Lieutenant
General Wilkinson was born on 15th November 1825 and became an Ensign
in the 43rd Light Infantry on 27th December 1842. A Scottish touch
saw him appointed Captain of the 42nd Highlanders on 17th October
1851. He became a Colonel on the 16th March 1863, a Major General
on 28th October 1868 and retired as a Lieutenant General on 9th
December 1881. He became Colonel of the 2nd Queen’s on 15th
October 1891 and Colonel of The Oxfordshire Light Infantry on 29th
August 1893.
An active soldier, he took part in the Crimean Campaign of 1854
- 1855, being present at the battle of Alma and the siege and fall
of Sebastapol, thus earning the appropriate medal with two clasps,
the Turkish Medal and the 5th Class of Medjidie. Later, in the Indian
Mutiny of 1857 - 1858, he was present at the action of Kalla Nudee,
the siege and fall of Lucknow, the capture of Fort Rooyah, the action
of Allygunge and the battle of Bareilly. Gaining the appropriate
medal with clasp, he was also Mentioned in Despatches in 1858 and
1859. |