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Edward Aldrich

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Short description|British Army engineer (1802–1857)}}

{{Infobox military person

|honorific_prefix =

|name = Edward Aldrich

|birth_date = {{birth date|1802|12|30|df=y}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{death date and age|1857|11|24|1802|12|30|df=y}}

|death_place = Marylebone, London

|allegiance = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}

|branch = Board of Ordnance

|branch_label = Branch

|serviceyears = 1826–1854{{cite book |last=Connolly |first=Thomas William John |title=Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers from 1660 to 1898 |editor=Richard Fielding Edwards |publisher=The Royal Engineers Institute |location=Chatham |date=1898 |url=https://archive.org/details/roll-of-officers-of-the-corps-of-royal-engineers-r.-f.-edwards/mode/2up}}{{rp|24}}

|serviceyears_label = Years of Service

|rank = Colonel

|rank_label = Rank

|servicenumber = 591

|unit = Corps of Royal Engineers

|commands = Spain, 1839
CRE, Syria, 1840–41
CRE, Hong Kong, 1843–47

| battles = {{Tree list}}

  • First Carlist War, 1839
  • Melilla
  • Syrian War, 1840–41
  • Sidon
  • Beirut
  • Acre
  • Expedition to Canton, 1847{{cite book |last=Hart |first=Henry George |title=The New Annual Army List for 1850|volume=11 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |date=1853 |page=290|url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/106436849}} {{PD-notice}}

{{Tree list/end}}

|battles_label = Campaigns

|awards = Naval General Service Medal (1847), 'Syria'{{cite book |last=Irwin |first=D Hastings |title=War Medals and Decorations Issued to the British Military and Naval Forces and Allies From 1588 to 1910 |publisher=L. Upcott Gill |location=London |date=1910 |page=514 |url=https://archive.org/details/warmedalsdecorat00irwiuoft/page/514/mode/2up?q=Edward+Aldrich}}

}}

Colonel Edward Aldrich (30 December 1802 – 23 November 1857) was a British military engineer, architect and surveyor of the Corps of Royal Engineers who carried out the first detailed survey of Palestine together with John Symonds, RE.{{Cite web|title=1849 Symonds Linen Map of Jerusalem (first scientific survey of Jerusalem)|url=https://www.geographicus.com/P/AntiqueMap/Jeruslaem-symonds-1849|access-date=2022-08-18|website=Geographicus Rare Antique Maps|language=en}}

Career

Aldrich was specially employed in command in Spain, Syria, and Hong Kong, China.

During the Carlist War in Spain in 1839, he was employed in obtaining the Carlist surrender of Melilla fortress to the Queen of Spain.

In Syria, Aldrich commanded the Royal Engineers from the first landing on 11 September 1840 to the 12 December—operations at Djouni, Tyre; bombardment and assault of Sidon; bombardment and capture of Beirut, and subsequent surrender to him, while in charge of detachments of Royal Marines and Turkish troops, of a division of the Egyptian Army (3000) with their encampment and 24 pieces of artillery; the bombardment and capture of Acre. From 13 December he was employed on the Staff in the advance to Jaffa and from 30 September 1841 as Commanding Royal Engineer until the evacuation of Syria by British troops. For his efforts he received the Naval General Service Medal (1847), 'Syria' clasp.

File:Princess Charlotte. English Camp at Djouni Syria 1840. Shows HMS Powerful RMG PW8043.jpg|HMS Powerful and Princess Charlotte at the English Camp at Djouni, near Sidon, in 1840

File:1841 Aldrich and Symonds map of Jerusalem.jpg|Plan of Jerusalem and environs from Aldrich & Symonds' survey in March 1841

He was assigned to China as the first Commanding Royal Engineer to Hong Kong, from 1843 until withdrawal in 1846–1847. In April 1847 he took part in the combined naval and military expedition to Canton, up the Canton River, charged in command with the assault and capture of seven forts—Whampoa Creek, French Folly, Ronge, Zig-zag, Segment and Shanneen Forts.

File:Pearl River sketch.jpg|Map of the expedition

File:The Staked Barrier, Canton River.jpg|Attacking the batteries near the staked barrier above Whampoa Island

File:Wookongtap & Whampoa Creek.jpg|Attacking the forts of Wookongtap and Whampoa Creek, 3 April

File:French Folly Fort Blown Up.jpg|Royal Sappers and Miners blow up the French Folly Fort

Aldrich died at age 57 at Marylebone, London. Aldrich Bay, on the north shore on the Hong Kong Island, is named after him.

Bibliography

  • {{cite journal |last=Hawkins |first=R S |title=Far Eastern Outpost |journal=The Royal Engineers Journal |volume=82 |issue=1 |date=March 1968 |pages=37–47 |url=https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1968-March.pdf}}

Publications

  • {{cite journal |last=Aldrich |first=Edward |journal=Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers |volume=10 |number=6 |pages=153–155 |date=1849 |title=Description of the Mat Covering Sheds used at Hong-Kong in the erection of the Ordnance Buildings, and of the mode adopted by the Chinese in transporting and raising heavy Weights for these Buildings |url=https://www.nzsappers.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/PapersVol10Opt.pdf}}

References

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Category:1802 births

Category:1857 deaths

Category:Royal Engineers officers

Category:British surveyors

Category:British military personnel of the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841)

Category:Military personnel of the First Carlist War

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