The Pollock Medal is a prize awarded to the best cadet of the season, in commemoration of Sir
George Pollock
Field Marshal Sir George Pollock, 1st Baronet (4 June 1786 – 6 October 1872) was a British Indian Army officer. He first saw action at the Battle of Deeg and at the Siege of Bhurtpore during the Second Anglo-Maratha War before taking part i ...
's exploits in Afghanistan, first at the
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 South ...
's
Military Seminary at Addiscombe, and later at the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Foundation
In 1844, the British inhabitants of Calcutta raised a subscription of 11,000 rupees to commemorate
General George Pollock’s victories in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
after the
disastrous retreat of the British army of occupation from
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 January 1842. This was to consist of a medal to be presented twice a year “to the most distinguished cadet at the East India Company’s Military Seminary, at Addiscombe, near Croydon in England, on passing the biennial examination for a commission.”
Description
The original medal, with a weight of 2oz and valued at sixteen guineas, was designed by General Macleod and was first presented in December 1847, with the following inscription:
''To commemorate eminent services''
''Major-General Sir George Pollock, K.C.B.''
''Bengal Artillery, Cabul 1842''
''Treachery avenged – British honour vindicated – Disasters retrieved – British captives delivered –
Khyber Pass forced –
Jellalabad relieved – Victories of Mamoo Khail, Jugdulluck, Tezeen, Istaliff''
And on the reverse:
''Military Seminary, Addiscombe''
''Pollock Prize''
''Presented by the British Inhabitants of
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, and Awarded by the Court of Directors of the
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 South ...
, to the most distinguished Cadet of the Season.''
Changes
In 1861, the Secretary of State for India, who was now responsible for the management of Indian affairs after the British government had taken India over from the East India Company, decided to have a new medal of a smaller size. The medal was valued at twelve guineas, and part of the inscription recording the services of Sir George Pollock and his army was omitted.
The new version continued to have the portrait of Sir George Pollock but with the inscription:
''Pollock, Cabul, 1842''
And on its reverse:
''Pollock Prize, Royal Military Academy''
''Founded by the British inhabitants of Calcutta to commemorate the eminent services of Major-General Sir George Pollock, G.C.B., and awarded to the most distinguished Cadet of the season''
Although Sir George Pollock was not consulted over the changes, he continued to present the medal in person whenever his health allowed him until 4 months before his death, when he presented it to John Copsey Addison in June 1872.
In 1861 the East India Company handed over control of its Indian possessions to the British government and the East India Company's military units were incorporated into the British army. The Military Seminary at Addiscombe was closed and the
Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...
took over the training of new officers, and the awarding of the Pollock Medal.
With the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the training course ceased. In 1947 the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and
Royal Military College at Sandhurst were amalgamated to become the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Sandhurst now presents the top cadet with the
Queen's Medal.
Holders
The following is the roll of Pollock Medallists until February 1875 as recorded on tablets fixed on the walls of the great dining hall of the
Royal Military Academy at Woolwich:
Awarded at Addiscombe
Awarded at Woolwich
The above two lists are taken from the ''Memoir to Illustrate the Origin and Foundation of the Pollock Medal'' (1875),
Memoir to Illustrate the Origin and Foundation of the Pollock Medal
(Boddy and Co., Military Publishers, Woolwich, 1875) published anonymously but probably written by Field Marshal Sir Lintorn Simmons
Field Marshal Sir John Lintorn Arabin Simmons (12 February 1821 – 14 February 1903) was a British Army officer. Early in his career he served as Inspector of Railways, Secretary of the Railways Commission and then Secretary of the Railway Dep ...
. Updated March 2016 by the son (see edit history for contact information) of the December 1928 recipient to include recipients after July 1875 using supplementary pages in his father's copy of the book. The following list was created from the RMAS Old College Notice Board. Note that in December 1925 there were two classes commissioned (Last of 4-term; first of 3-term.)
Notes
{{reflist
Decorations of the British Army
Awards established in 1848