General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Sir George Malcolm (10 September 1818 – August 1897) was an officer in the

Bombay Army The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three presidencies of Presidencies and provinces of British India, British India. It was established in 1662 and governed by the East India Company until the Government of India A ...

and British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

Early life

He was born at Bombay on 10 September 1818, was the only son of David Malcolm, a Bombay merchant, who was the brother of Admiral Sir Pulteney and General Sir John Malcolm. He was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton, the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and at

Addiscombe Military Seminary The East India Company Military Seminary was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It opened in 1809 and closed in 1861. Its purpose was to train young officers to serve in the East India ...

Military career

He was commissioned into the

on 10 June 1836, and was posted to the 1st Bombay Native Infantry on 18 July 1837. He served in the

First Anglo-Afghan War The First Anglo-Afghan War ( fa, جنگ اول افغان و انگلیس) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Afghanistan, Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking si ...

, as deputy-assistant commissary-general and baggage-master with the Bombay division, and was present at the battle of Ghazni and occupation of

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

. In August 1840, at the head of a detachment of Sind Irregular Horse, he joined the force sent under Major Clibborn to relieve Kahan in

Baluchistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

, took part in the attempt to force the Nafusk pass, and was mentioned in despatches for his gallantry. He was also engaged in the operations against Nusseer Khan and the Brahoes, and the capture of their camp near Kanda on 1 December. He received the medal. He became lieutenant on 31 August 1840. He served under Colonel John Jacob during the subjugation of Sind, and was present at the battle of Shadadpur and the capture of Shahpur. In the Second Anglo-Sikh War, he commanded the 2nd Sind horse, and was present at the siege of Multan and the battle of Gujrat. He was mentioned in despatches, received the medal, and on becoming captain in his regiment (1st Bombay native infantry) he was given a brevet majority on 22 June 1849. He became lieutenant-colonel on 28 November 1854. He served in the Anglo-Persian War of 1856-7, and commanded a small field force during the Indian mutiny. On 29 November 1857, he stormed the fortified village of Halgalli. He took possession of

Shorapur Surapura, also called Shorapur, is a city and taluka in Yadgir district in the Indian state of Karnataka and a historical place. Surapura was the land of the famous prince of Surapura aasthana, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka, the young rebel freedom fi ...

on 9 February 1858, and on 2 June he captured the fort of Nargund, the strongest in the South Maratha country. He was mentioned in despatches, received the medal, and was appointed CB on 21 March 1859. He became colonel in the army on 30 August 1860, and major-general on 15 December 1867. In the

expedition to Abyssinia The British Expedition to Abyssinia was a rescue mission and punitive expedition carried out in 1868 by the armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire (also known at the time as Abyssinia). Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, t ...

in 1868 he commanded the second division, which guarded the line of communications. He was included in the vote of thanks of parliament, was advanced to KCB on 14 August 1868, and received the medal. He was promoted lieutenant-general on 29 May 1875, and general on 1 October 1877, and was placed on the unemployed supernumerary list on 1 July 1881. He was advanced to GC on 29 May 1886. He died at Leamington on 6 April 1897.

Family

On 19 October 1852 he married Wilhelmina Charlotte, youngest daughter of the Rev. Henry Alright Hughes. She survived him. In 1868 he printed for private circulation at Karachi ''Remarks on the Indian Army'' (18 pages), in which he dwelled on the danger of relying on European troops and of neglecting and discrediting the native army, as had been the tendency since the mutiny.

Honours and awards

Malcolm received the following awards: *1858 – CB *1868 - KCB *1886 – GCB

References

;Attribution *

Sources

*Obituary of General Sir George Malcolm, The Times, Wednesday, 7 April 1897 (pg. 12; Issue 35171; col D) {{DEFAULTSORT:Malcolm, George 1818 births 1897 deaths People educated at Blundell's School Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Graduates of Addiscombe Military Seminary British East India Company Army officers British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War British military personnel of the Abyssinian War British Indian Army generals Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Sikh War British military personnel of the Anglo-Persian War