Bertrand Evelyn Mellish Gurdon

Gurdon was born on 2 September 1867 at Simla, Punjab, India,[9][10] the third son of Major-General Evelyn Pulteney Gurdon.[11][12] He was the uncle of the university administrator Bertrand Hallward.

He received education and training from Haileybury Imperial Service College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[13] He was commissioned into the British Indian Army on 25 August 1886.[14][15] His first posting was in the Foreign and Political Department of the British Indian Army.[16] In 1892 he was posted as Assistant to the British Agent at Gilgit.[17] As Lieutenant, in 1892, he was posted as Acting Assistant Political Agent in Chitral in the turbulent period following the death of Mehtar Aman ul-Mulk. He was serving in that capacity when the Siege of Chitral unfolded in 1895.[18][19][20]

He played an active role during the conflict,[21][22][23] and was subsequently decorated as Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.[24][25][26] Following the lifting of the siege Gurdon was stationed in Chitral as Assistant Political Officer of the state until late 1902.[27] In 1900 he was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire.[28] In 1903 he was appointed Political Agent of the Gilgit Agency and served there until 1906.[29][30] In 1908 he was entrusted with the post of Political Agent Khyber Agency.[31] His next posting was as Political Agent Rajputana Agency. 1912 saw Gurdon being promoted as Ltieutenant Colonel.[32][33] He later served as Political Agent of the Phulkian States Agency from 1913 to 1916.[34] He was scheduled for another promotion but owing to ill health sought leave and then premature retirement in 1918.[35]

Gurdon died a natural death at the age of 82 in Crowborough, Sussex on 6 October 1949.[36][37][38]