No 110 Surgeon Major George Cuninghame Meikleham
LRCS (Ed 1841) MD (Glas 1841)
9 Jan 1820 – 30 Dec 1895 [Southsea]
Surgeon Major George Cuninghame Meikleham was the son of Professor William Meikleham by his second wife Agnes, (married 1812), daughter of George Cuninghame, Surveyor-General of the Customs for Scotland. He served with the 51st Regiment in Burma in 1852 and was on board the East India Company Steam Sloop Sesostris during the naval action and destruction of the stockades in the Rangoon River. He was present at the storming of the White House Redoubt and the capture of Rangoon and received the medal with clasp for Pegu.
Surgeon Major George Cuninghame Meikleham also served in the Eastern Campaign from March 1854 and was at the siege of Sebastopol including the assault on the Redan. He received the Crimea Medal with clasp.
In 1863, Surgeon Major George Cuninghame Meikleham served with the 70th Regiment in New Zealand (medal).
Service Record
16 June 1843 Assistant Surgeon 51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding, The King's Own Light Infantry) Regiment.
Malta 8 Mar 1854 Arrived from England.
28 Mar 1854 Appointed Staff Surgeon 2nd Class.
5 Apr 1854 Left for Turkey and the Crimean War.
1856 At Fort George.
1857–1858 At Aberdeen
29 Apr 1859 Served in the East Indies. Appointed Surgeon 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot, on the death of Surgeon Richard Robert Dowse, at Mooltan on 4 Feb 1859. Dowse had only been appointed surgeon 70th Foot on 18 January 1850.
16 June 1863 Promoted Surgeon Major 70th Foot.
21 June 1864 Staff Surgeon-Major.
1864–1865 At Dublin.
Malta 5 Feb 1866 Arrived from England.
Malta 15 Nov 1867 Left on the Expedition to Abyssinia.
7 Dec 1867 On the expedition to Abyssinia.
Malta 14 Mar 1868 Arrived from England.
Malta 1869 Staff Surgeon Major. On duty at Valletta.
Malta 1 Jan 1870 On duty at the Station Hospital Valletta.
Malta 1 Mar 1870 On duty at the Valletta Hospital.
Malta 22 June 1870 Left Malta and was replaced by Staff Surgeon William Mackenzie Skues.
30 Nov 1870 Promoted Deputy Inspector General.
29 Nov 1871 Retired on half-pay with the honorary rank of Inspector General. The vacancy created in the ranks of Deputy Inspector General on his retirement was filled by Staff Surgeon Major Vere Webb.
Bibliography
- Drew R., 1968. Entry No: 4741. Medical Officers in the British Army 1660 – 1960. Volume 1: 1660 – 1898. London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library.
- RAMC/PE/3/27/Drew. Manuscript for Drew's Roll.
- TNA:CO 158/223, April–July 1870, Returns of the General and Staff officers of the hospitals attached to the Forces in Malta.
- Succession Book Vol 4. Returns of service of medical officers in the Regular Army.
- TNA:CO 158/218 (January–May 1869), Malta Original Correspondence, Returns of Staff Officers Malta Garrison.
- TNA:WO 100/43, List of officers who served in Abyssinia between 4 October 1867 and 19 April 1868. (image 222 of 291).