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Lieutenant Colonel Richard Romer Claude BAGGALLAY DSO MC
11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars attached to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards Date of birth: 4th May 1884 Date of death: 12th December 1975 Died aged 91 Buried at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Lingfield, Surrey
Richard Romer Clause Baggallay was born at 20 Onslow gardens, Brompton in London on the 4th of May 1884, the eldest son of Claude Baggallay QC, a barrister at law, and Mabel Anne (nee Wyatt) Baggallay of 20 Elvaston Place London SW and of "Wilderwien", East Grinstead in Sussex. He was christened at St Jude's Church, Kensington on the 27th of June 1884. He was educated at Hazelwood School until April 1898. He went on to Marlborough College where he was in Littlefield House from April 1898 to July 1902. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Officer Training Corps on the 29th of September 1901 and resigned his commission with the Corps on the 27th of September 1902 when he left school. He went on to the Royal Military College Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars on the 13th of August 1904, was promoted to Lieutenant on the 17th of March 1905 and to Captain on the 2nd of March 1911. He retired to the Special Reserve on the 3rd of January 1914. He first played for Derbyshire County Cricket Club against the Australians in 1912 and was elected as their Captain on the 1st of November 1912 for the 1913 and 1914 seasons, becoming joint Captain in 1919. He scored 688 runs in his first class career at an average of 11.86 and took 24 catches. He played for the Household Cavalry and later served on the Advisory County Cricket Committee at Lords. On the outbreak of war he rejoined the army and went to France on the 16th of August 1914. He was appointed as Aide de Camp to General Allenby OC BEF Cavalry on the 5th of November 1914 following the death in action of Lieutenant George Garth Marshall the previous day. He was promoted to Staff Captain on the 30th of May 1916. He transferred to the Irish Guards on the 15th of October 1916 and was awarded the Military Cross in the New Year’s Honours List of the 1st of January 1917. He was promoted to Acting Major while on the headquarters staff of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on the 30th of March 1917 and relinquished his rank on the 23rd of May 1917. He took command of the battalion on the 6th of July 1917, relieving Major Hon H. R. Alexander, while the former went on a course at Aldershot. He was promoted to Acting Major again on the 22nd of July 1917 while serving on the headquarters staff, which he relinquished again shortly afterwards. On the 24th of October 1917 he was promoted to Acting Major once again and on the 20th of June 1918 was promoted to Acting Lieutenant Colonel while commanding the 1st Battalion Irish Guards which he led until the end of the war. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1919 and was appointed as an Aide De Camp on the 7th of May 1919, being promoted to Temporary Major while so employed. On the 3rd of June 1919 he was promoted to Brevet Major; he was mentioned in despatches three times during the war and was wounded on one occasion. From April to July 1919 he served as Military Secretary to Lord Ypres, the Viceroy of Ireland. In August 1919 he became Assistant Military Secretary to Viscount Allenby as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force based in Cairo and was seconded to the Staff on the 10th of October 1919. He relinquished the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on the 24th of May 1920 and was promoted to Major on the 23rd of December 1920. On the 25th of May 1920 he was appointed as Assistant District Commissioner for the Sudan from 1920 until the 24th of May 1922 when he transferred to Constantinople, returning home in 1923. He retired from the army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on the 12th of May 1926, with seniority from the 24th of November 1924 and joined the Reserve of Officers. He was released from the reserve due to age on the 4th of May 1939. He was married firstly in 1910 to Kathleen Constance Charlotte Fitzgerald (nee Murphy) and they had two children, Grainne and Dennis A.R., born in 1918. He was married again on the 17th of April 1922 to Phyllis Mildred Harriett Legge (nee Ford). During the Second World War he rejoined the Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was Commander of the Men’s Alien Internment Camps on the Isle of Man from 1940 to 1942. He listed cricket, riding and skiing amongst his interests and he was a member of the Guards Club. He died at Kensington after a short illness, the last of the pre Great War County Cricket captains. He was buried on the 23rd of February 1976.

Went on to Marlborough College