Alfred Templeman

Alfred Templeman
Born1833
Uplyme, Devonshire
Died7 December 1914
Hazelwood, Budleigh Salterton, Devonshire
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1852 - 1887
RankMajor General
Unit21st Regiment of Foot
Battles / warsCrimean War
Siege of Sevastopol
Battle of the Alma
Battle of Inkerman
Battle of the Great Redan
Battle of Kinburn (1855)
Battle of Balaclava
AwardsLegion of Honour, 5th Class

Major-General Alfred Templeman (1833 – 7 December 1914) was a career officer in the British Army, serving for 35 years and taking part in many of the major actions of the Crimean War. He was educated at King's School, Bruton,[1] and in 1874 he became a member of the United Service Club.[2] He was also involved in horse racing, stewarding at least one race in Rangoon in 1869.[3]

Military service

Templeman purchased his commission of 2nd lieutenant in the 21st Regiment of Foot on 26 March 1852,[4] and later the rank of lieutenant on 4 March 1853.[5]

Crimean War

Templeman was present on the front lines of the Battle of Inkerman with the 21st as part of the Fourth Division and sustained minor injuries to the hand, being listed by Alexander Kinglake and acknowledged in the London Gazette.[6] He went on to fight at Sevastopol and Balaclava, went on the expedition to Kinburn and was part of the attack on the Redan.[7]

On 2 February 1855 he was promoted without purchase to the rank of captain.[8]

For his service in Crimea he was awarded the Legion of Honour 5th Class by the Emperor of France on 2 August 1856, amongst other members of the British armed forces.[9] He was also awarded the Crimea Medal with clasps for Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann and Sebastopol. He was in possession of a tailor's copy of a Turkish Crimea Medal of Sardinian issue - as many British-issue medals were lost in transit, it is to be assumed that he procured his own copy.[10]

Further career

On the 5th of November 1857, Templeman was made Instructor of Musketry for his regiment.[11]

He was attached to the Second Battalion, and from 1859 was posted in multiple locations including Newport, Shorncliffe, Dublin, Carragh and Bellary, where he survived a cholera epidemic. He purchased the rank of major in February 1868, and in the same year his battalion marched from Secunderabad to Madras, embarking for Burma in October.[12] He was made Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel on 15 March 1877,[13] and then full Lieutenant-Colonel on 23 January 1878, taking command of the First Battalion.[14][15] In 1878 he presented written testimony in the court martial of Lieutenant Lambart of his regiment.[16] He was further promoted to colonel on 1 July 1881.[17] Two years later, on 23 January 1883, he was placed on to half pay.[18]

On 6 December 1887 it is recorded that he stepped down from the command of the 91st Regimental District at Stirling Castle (Princess Louise's Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), whilst holding the rank of Honorary Major-General, and retired from the military.[19]

Legacy

A remembrance plaque to Templeman is at Auld Kirk of Ayr, Scotland.[20]

References

  1. ^ Bruton, Eng King's school (1892). Bruton register, 1826-1890. University of Michigan. London, H. Frowde.
  2. ^ An alphabetical list of the members, with the rules and regulations, of the club. London: Thomas and Sons. 1879. hdl:2027/hvd.32044081203986.
  3. ^ "Bell's Life in London, 25 August 1869". Bell's Life in London. 25 August 1869.
  4. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date: 26 March 1852 Issue:21304 Page:902". Archived from the original on 25 June 2020.
  5. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date: 4 March 1853 Issue:21418 Page:671". Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  6. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:22 November 1854 Issue:21631 Page:3696". Archived from the original on 27 June 2020.
  7. ^ "(235) - Army lists > Hart's Army Lists > New annual army list, militia list, yeomanry cavalry list, and Indian civil service list > 1882 - British Military lists - National Library of Scotland". digital.nls.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  8. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:2 February 1855 Issue:21657 Page:387". Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  9. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:4 August 1856 Issue:21909 Page:2703". Archived from the original on 24 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Lot 132, 24 February 2016 | Dix Noonan Webb". www.dnw.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  11. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:17 November 1857 Issue:22064 Page:3858". Archived from the original on 26 June 2020.
  12. ^ Clark, James (1885). Historical record and regimental memoir of the Royal Scots fusiliers, formerly known as the 21st Royal North British fusiliers. University of California. Edinburgh, banks 7 co.
  13. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:20 April 1877 Issue:24445 Page:2676". Archived from the original on 21 December 2016.
  14. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:1 February 1878 Issue:24548 Page:522". Archived from the original on 22 June 2019.
  15. ^ Clark, James (1885). Historical record and regimental memoir of the Royal Scots fusiliers, formerly known as the 21st Royal North British fusiliers. Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1678 and its subsequent services until June 1885. University of California Libraries. Edinburg, Banks & Co.
  16. ^ "The Freeman's Journal, 17 September 1878". The Freeman's Journal. 17 September 1878.
  17. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:26 July 1881 Issue:24999 Page:3676". Archived from the original on 8 April 2015.
  18. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:13 March 1883 Issue:25211 Page:1386". Archived from the original on 7 January 2015.
  19. ^ "The London Gazette Publication date:13 December 1887 Issue:25766 Page:6940". Archived from the original on 28 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Major General A Templeman". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 24 June 2020.