James Bruce Jardine


Brigadier General James Bruce Jardine was a British soldier and diplomat.

Family life

James Bruce Jardine was born in Edinburgh in 1870, and named after the explorer James Bruce who was a maternal ancestor. Jardine was educated at Charterhouse School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In December 1908, he married Agnes Sara Hargreaves Brown, the daughter of Sir Alexander Brown, 1st Baronet.

Military career

Jardine joined the 5th Royal Irish Lancers in 1890. He saw active service in the Second Boer War, including the Siege of Ladysmith and the Gun Hill sortie on the night of 7/8 December 1899. As Lieutenant Jardine, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 29 November 1900, for his actions in South Africa.
Jardine was subsequently promoted to captain and, in January 1904, he was one of a group of British army officers recently posted as military attachés to the British legation in Tokyo. His colleagues included Captain Alexander Bannerman, Captain Berkeley Vincent, and Captain Arthur Hart-Synnot. They had been sent to study the Japanese language but, on 2 January, Jardine stated: "After all, we have come out for this war only". He and his superiors had anticipated the onset of the Russo-Japanese War.
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 of Roxburghshire, and from 1952 an ensign in the Royal Company of Archers.

Honours and awards

CMG : Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.DSO : Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, for services during the Second Boer War in South Africa.