Born 1862 in England. Educated at Eton. Joined the 2nd Middlesex Militia (The Edmonton Rifle Regiment). Gazetted as Lieutenant in 10th Royal Hussars in India, where he spent less than a year before the unit was sent to the Sudan, where he saw action. Returned to England and passed Staff College. Commanded South African Light Horse during Boer War. Achieved brevet Lieut-Colonel in 1900, and got a Brigade in 1905. Major-General, CO of East Anglian Division TF, in 1910. In 1912, appointed to command of British forces in Egypt.

• October 1914: Major-General, Officer Commanding 3rd Cavalry Division, part of IV Corps under Rawlinson
• May 1915 : appointed to command of Cavalry Corps, taking over from from Allenby
• August 1915 : took command of IX Corps on Gallipoli, from Stopford
• February 1916 : took command of XVII Corps on the Western Front
• May 1916 : promoted Lieut-General and took command of Canadian Corps
• June 1917 : appointed to command of Third Army

The Byng Boys, a popular army-slang reference to Third Army borrowed from a musical that was all the rage in London in 1916 and 1917: 'The Bing Boys are here'.

1925 promoted Commander-in-Chief,India. 1930 appointed Governor-General of Australia.

Knighted 1915.