Charles Granville Bruce was born on 7 April 1866, the youngest of 14 children of Henry Bruce, 1st Baron Aberdare, and Norah Napier, daughter of General Sir William Francis Patrick Napier. He was educated at Harrow and Repton and spent his childhood in Scotland, Wales and London. He was very strong and athletic. He joined the Indian Army and was commissioned into the 5th Gurkhas in 1889. He was a fearsome wrestler and organised matches for his soldiers, but he was best known for mountaineering and organised two expeditions to Mount Everest.
With the rank of brevet major, he commanded the first of the King’s Indian Orderlies detachments to London in 1903. In World War One he served at Gallipoli, where he commanded the 1st Battalion, 6th Gurkhas. He was severely wounded and sent back to India. In 1916 he was promoted to brigadier, commanding the Bannu Brigade until 1919. The attempts at reaching the summit of Everest were organised by him in 1922 and 1924. He was appointed Colonel of the 5th Gurkha Rifles in 1931. Brigadier-General the Hon. Charles Bruce CB MVO died of a stroke on 12 July 1939.
