Percy Lake

Lake was born at Fulwood Barracks, Preston, Lancashire on 29 June 1855, where his father was stationed. He was the son of Lt.-Colonel Percy Godfrey Botfield Lake (1829–1899) and his wife Margaret Phillips of Quebec City. He was educated at Preston Grammar School and Uppingham School.[1]

Lake was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the 59th Regiment of Foot in 1873.[2] He fought on the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878 and in Sudan in 1885.[2] He was promoted to lieutenant on 9 August 1873.[3]

He became Deputy Assistant Adjutant General and Quartermaster General in Egypt in 1885, Staff Captain at Army Headquarters in 1887 and Deputy Assistant Adjutant General (Intelligence) at Army Headquarters in 1888.[2] He went on to be Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at Dublin District in Ireland in 1892, Quartermaster General for the Canadian Militia in 1893,[2] and Assistant Quartermaster General (Intelligence) at Army Headquarters in British India in September 1899.[4] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 22 August 1902.[5]

After that Lake became Chief Staff Officer for 2nd Army Corps in 1904, Chief of the Canadian General Staff in 1905 and Inspector General of the Canadian Militia in 1908.[2]

He then became General Officer Commanding 7th Indian Division in India in 1911 and Chief of the General Staff in India from 1912.[2] In January 1916 he was appointed Commander of the Mesopotamian Force, as part of an expeditionary force sent to relieve Sir Charles Townshend's troops at Kut.[6] In 1913 he was given the colonelcy of the East Lancashire Regiment, which he held until 1920.[7]

He was created Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 1 January 1916.[8]

Following the war he formally retired on 20 November 1919.[9] He died on 17 November 1940 in Victoria, British Columbia.[1]

Barker, A. J., The First Iraq War, 1914–1918: Britain's Mesopotamian Campaign (New York: Enigma Books, 2009), ISBN 978-1-929631-86-5