Christopher Ling

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Christopher George Ling

| nickname =

| birth_date = 6 November 1880

| birth_place = Wetheral, Cumberland, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1953|5|21|1880|11|6|df=yes}}

| death_place = Camberley, Surrey, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling = Unknown

| role =

| family =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1905/06

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 18

| bat avg1 = 18.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 14

| deliveries1 = 66

| wickets1 = 0

| bowl avg1 = –

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = –

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 4 December

| year = 2022

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/christopher-ling-30782 ESPNcricinfo

}}

Christopher George Ling {{postnominal|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,{{cite book|title=Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, with the Knightage, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|first=John|last=Debrett|year=1931|publisher=Dean & Son|location=London|page=1829|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTcaAQAAMAAJ|language=en}} 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.{{cite book|title=The Bradfield College Register|year=1909|publisher=Holywell Press|location=Oxford|page=183|url=https://archive.org/details/b29009479|language=en}} Ling was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) in June 1900.{{London Gazette|issue=27203|date=19 June 1900|page=3821}} Transferring to the 1st Middlesex Engineers,{{London Gazette|issue=27381|date=29 November 1901|page=8415}} he attended the Royal Indian Engineering College and graduated from there in October 1902.{{London Gazette|issue=27488|date=28 October 1902|page=6805}} He was sent to British India in 1905, where he was posted to the 3rd Sappers and Miners of the British Indian Army. In July 1905, he was promoted to lieutenant.{{London Gazette|issue=27822|date=28 July 1905|page=5226}} While serving in India, he made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Parsees at Poona in the 1905–06 Bombay Presidency Match.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13938/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Christopher Ling|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 December 2022|url-access=subscription}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6907.html|title=Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Presidency Match 1905/06|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 December 2022|url-access=subscription}} 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,{{London Gazette|issue=28680|date=10 January 1913|page=245}} with promotion to captain following in October of the same year.{{London Gazette|issue=28762|date=7 October 1913|page=6983}}

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.{{London Gazette|issue=28953|date=27 October 1914|page=8636}} Later serving on the Western Front with the Royal Engineers, Ling was decorated with the Military Cross in 1916 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=29608|date=2 June 1916|page=5575|supp=y}} He was promoted to major in October 1917,{{London Gazette|issue=30468|date=8 January 1918|page=685|supp=y}} with appointment to the General Staff in December of the same year.{{London Gazette|issue=30479|date=15 January 1918|page=920|supp=y}} Ling was further decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 New Year Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=30450|date=28 December 1917|page=23|supp=y}}

Following the war, he was temporarily appointed in February 1921 as chief instructor in military engraving and geometrical drawing at the RMA.{{London Gazette|issue=32222|date=8 February 1921|page=1133|supp=y}} In December 1923, he was appointed to the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel,{{London Gazette|issue=32892|date=28 December 1923|page=9110}} before being appointed to the War Office in March 1926,{{London Gazette|issue=33146|date=30 March 1926|page=2275}} an appointment which he relinquished in January 1927.{{London Gazette|issue=33240|date=18 January 1927|page=364}} Ling was promoted to colonel in April 1928,{{London Gazette|issue=33374|date=10 April 1928|page=2634}} before being appointed a temporary brigadier in February 1931 whilst director of military operations at British Indian Army headquarters.{{London Gazette|issue=33709|date=21 April 1931|page=2578}} In October 1936, his employment in the army ceased and he was placed on the half-pay list.{{London Gazette|issue=34329|date=6 October 1936|page=6364}}

Ling was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1937 Coronation Honours,{{London Gazette|issue=34396|date=11 May 1937|page=3079|supp=y}} and was later appointed by George VI as an Officer in the Order of Saint John in the 1947 New Year Honours.{{London Gazette|issue=37842|date=3 January 1947|page=122}} During his military career, Ling served as the honorary secretary of the Army Football Association. Ling retired to England, where he died at Camberley in May 1953.