Colonel Charles Hubert Clay was originally gazetted to the Royal Irish Fusiliers as a 2nd Lieutenant in February 1884 and transferred to the Indian Army in April 1886 as a Lieutenant in the 43rd Bengal Infantry. Subsequently employed in the operations of the 1st Brigade in the Ruby Mines Expedition 1886-87, including the advance from Khanyat, he went on to qualify in Russian and become Regimental Adjutant in the course of 1890. In the following year he was actively engaged in the Manipur Expedition on the North East Frontier of India and in February 1895 advanced to Captain. Clay was next employed by the Intelligence Branch and did not return to regular military duties until his appointment as a Major in the 7th Gurkhas in February 1902. Advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in March 1909, he served as Commanding Officer of the 8th Gurkhas from 1909-14 and was a G.S.O. 1 in Quetta from October of the latter year until September 1916. He retired as a full Colonel in July 1919 and died in April 1941.