Sir Thomas Troubridge, 3rd Baronet
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Sir Thomas St Vincent Hope Cochrane Troubridge, 3rd Baronet CB
(25 May 1815 – 2 October 1867) was an officer of the British Army
who served with distinction during the Crimean War
.
Born into a distinguished family with strong military connections, two grandfathers and his father had been admirals in the Royal Navy
, Troubridge entered the army and rose through the ranks, serving at first with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, and then the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot, the latter being a regiment he would later command. He served with his regiment in many stations throughout the Empire
, inheriting his father's baronetcy in 1852, and held the rank of major in 1854 when the Crimean War
broke out. Troubridge went out with his regiment and saw action in some of the early battles of the war, playing an important role in the Battle of Alma
. He was involved in the heavy fighting surrounding the defence of British gun batteries during the Battle of Inkerman
, and was badly wounded, losing his right leg and left foot. He refused to leave the battlefield until the attacks had been repulsed, and was commended for his gallantry by his commanding officer.
He returned to Britain and received a number of awards and promotions for his actions in the Crimea, but was unable to return to front-line service due to his injuries. He remained active in the army in superintending parts of the supply and logistics forces, which he carried out until his death in 1867.
. He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and entered the army, purchasing
his commission as an ensign
in the 73rd Foot on 24 January 1834. He was promoted to lieutenant on 30 December 1836 in the Royal Fusiliers (again by purchase), then seeing service around the Empire
, at Gibraltar
, the West Indies, and Canada
. Troubridge obtained further promotions, purchsing the rank of captain on 14 December 1841, and major on 9 August 1850. On the death of his father in 1852 he became the 3rd baronet.
With the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, Troubridge was sent with his regiment to the Crimea
, and was involved in several of the early battles, seeing action at the Battle of Alma
, the operations around the Siege of Sevastopol, and the Battle of Inkerman
. At Alma he commanded the Royal Fusiliers' right wing, on the right of the Light Division
under Sir George Brown. During the battle Troubridge and the Royal Fusiliers engaged the left wing of the Kazan regiment, and Troubridge led his forces under heavy fire on an assault on the fortified heights. He remained with the Royal Fusiliers during their operations in support of the allied Siege of Sevastopol, and then saw action at Inkerman on 5 November 1854. At Inkerman Troubridge was the field officer of the day, and was in the reserve of the light division in the Lancaster battery. The position was attacked by Russian troops, and came under heavy fire from Russian guns brought up on the east of the Careenage Ravine to enfilade them. Meeting heavy resistance the Russians concentrated their forces against the battery, and in the desperate fighting that followed Troubridge was wounded by a shot which carried off his right leg and left foot. He refused to be removed from the position, and remained at his post for the next two hours until the attack was beaten off, his limbs propped up on a gun carriage to prevent him from bleeding to death. He was then removed to the hospital after the battle had finished. In Lord Raglan's
despatches of 11 November (gazetted
on 2 December), Troubridge was Mentioned as having "behaved with the utmost gallantry and composure", despite his wounds.
lieutenant colonel on 12 December 1854 "for distinguished Service in the Field", but his injuries caused him to be invalided home in May 1855. He was present, in a chair, at the distribution of medals and awards by Queen Victoria on 18 May to those who had distinguished themselves in the Crimea, when he was made an aide-de-camp
to the Queen with the rank of brevet colonel. Troubridge was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855. He also received foreign awards from Britain's allies in the Crimea. The French appointed him Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur
, while the Ottomans appointed him to the Fourth Class of the Order of the Medjidie.
Troubridge received substantive promotion to lieutenant-colonel (without purchase), and thus became the commanding officer of the Royal Fusiliers on 9 March 1855, but his disability prevented him from serving with it. He was placed on half pay with the 22nd Regiment of Foot on 14 September, but accepted the appointment of director-general of army clothing in 1855. The post was abolished on 2 February 1857, but Troubridge immediately took the successor position as deputy adjutant-general (clothing department). During his time in the post he designed a new valise to address what he saw as the defects in the standard army issue one. His design was approved by the leading medical officers and was so successful that it became the foundation of future forms of equipment.
on 1 November 1855. The couple had three sons and four daughters. Among them their third son, Ernest Troubridge
, became a distinguished naval officer, achieving the rank of admiral. Louisa Troubridge died on 29 August 1867, with Sir Thomas dying five weeks later on 2 October 1867, at his home at 8 Queen's Gate
, Hyde Park
, Kensington
. He was 52. A private funeral ceremony was held, and Sir Thomas was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
. His eldest son, Thomas Herbert Cochrane Troubridge, born in 1860, succeeded to the baronetcy.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(25 May 1815 – 2 October 1867) was an officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
who served with distinction during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
Born into a distinguished family with strong military connections, two grandfathers and his father had been admirals in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Troubridge entered the army and rose through the ranks, serving at first with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, and then the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot, the latter being a regiment he would later command. He served with his regiment in many stations throughout the Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, inheriting his father's baronetcy in 1852, and held the rank of major in 1854 when the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
broke out. Troubridge went out with his regiment and saw action in some of the early battles of the war, playing an important role in the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
. He was involved in the heavy fighting surrounding the defence of British gun batteries during the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
, and was badly wounded, losing his right leg and left foot. He refused to leave the battlefield until the attacks had been repulsed, and was commended for his gallantry by his commanding officer.
