George Higginson

Sir George Higginson
A cartoon of George Higginson from an 1884 edition of Vanity Fair
Born	(1826-06-21)21 June 1826
Died	1 February 1927(1927-02-01) (aged 100)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1845–93
Rank	General
Unit	Grenadier Guards
Commands held	Home District (1879–84)
Battles/wars	Crimean War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Legion of Honour (France) Order of the Medjidie (Ottoman Empire)

General Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson GCB GCVO (21 June 1826 – 1 February 1927) was a British Army officer and veteran of the Crimean War who served more than 30 years in the Grenadier Guards.

Higginson was born in 1826 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. He was the son of General George Powell Higginson, Grenadier Guards, who distinguished himself at the Battle of Corunna, and Lady Frances Elizabeth Needham, daughter of the 1st Earl of Kilmorey. He spent his childhood in West London, which at that time consisted of villages and fields, and was educated at Eton College.

On 14 February 1845, Higginson was commissioned by purchase in the 1st Regiment of the Grenadier Guards with the regimental rank of ensign (army rank of lieutenant). He was promoted by purchase to regimental lieutenant (army rank of captain) on 12 July 1850. He was appointed as the regimental adjutant on 5 December 1851. As Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, he served throughout the Crimean War. He participated in the battles of Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, having his horse shot from under him at Inkerman. He was promoted to the brevet rank of major in the army on 12 December 1854. He was also present at the siege and fall of Sebastopol, following which he served as Brigade Major of his regiment, until the end of the war. He was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in the army on 2 November 1855, and was promoted by purchase to lieutenant colonel on 10 April 1857.