W Campbell

This photo is dated 1852 and the four figures are named, from the left, Colonel Campbell, Captain Tomlin, Major Dyne, and the tall Captain Colquhoun-Grant. They are all in blue frockcoats with black braid, and gold laced trousers. Col Campbell wears the older style peaked forage cap which has a wider and higher top. The others have a smaller cap, and we can just see the gold braid on the top of Campbell's and Tomlin's caps.
The first mention of the Colonel in Michael Mann's history is when the Queen's Bays were sent to India in 1857. He travelled overland thus avoiding the horrendous 141-day sea voyage endured by the regiment. He was a cousin of the Commander-in-Chief Sir Colin Campbell, and managed to obtain a promise of horses for the regiment. This irked the officers of the King's Dragoon Guards who arrived a fortnight earlier than the Bays to find no horses for them. The regiment were commanded by Lieut-Col Hylton-Brisco on the voyage and was, like the rest of the officers and men, sick for days after the voyage. When they did recover enough to make the journey from Calcutta to Allahabad, they were formed into a brigade with the 7th Hussars and 2 Troops of Horse Artillery, all under the command of 'Brigadier' Campbell.
In April 1858 Campbell, along with many of his regiment, was suffering sickness, probably cholera, at Cawnpore. He was still sick when he was informed of his promotion from colonel to brigadier-general in command of the Cawnpore Division. But he before he could take up this post he died on 6 July 1858. The acting CO Hylton-Brisco retired at that time and the position of CO was given to William Henry Seymour.

Regimental details | Commanding Officers