British General, GCMG, KCB, DSO was a senior British Army officer with a long and distinguished career. He was born to physician Daniel Rutherford Haldane and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth née Lowthorpe, James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane came from a family of distinguished Scottish aristocrats based in Gleneagles. In 1882, at the age of 20, Aylmer was commissioned as a British officer of the Gordon Highlanders. On 18 February 1886, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Between 1894 and 1895, Haldane was part of the Waziristan Field Force and participated in the Chitral Expedition. Promoted to Captain on 13 Aug 1896, he was soon dispatched to quell the Afridis rebellion in the Tirah campaign for the next two years (1897–1898). He became aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief East Indies in 1898 and then fought in the Second Boer War. While imprisoned in Pretoria during the Boer War, he planned the escape which made Winston Churchill famous. Haldane failed to escape at the same time and later complained of Churchill's lack of regard for those who should have escaped with him. However, he later managed his own escape. Awarded the DSO on 20 May 1898, he was promoted to Major in 1902 and to brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 24 July of that year. He became military attaché with the Japanese Army in 1904. Promoted to brevet Colonel, he was appointed a CB on 16 March 1906, receiving confirmation as a substantive Colonel in November. On 1 October 1909, Haldane was promoted to temporary Brigadier-General and in 1910 become Commander of 10th Infantry Brigade.

British General, GCMG, KCB, DSO was a senior British Army officer with a long and distinguished career. He was born to physician Daniel Rutherford Haldane and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth née Lowthorpe, James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane came from a family of distinguished Scottish aristocrats based in Gleneagles. In 1882, at the age of 20, Aylmer was commissioned as a British officer of the Gordon Highlanders. On 18 February 1886, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Between 1894 and 1895, Haldane was part of the Waziristan Field Force and participated in the Chitral Expedition. Promoted to Captain on 13 Aug 1896, he was soon dispatched to quell the Afridis rebellion in the Tirah campaign for the next two years (1897–1898). He became aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief East Indies in 1898 and then fought in the Second Boer War. While imprisoned in Pretoria during the Boer War, he planned the escape which made Winston Churchill famous. Haldane failed to escape at the same time and later complained of Churchill's lack of regard for those who should have escaped with him. However, he later managed his own escape. Awarded the DSO on 20 May 1898, he was promoted to Major in 1902 and to brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 24 July of that year. He became military attaché with the Japanese Army in 1904. Promoted to brevet Colonel, he was appointed a CB on 16 March 1906, receiving confirmation as a substantive Colonel in November. On 1 October 1909, Haldane was promoted to temporary Brigadier-General and in 1910 become Commander of 10th Infantry Brigade.