He returned to Britain and received a number of awards and promotions for his actions in the Crimea, but was unable to return to front-line service due to his injuries. He remained active in the army in superintending parts of the supply and logistics forces, which he carried out until his death in 1867.
Family and early life
Troubridge was born on 25 May 1815, the eldest son of Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge, and his wife Anna Maria, herself the daughter of another naval officer, Admiral Sir Alexander CochraneAlexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
. He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and entered the army, purchasing
Sale of commissions
The sale of commissions was a common practice in most European armies where wealthy and noble officers purchased their rank. Only the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army never used such a system. While initially shunned in the French Revolutionary Army, it was eventually revived in the...
his commission as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 73rd Foot on 24 January 1834. He was promoted to lieutenant on 30 December 1836 in the Royal Fusiliers (again by purchase), then seeing service around the Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, the West Indies, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Troubridge obtained further promotions, purchsing the rank of captain on 14 December 1841, and major on 9 August 1850. On the death of his father in 1852 he became the 3rd baronet.
Crimean War
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, and was involved in several of the early battles, seeing action at the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, the operations around the Siege of Sevastopol, and the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
. At Alma he commanded the Royal Fusiliers' right wing, on the right of the Light Division
Light Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
under Sir George Brown. During the battle Troubridge and the Royal Fusiliers engaged the left wing of the Kazan regiment, and Troubridge led his forces under heavy fire on an assault on the fortified heights. He remained with the Royal Fusiliers during their operations in support of the allied Siege of Sevastopol, and then saw action at Inkerman on 5 November 1854. At Inkerman Troubridge was the field officer of the day, and was in the reserve of the light division in the Lancaster battery. The position was attacked by Russian troops, and came under heavy fire from Russian guns brought up on the east of the Careenage Ravine to enfilade them. Meeting heavy resistance the Russians concentrated their forces against the battery, and in the desperate fighting that followed Troubridge was wounded by a shot which carried off his right leg and left foot. He refused to be removed from the position, and remained at his post for the next two hours until the attack was beaten off, his limbs propped up on a gun carriage to prevent him from bleeding to death. He was then removed to the hospital after the battle had finished. In Lord Raglan's
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB, PC , known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British soldier.-Early life:...
despatches of 11 November (gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 2 December), Troubridge was Mentioned as having "behaved with the utmost gallantry and composure", despite his wounds.
Post-war
Troubridge was promoted to brevetBrevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
lieutenant colonel on 12 December 1854 "for distinguished Service in the Field", but his injuries caused him to be invalided home in May 1855. He was present, in a chair, at the distribution of medals and awards by Queen Victoria on 18 May to those who had distinguished themselves in the Crimea, when he was made an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Queen with the rank of brevet colonel. Troubridge was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855. He also received foreign awards from Britain's allies in the Crimea. The French appointed him Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, while the Ottomans appointed him to the Fourth Class of the Order of the Medjidie.
Troubridge received substantive promotion to lieutenant-colonel (without purchase), and thus became the commanding officer of the Royal Fusiliers on 9 March 1855, but his disability prevented him from serving with it. He was placed on half pay with the 22nd Regiment of Foot on 14 September, but accepted the appointment of director-general of army clothing in 1855. The post was abolished on 2 February 1857, but Troubridge immediately took the successor position as deputy adjutant-general (clothing department). During his time in the post he designed a new valise to address what he saw as the defects in the standard army issue one. His design was approved by the leading medical officers and was so successful that it became the foundation of future forms of equipment.
Family and death
Troubridge married Louisa Jane Gurney, a granddaughter of James Hay, 15th Earl of ErrollJames Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll was the son of William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock.He was born with the name of James Boyd but legally changed it to James Hay in 1758, when he succeeded his great-aunt as Earl of Erroll .In 1749, he married Rebecca Lockhart In 1762,...
on 1 November 1855. The couple had three sons and four daughters. Among them their third son, Ernest Troubridge
Ernest Troubridge
Admiral Sir Ernest Charles Thomas Troubridge KCMG, MVO was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the First World War, later rising to the rank of admiral....
, became a distinguished naval officer, achieving the rank of admiral. Louisa Troubridge died on 29 August 1867, with Sir Thomas dying five weeks later on 2 October 1867, at his home at 8 Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate
Queen's Gate is a major street in South Kensington, London, England. It runs from Kensington Road south, intersecting with Cromwell Road, and then on to Old Brompton Road....
, Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. He was 52. A private funeral ceremony was held, and Sir Thomas was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
. His eldest son, Thomas Herbert Cochrane Troubridge, born in 1860, succeeded to the baronetcy.