the Bulgars, near Lake Doiran on 19 September 1918.

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