5th Dragoon Guards


John Baillie Ballantyne Dickson CB


John Baillie Ballantyne Dickson was born on 24th Oct 1842 and entered the army in 1860. He had served in the Bengal Cavalry and the Indian Staff Corps. He married Marian Huth on 26th Sep 1871. On 23rd Oct 1875 he joined the 1st Royal Dragoons but then went on special service to South Africa in 1879 to take part in the Zulu War as an officer in the Native Carrier Corps. He was promoted to major on 1st Oct 1881 and later transferred to the 5th DG as 2nd lieutenant-colonel. Again, on special service he was DAA and QMG on the Nile Expedition of 1884-5 in which he was severely wounded. He was appointed commanding officer of the 5th DG in 1887 and commanded until 1893. In 1897 he was a colonel on the staff, commanding a cavalry brigade in Eastern District and then the Straits Settlements, Malaya in 1899. He reached the rank of major-general, and in the Boer War commanded the 4th Cavalry Brigade. He died on 15th Aug 1925.


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by Stephen Luscombe