A very good Companion of the Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. Military Division, Egyptian Campaign Battle of Tel-El-Kebir and Punjab Frontier operations group awarded to Lieutenant Colonel, later Major-General F.G. Atkinson, 13th Bengal Lancers, Indian Army who having been educated at Great Ealing School would be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry before transferring to the 13th Bengal Lancers, Indian army with whom he was present in Egypt at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir near Kassassin on 13th September 1882 and later in the operations in the Punjab Frontier which lasted from 10th June 1897 until 6th April 1898. He would later be appointed a Companion of the Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division in the King’s Birthday Honours of 1908 and would retire with the honorary rank of Major General on 1st September 1914 after 34 years of service.
Group of 4: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion, C.B., Military Division, silver-gilt and enamels; Egypt Medal 1882-1889, reverse dated 1882, 1 Clasp Tel-El-Kebir; correct engraved naming; (LIEUT F.G. ATKINSON. 13TH BENGAL LANCERS.) India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 1 Clasp: Punjab Frontier 1897-98; correctly engraved naming; (LIEUT. COL. F.G. ATKINSON. 13TH BN LCRS.) Khedives Star, dated 1882. Court-mounted for display.
Condition: court-mounted for display, contact wear to the 2nd and 3rd medals, thus Very Fine, CB and Khedives Star, Good Very Fine
Francis Garnett Atkinson was born on 10th November 1857 in Great Ouseburn, North Yorkshire, he was the son of Thomas Atkinson, who was the village Vicar and Henrietta Jane Atkinson. He was educated at Great Ealing School, and upon leaving at age 18, he was commissioned as Lieutenant into the Royal Marine Light Infantry.
On 21st August 1880, he was transferred to the 13th Bengal Lancers, Indian Army and was this was made permanent under the Royal Warrant of 17th January 1881. On 10th December 1883 he married Elizabeth August Snow Prestage, the daughter of Franklin Prestage, a railway engineer who proposed the construction of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
He would be present in Egypt at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir near Kassassin in Egypt on 13th September 1882. Promoted to Captain on 15th September 1887 and Major on 2nd September 1886 he would subsequently see service during the operations on the Punjab Frontier which lasted from 10th June 1897 to 6th April 1898.
He would be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 20th May 1898 and full Colonel on 10th February 1904. He would be made a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division in the King’s Birthday Honours List of 1908 as an Indian Army, Brigade Commander whilst holding the rank of Brigadier General. On the 1st of September 1914, he retired after thirty-four years of service with the honorary rank of Major-General. Francis Garnett Atkinson passed away on the 25th July 1941 in the family home at Northallerton, North Yorkshire.
His son Eric Garnett Atkinson would be appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order and would be Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Madras 1912-13 and would make his name as a Polo player with the Indian Tigers before the outbreak of the Great War. He would serve in France with the 15th King’s Hussars, 5th Royal Irish Lancers and 36th Jacobs Horse receiving a Mention in Despatches in 1917. He would later see service on the North West Frontier and in the Waziristan operations of 1919 and 1921.
Transferring to the 15th Lancers in 1922, he would be appointed to the command of the Governor-General’s (Viceroy’s) Bodyguard. In 1924 he was a member of the England polo team in the first post-war international match against the USA for the Westchester Cup at the Hurlingham Club. The American team of the time being recognised as one of the greatest ever seen on any field, taking the series.