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Auction: 26001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 112

Pair: Major-General A. Mackenzie, Commissary Department, late Bengal Native Infantry, who was 'mentioned' during the Looshai Expedition

India General Service 1854-95, 3 clasps, North West Frontier, Bhootan, Looshai (Lieut. A. McKenzie, Sub Asst. Comy. Genl.), top two clasps loose upon riband; Indian Mutiny 1857-58, no clasp (Capt. Alexr. MacKenzie, Commt. Dept.), minor edge bruising, nearly extremely fine (2)

M.I.D. London Gazette 21 June 1872.

Alexander MacKenzie was born in Madras, India, on 15 April 1831. Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant with the 9th Bengal Native Infantry on 12 June 1847, he remained with the regiment until January 1853 when he was appointed Interpreter and Quartermaster of the 41st Regiment N.I. In December 1853 he was appointed Lieutenant and returned to the 9th Bengal N.I. and served in the Peshawar Frontier Force under Colonel Sydney Cotton in the expedition against the Michnee and Mommund tribes in August 1854.

Mackenzie was appointed to the Commissariat Department on probation on 21 January and was made permanent as Sub Assistant Commissary General in April 1854. During the Indian Mutiny, MacKenzie served at Peshawar from January 1857. There British troops under Brigadier-General Cotton cracked down upon mutineers harshly, hanging a dozen and blowing another forty from guns, despite the severity of the British reaction there was no mutiny amongst the garrison. Mackenzie left Peshawar in December 1858.

Promoted to Captain in the Bengal Staff Corps in February 1861, he was present in the Bhootan Campaign. Serving under Brigadier-General Dunsford and Colonel Tytler with the Left Column. After the campaign ended MacKenzie was promoted to Major in June 1867 and appointed Deputy Assistant Commissary General in October 1868.

His final campaign in India was the Looshai Expedition for which he was the Principal Commissary Officer present forming the Right Column. MacKenzie was again mentioned in despatches for this service. Leaving India in August 1872, he was promoted to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in September 1872, Lieutenant-Colonel in June 1873, Colonel in December 1877 and Major-General in September 1879. MacKenzie retired from the Army in 1880.

A previous auction listing states MacKenzie was 'mentioned' for his services in Bhootan, however no London Gazette entry has been found to confirm this.


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Estimate
£800 to £1,200

Starting price
£600