Charles Loftus Bates

Brigadier-General Sir Charles Loftus Bates (2 August 1863 – 1951) was a British Army officer who served in the Second Boer War and the First World War. He was a cavalry officer in the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards and the commanding officer (CO) of the Northumberland Hussars, part of the Yeomanry reserve. He stood as the prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for Hexham and became the Chairman of the Race Course Owners Association and several coal companies. History Charles Loftus Bates was born 2 August 1863, at Aydon, Northumberland, the son of Thomas Bates. He was educated at Eton College. He became a second lieutenant in the Northumberland Militia (Royal Artillery) in January 1881, before joining the regular army as a lieutenant in the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards in January 1884. He served in this cavalry regiment until 10 March 1896, when as a captain, he resigned from the regular army. He was later appointed a captain in the Reserve. Reserve Following the outbreak of the Second Boer War in late 1899, Bates volunteered for service with the Imperial Yeomanry, where he was commissioned a captain on 7 February 1900. He left Liverpool for South Africa the same week, and served with the 5th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. On 18 October 1901 he was promoted to major in the yeomanry regiment the Northumberland Hussars, while still serving as a captain with the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa. After the end of the war, he relinquished his active commission in the Imperial Yeomanry in October 1902. He was severely wounded during the war, and appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his service.