 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Birch aiva mwanakomana wechipiri waMajor Richard Birch uye akaberekerwa kuLlanrhaiadr, Denbighshire uye akadzidza paGiggleswick School, Marlborough College uye Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Akapiwa basa muRoyal Horse Artillery muna 1885. Muna 1895 kusvika 1896 akatora chikamu muAshanti expedition, uye muSouth Africa akashanda neRoyal Horse Artillery muCavalry Division pasi pehutungamiri hwaSir John French, achitora chikamu mukununurwa kweKimberley, mashandiro muOrange Free State neTransvaal, uye aripo paHondo yeDiamond Hill. Akasimudzirwa kuva mukuru muna Chikumi 1900, uye akashanda muCape Colony gore rakatevera. Muna Ndira 1902 akagamuchira chinzvimbo chenguva pfupi chemutevedzeri-koloneli paakapihwa kutungamira kwe30th battalion yeImperial Yeomanry, iyo yakabva kuSouthampton ichienda kuSouth Africa mwedzi mina gare gare. Vakasvika pakuvamba kwaMay, nokukurumidza pashure pokuguma kwehondo. 