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{{short description| Officer in the British Indian Army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Alexander Robert Badcock
|image=
|caption=
|rank=[[General (United Kingdom)|General]]
|branch={{army|British India|23px}}
|commands=
|unit=
|battles=
|awards= [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Companion of the Order of the Star of India]]
|family=
|nickname=
|allegiance= {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
|birth_date=11 January 1844<ref>''UK, British Army Lists, 1882–1962''</ref>
|death_date=23 March 1907 (aged 63)
|birth_place=[[Taunton]], Somerset, England<ref>''1901 England Census''</ref>
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|serviceyears=
|other work=
}}
[[General]] '''Sir Alexander Robert Badcock''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|CSI}} (11 January 1844 – 23 March 1907) was a general in the British Indian Army.

==Life==
Badcock was educated at [[Harrow School]], the son of Henry Badcock (1801–1888), a [[Taunton]] banker. His grandfather, Isaac Badcock and his great-uncle, John Badcock had founded "Badcock's Bank" at Taunton in 1800, which later became known as "Stuckey's Bank" and then the Westminster Bank.<ref>Tyler, Colonel J.C: 'Badcock of Devon and Somerset', Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, December, 1927</ref>

He obtained his first commission as ensign on 1 Oct. 1861, was promoted lieutenant on 1 Oct. 1862 and captain on 1 Oct. 1873, brevet-colonel on 2 March 1885, major-general on 1 April 1897, lieutenant-general on 3 April 1900.{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

After a brief period of regimental duty with the [[38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot|38th Foot]] and then the [[29th Punjabis|29th Bengal Native Infantry]], he entered the Indian commissariat department in 1864, where he remained till 1895, rising to the highest post of commissary general-in-chief, December 1890.{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

In his three earliest campaigns, [[Bhutan War]] (1864–5), the [[Black Mountain Expedition]] (1868), and [[Perak War|Perak]] (1875–6) he attracted notice for his foresight and power of organisation, winning the thanks of the government. His next service was as principal commissariat officer under Major-General [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Frederick Roberts]] in the [[Kurram Valley Field Force]] (1878–9) during the [[ Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Afghan War]], taking part in the [[battle of Peiwar Kotal]] and other actions. Returning from furlough when operations were resumed in late 1879, he joined the [[Kabul Field Force]], and owing to his preparations, Lord Roberts found in the [[Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment|Sherpur Cantonment]] when it was invested: 'supplies for men stored for nearly four months and for animals for six weeks.'{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

Badcock also assisted in recovering the guns abandoned near Bhagwana, and finally when the Kabul-Kandahar Field Force, consisting of 9,986 men and eighteen guns with 8,000 followers and 2,300 horses and mules, started on 9 August 1880 he relieved Roberts's 'greatest anxiety,' and the force reached Kandahar, 313 miles from Kabul, on 31 August, with a safe margin of supplies. For these services he received the [[Afghanistan Medal (United Kingdom)|Afghanistan Medal]] and three clasps, the bronze [[Kabul to Kandahar Star]], brevets of major and lieutenant-colonel, and made a companion of the [[Order of the Bath]] (CB). Roberts reported to the government that he knew of 'no officer so well qualified as Major Badcock to be placed at the head of the commissariat in the field.'{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

In 1885, Badcock collected transport for the [[Mahdist War|Sudan]], and in 1895 was made a companion of the [[Order of the Star of India]] (CSI), and the thanks of the government for his services in connection with the [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]] [[Chitral Expedition|Relief Force]]. He was appointed quartermaster-general in India on 7 November 1895. Besides these appointments he acted as secretary in the military department 1890–1 and was president of a committee to consider the grant of compensation for the dearness of provisions, October 1894.{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

Returning to England on his retirement at the expiration of his term of office as quartermaster-general in 1900, he took an active part in the organisation of the [[Imperial Yeomanry]], and was appointed member of the Secretary of State's [[Council of India]]. He became a Knight Commander of the [[Order of the Bath]] (KCB) in the [[1902 Coronation Honours]] list published on 26 June 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Coronation Honours |date=26 June 1902 |page=5 |issue=36804}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27448 |date=26 June 1902|page=4190|supp=y}}</ref> and invested as such by King [[Edward VII]] at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 24 October 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=25 October 1902 |page=8 |issue=36908}}</ref>

He died in London on 23 March 1907, while still a member of the Council of India, and was buried at Taunton.{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

==Family==
He married in 1865, Theophila Lowther, daughter of John Shore Dumergue, [[Indian Civil Service|I.C.S.]], judge of [[Aligarh]], by whom he had four sons and a daughter. All his sons entered the army. Sir Alexander appears in the picture of officers who took part in the Kabul–Kandahar march published by Major Whitelock of Birmingham in 1911.{{sfn|Lee|1912}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Attribution
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Badcock, Alexander Robert}}
[[Category:1844 births]]
[[Category:1907 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Bhutan War]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Perak War]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Chitral Expedition]]
[[Category:Members of the Council of India]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:People from Taunton]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Somerset]]

Alexander Robert Badcock - Revision history

UpdateBot at 02:38, 16 February 2022