The Pollock Medal is a prize awarded to the best cadet of the season, in commemoration of Sir George Pollock's exploits in Afghanistan, first at the East India Company's Military Seminary, at Addiscombe Military Academy, and later at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[1]
Contents |
In 1844, the British inhabitants of Calcutta raised a subscription of 11,000 rupees to commemorate General George Pollock’s victories in Afghanistan after the disastrous retreat of the British army of occupation from Kabul 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.”
The original medal, 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, and Awarded by the Court of Directors of the East India Company, to the most distinguished Cadet of the Season.
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
The following is the roll of Pollock Medalists until February 1875 as recorded on tablets fixed on the walls of the great dining hall of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich:
| NAME | AWARDED | GAZETTED TO | NAME | AWARDED | GAZETTED TO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward C.S. Williams | June, 1848 | Bengal Engineers | James J. Mc. L. Innes | December, 1848 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Thomas G. Montgomerie | June, 1849 | Bengal Engineers | George A. Craster | December, 1849 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Patrick Stewart | June, 1850 | Bengal Engineers | Frederick S. Stanton | December, 1850 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Henry Goodwyn | June, 1851 | Ditto | James P. Basevi | December, 1851 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Arthur M. Lang | June, 1852 | Bengal Engineers | Salisbury M. Trevor | December, 1852 | Bengal Engineers | |
| John M. Champain | June, 1853 | Bengal Engineers | Edward R. Holland | December, 1853 | Bombay Engineers | |
| William Jeffreys | June, 1854 | Bengal Engineers | Aeneas R. R. Macdonald | December, 1854 | Tempry. Commission H.E.I.Co’s Engrs. | |
| Charles H. Luard | June, 1855 | Bengal Engineers | John Eckford | December, 1855 | Bengal Engineers | |
| John M. McNeile | June, 1856 | Bengal Engineers | John Herschel | December, 1856 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Keith A. Jopp | June, 1857 | Bombay Engineers | Lewis C. Gordon | December, 1857 | Bengal Engineers | |
| William M. Campbell | June, 1858 | Bombay Engineers | William H. Pierson | December, 1858 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Arthur W. Elliot | June, 1859 | Not appointed – resigned the service | William Shepherd | December, 1859 | Bengal Engineers | |
| Allan J. C. Cunningham | June, 1860 | Bengal Engineers | Kellow C. Pye | December, 1860 | Royal Engineers | |
| William J. Williamson | June, 1861 | General List, Royal Infantry |
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 took over the training of new officers.
| NAME | AWARDED | GAZETTED TO | NAME | AWARDED | GAZETTED TO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton S. Beauchamp | December, 1861 | Royal Engineers | ||||
| Thomas Fraser | June, 1862 | Royal Engineers | Valentine F. Rowe | December, 1862 | Royal Engineers | |
| Herbert P. Knocker | June, 1863 | Royal Engineers | Francis Mascall | December, 1863 | Royal Engineers | |
| Henry R. G. Georges | June, 1864 | Royal Engineers | William G. Nicholson | December, 1864 | Royal Engineers | |
| Sydney L. Jacob | June, 1865 | Royal Engineers | Charles M. Watson | December, 1865 | Royal Engineers | |
| John E. Broadbent | June, 1866 | Royal Engineers | Harry M. Chambers | December, 1866 | Royal Engineers | |
| Felician R. de Wolski | June, 1867 | Royal Engineers | Francis J. Day | December, 1867 | Royal Engineers | |
| George S. Clarke | June, 1868 | Royal Engineers | Henry H. S. Cunynghame | December, 1868 | Royal Engineers | |
| Henry J. Harman | June, 1869 | Royal Engineers | Richard de Villamil | December, 1869 | Royal Engineers | |
| Herbert C. Chermside | June, 1870 | Royal Engineers | Phillip Cardew | December, 1870 | Royal Engineers | |
| Henry G. Kunhardt | June, 1871 | Royal Engineers | Henry E. McCallum | February, 1872 | Royal Engineers | |
| John C. Addison | June, 1872 | Royal Engineers | William C. Godsal | October, 1872 | Royal Engineers | |
| Henry D. Love | February, 1873 | Royal Engineers | John C. Campbell | June, 1973 | Royal Engineers | |
| Matthew H. P. R. Sankey | October, 1873 | Royal Engineers | Charles F. Hadden | February, 1874 | Royal Artillery | |
| Hugh M. Sinclair | July, 1874 | Royal Engineers | Maurice A. Cameron | February, 1875 | Royal Engineers |
The above two lists are taken from Memoir to Illustrate the Origin and Foundation of the Pollock Medal (Boddy and Co., Military Publishers, Woolwich, 1875).
Research has uncovered other recipients of the Pollock medal:
| NAME | AWARDED | GAZETTED TO | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hubert John Foster | 1876? | Royal Engineers, January 1875 | Australian Dictionary of Biography |
| Matthew Nathan | 1880 | Royal Engineers May 1880 | Jewish Encyclopedia |
| James Edward Edmonds | 1881 | Royal Engineers July 1881 | University of Birmingham |
| J F W Johnson | 1884 | Little Stour Books - memoir listed in catalogue | |
| G P Lenox-Conyngham | 1885 | Royal Engineers | Biographic Memoir by E.C. Bullard |
| James Morris Colquhoun Colvin | 1889 | Royal Engineers July 1889 | Royal Engineers Museum |
| Edmund Tillotson Rich | ? | Royal Engineers July 1893 | Royal Geographical Society |
| Kenneth Essex Edgeworth | ? | Royal Engineers 1900 | Institut de Mecanique Celeste et de Calcul des Ephemerides (IMCCE)/CERES 2001 |
| Rowland Latimer Almon | 1907 | Royal Engineers 1907 | Lorettonian Society |
| John Edward Lovelace Carter | 1935 | Royal Engineers | |
| John Robert Edward Hamilton-Baillie | 1938 | Royal Engineers 1939 | Obituaries in The Times and Daily Telegraph |
| David Willison | 1939 | Royal Engineers 1938 | Obituary in The Times |
Memoir to Illustrate the Origin and Foundation of the Pollock Medal (Boddy and Co., Military Publishers, Woolwich, 1875), although anonymous, probably written by Field Marshal Sir Linton Simmons. Available at http://www.pollock.4mg.com/Memoir.htm
Other recipients of the Pollock Medal:
Maurice A Cameron February 1875 Royal Engineers
H J Foster February 1875 (Royal Engineers)
(commission dates follow, not medal award dates)
V.H.P Caillard August 1875
J H Cowan February 1876
W H Turton August 1876
A P Codd January 1877
H W Laffan Junwe 1877
E Agar October 1877
A M Mantell January 1878
S Davidson December 1878
I Winn April 1879
I Dallas July 1879
E H Hemming February 1880
M Nathan May 1880
W F H S Kincaid July 1880
C Hill July 1881
I F Edmonds July 1881
I R L Macdonald February 1882
R I H L Mackenzie July 1882
Source A Copy of the "Memoir to illustrate the origin and foundation of the Pollock Medal" given to H D Love (1873 recipient) by Lt Gen Simmons and currently held by Capt. S Marshall RE (Gt.Gt.Granddaughter of HD Love).