Pollock was son of David Pollock, of Charing Cross, saddler to King George III, and Sarah Pollock (née Parsons);[1] his elder brother was the lawyer and politician Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet. The Pollock family were a branch of that family of Balgray, Dumfriesshire; David Pollock's father was a burgess of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and his grandfather a yeoman of Durham. His business as a saddler was given the official custom of the royal family.[2] Sir John Pollock, 4th Baronet, great-great-grandson of David Pollock, stated in Time's Chariot (1950) that David was, 'perhaps without knowing it', Pollock of Balgray, the senior line of the family (Pollock of Pollock or Pollock of that ilk) having died out.[3]
After taking sick-leave in England, Pollock commanded the British artillery at the Battle of Prome in November 1824 and at Bagan in February 1826 during the First Anglo-Burmese War.[4] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1827.[6] He was promoted further to brevet colonel on 1 December 1829 and then posted to Cawnpor to command an artillery battalion in 1830.[1] He became colonel-commandant, Bengal artillery on 3 March 1835[7] and briefly held a divisional command at Danapur with the rank of brigadier-general before transferring to the more senior command at the Agra district with the rank of major-general on 28 June 1838.[8]
Afghanistan
Sir George Pollock in his Field Marshal's uniform
In 1838, Lord Auckland, the Governor-General of India decided to invade Afghanistan to proclaim a pro-British former ruler as king of Afghanistan so instigating the First Anglo-Afghan War. The initial campaign was a success but at the end of 1841, faced with ever-increasing hostility from the Afghans, the military and political leaders decided to withdraw the 5,000 British and Indian troops and 12,000 camp followers, wives and children from Kabul and to return to India. The retreat, which took place in January 1842, was a disaster and eventually led to a massacre because of inefficient leadership, the cold and the ferocious tribes.[9] There was now almost nothing between the retreating forces and India except for the small British garrison at Jalalabad. Legend has it that only one (Dr. Brydon) survived;[10] In fact, he was not the only European to survive the retreat; about 115 British officers, soldiers, wives and children were captured or taken as hostages and survived to be subsequently released.[11] Against this background Pollock was appointed Commander of the Force sent to relieve Jalalabad: he advanced through the Khyber Pass and relieved the garrison at Jalalabad in April 1842.[4]
Pollock then set about an unauthorised mission to rescue the British hostages who had been left behind in Kabul prior to the retreat. He linked up with a British force commanded by General William Nott who was advancing on Kabul from Kandahar. After fighting battles at Gandamak, Jagdalak Pass and Tezeen, Pollock secured Kabul in September 1842.[12] He destroyed the Great Bazaar in Kabul before withdrawing to India in October 1842.[12] Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 2 December 1842,[13] he became British Resident at Lucknow in December 1843 and military member of the Council of India in September 1844.[12]
In 1810 Pollock married Frances Webbe Barclay; they had four sons and one daughter.[4] His eldest son Frederick succeeded him as 2nd Baronet Pollock of the Khyber Pass, his second son George David Pollock became a celebrated surgeon and pioneered the use of skin grafts, whilst his third son Robert was killed at the Battle of Mudki in 1845.[26][27] After his first wife's death, he married Henrietta Wollaston in 1852.[12]
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pollock" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 6; see line 4+. ...and Sir George Pollock, Bart. (1786–1872), field-marshal....who rendered valuable military service in India...
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