| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Christopher George Ling
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 November 1880 Wetheral, Cumberland, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 21 May 1953(1953-05-21) (aged 72) Camberley, Surrey, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1905/06 | Europeans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 4 December 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher George Ling CB OStJ MC DSO (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 ParseesatPoona 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 Crossin1916 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.
