Haines served in the Crimean War taking part in the Battle of Alma in September 1854, the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854 and the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854, where as the senior officer, he held an important barrier on the post road guarding the approach to the 2nd Division camp for six hours.[7]
Returning to England, Haines became assistant adjutant-general at Aldershot Command in February 1855 and, having been promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel on 24 April 1855[8] and to brevet colonel on 18 December 1855,[9] he became military secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, Madras Army in India in June 1856 retaining that role through the Indian Rebellion in 1857.[7] He became Commanding Officer of the 8th Regiment of Foot in the United Kingdom in October 1859[10] and Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland in June 1862[11] before being given command of a brigade in Ireland with the temporary rank of brigadier-general in March 1864.[12]
The Second Anglo-Afghan War during which Haines commanded the British forces
Promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant general on 23 May 1873[17] and to the local rank of full general on 22 March 1876,[18] Haines became Commander-in-Chief, India in April 1876, with promotion to brevet full general on 1 October 1877.[19] He commanded the forces in India during the Second Anglo-Afghan War and successfully argued for a large force being made available before mobilisation occurred, but once the war started the Governor-General of India, Lord Lytton, was inclined to by-pass Haines and deal direct with commanders in the field, causing friction between the two men.[7] Haines was offered a baronetcy for services to HM Government in India in 1880 but declined the honour due to his wife's failing health, presuming that it would be re-offered to him after her recovery. However, her health declined and she eventually died and the offer of the baronetcy was never renewed.[20]
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