William Wilberforce Harris Greathed
| William Wilberforce Harris Greathed | |
|---|---|
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|
| Born |
21 December 1826 Paris, France |
| Died | 29 December 1878 (aged 52) Dorset, England |
| Buried | Hampreston, Dorset |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Rank | Major-General |
| Battles/wars |
Second Sikh War Indian Mutiny |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Major-General William Wilberforce Harris Greathed (21 December 1826 – 29 December 1878) was a senior officer in the Bengal Engineers.
He was born in Paris, one of the five sons of Edward Greathed of Uddens House, Wimborne, Dorset. His youngest brother became General Edward Harris Greathed. He entered the Addiscombe military college of the East India Company in February 1843, and received a commission on 9 December 1844.
In 1846 he went to India, and was attached to the Bengal Sappers and Miners at Meerut. The following year he was appointed to the irrigation department of the North-west Provinces, but on the outbreak of the Second Sikh War in 1848 he was sent to join the field force at the Siege of Multan. He was the first officer through the breach in the final assault. He was also present at the Battle of Gujrat on 21 February 1849.
After two years leave in England he was appointed executive engineer in the public works department at Barrackpore and in 1855 was sent to Allahabad as government consulting engineer in connection with the extension of the East India Railway to the upper provinces.
In 1857, when mutiny broke out in Meerut and Delhi was seized, he was summoned to Agra by Lieutenant-Governor Colvin and ordered to carry despatches to the general at Meerut, which he succeeded in doing. Two months later he was asked to repeat the feat, reached Meerut and joined Sir Henry Barnard beyond the Jumna river, later taking a major part in the Battle of Badli-ki-Serai on 8 June 1857. In July he was severely wounded in a sortie from Delhi commanded by his brother Edward. After recovering from his wounds he joined a column as the field engineer under Colonel Seaton and took part in the engagements of Gungeree, Pattialee, and Mynpoory. He was then directing engineer of the attack on Lucknow under Colonel Robert Napier (afterwards first Lord Napier of Magdala). On the capture of Lucknow he returned to his railway duties and was rewarded for his services in the mutiny by a brevet majority and the award of C.B. in the 1860 Birthday Honours.
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