Medical Officers
Of the Malta Garrison
Henry West
1779 – ?

Service Record

4 Oct 1799 Appointed Hospital Mate.

8 Oct – 15 Nov 1799 Served in Holland on the Helder Campaign of August – October 1799 under Lieutenant–General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and under the overall command of HRH Frederick, Duke of York.

16 Nov 1799 – 5 May 1800 On duty in England.

6 May 1800 – 15 Oct 1800 On duty in Ferrol and Gibraltar.

25 Aug 1800 Present with Lieutenant General Sir James Pulteney's army, in the unsuccessful British attempt to capture Ferrol, when the Corps of Riflemen saw action for the first time.

16 Oct 1800 – 1 Mar 1801 On duty in Malta and Asia Minor.

Malta 16 Oct 1800 Arrived at Malta.

Malta 21 Dec 1800 Left for Asia Minor on Abercrombie's Expedition to Egypt.

2 Mar 1801–15 Feb 1802 Served in the Egyptian Campaign.

2 Mar 1801 Part of the medical staff at Aboukir. Hospital Mate attached to 2nd/Royals.

8 Mar Present at the landing at Aboukir, and in the general action against the French of 8 March, 13 March and 21 March 1801.

21 Mar During the assault of the French on British lines, he was the only medical officer on duty with the 2nd/Royals, or 1st Foot, as assistant surgeon Charles Fergusson Forbes, 2nd/1st Foot, was sick at Rhodes, and Surgeon Richard Chaloner Cobbe, 2nd/1st Foot, was absent on leave in England.

4 May 1801 Appointed by Inspector General Thomas Young, to superintend the plague hospital at Rosetta, where he served for four months, and for which he received the thanks of Surgeon General Young. Plague had broken out at Aboukir and Rosetta between May and August 1801, and in the Chasseurs Britanniques in November 1802.

24 June 1801 Appointed Assistant Surgeon 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot.

27 June Surrender of Cairo.

1 Sep 1801 Capture of Alexandria, and withdrawal of British Troops to Malta. Hospital Mate West, however, served with the garrison at Alexandria until 15 February 1802.

Malta 1802 Assistant Surgeon 58th Foot.

16 Feb 1802 – 3 May 1805 On duty in England.

4 May 1805 – 15 Jan 1806 Served at Malta and on Sir James Craig's Expedition to Naples.

Malta 15 July 1805 Appointed in General Orders at Malta, Surgeon to a Brigade of Light Infantry commanded by Col Sir James Kempt.

16 Jan 1806 – 20 May 1812 Served with the Army in Sicily.

4 July 1806 Present at the Battle of Maida, as surgeon of the Light Infantry Brigade under Colonel Sir James Kempt.

25 Nov 1806 Appointed Surgeon 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot.

21 May 1812 – 1 June 1814 Served in the Peninsular War. Was present at the Battle of Castalla on 13 April 1813.

2 June 1814 – 14 Nov 1814 On duty in North America.

15 Nov 1814 – 12 June 1815 On duty in the West Indies.

13 June 1815 – 14 Apr 1817 On duty in Belgium and France.

15 Apr 1817 – 14 June 1819 On duty in England.

15 June 1819 – 29 Nov 1823 On duty in Gibraltar.

28 Nov 1823 Deputy Inspector of Hospitals William Wemys Fraser at Gibraltar bore testimony on the abilities of Surgeon West:

...bear testimony to the undivided assiduity with which you have conducted the hospital concerns of the corps during its employment in this command. The best recompense which you possibly receive, is, the consciousness of having performed your several duties in such an able and efficient manner as to secure to the regiment the highest state of general health to which a body of men can expect to arrive: at the same time that your kindness and care, on the occurrence of severe cases, has often most materially contributed to their recovery.

30 Nov 1823 – 15 Jan 1825 On duty in the West Indies with the 27th Regiment.

1824 Received thanks in General Orders from General Sir Benjamin D' Urban for medical services during the absence of Staff Surgeon James Sharp from Demerara.

16 Jan 1825 – 14 Dec 1826 On duty in England.

6 Oct 1825 Appointed Surgeon 10th Dragoons.

15 Dec 1826 – 15 Apr 1828 On duty in Portugal.

16 Apr 1828 – 24 May 1828 On duty in England.

25 May 1828 Retired to half-pay.