Nicholas Tomlinson

{{Short description|British military officer (1803–1842)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{For|the Royal Navy officer|Nicholas Tomlinson (Royal Navy officer)}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Nicholas Ralph Tomlinson

| image = Nicholas Ralph Tomlinson.jpg

| image_size = 250

| alt =

| caption = Lithograph of Tomlinson

| birth_date = 2 July 1803

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1842|05|18|1803|07|02|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dedham, Colchester, Essex

| death_place = Battle of Chapu, China

| placeofburial = At sea

| placeofburial_label =

| placeofburial_coordinates =

| nickname =

| birth_name =

| allegiance = {{flagicon|GBR}} United Kingdom

{{flagicon image|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg}} British East India Company

| branch = British Army/Infantry

| serviceyears =

| rank = Lieutenant colonel

| servicenumber =

| unit = 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot

| commands = 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot

| battles = Capture of Chusan, Battle of Canton, Battle of Amoy, Second Capture of Chusan, Battle of Ningpo, Battle of Tzeki and finally the Battle of Chapu all in the First Opium War with the Chinese

| battles_label =

| awards = China War Medal (1842)

| relations = Father Nicholas Tomlinson was a senior Royal Navy Officer

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}}

Nicholas Ralph Tomlinson (1803–1842) was a British Army infantry officerCanada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900{{cite web|title=Portrait - National Portrait Gallery|url=http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw83750/Nicholas-Ralph-Tomlinson?LinkID=mp70639&role=sit&rNo=0|accessdate=14 June 2017}} who commanded Her Majesty's 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot during the First Anglo-Chinese War (First Opium War).{{cite web|title=Online Collection National Army Museum, London|url=https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1957-05-3-1|website=collection.nam.ac.uk|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en}} He was the second son of Vice Admiral Nicholas Tomlinson and his wife Elizabeth who lived in the county of Essex.{{cite web|title=Nicholas Ralph Tomlinson 1842|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/16162181@N05/7711745064/in/album-72157630900983916/|website=Flickr|date=3 August 2012 |accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en-us}}

Nicholas Ralph Tomlinson's military career was recorded in Hart's Military Directory and other military gazettes as follows:{{cite web|title=Hart's Annual Army List, Special Reserve List, and Territorial Force List: (1842)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OR4wAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Nicholas+Ralph+Tomlinson%22+18th+Foot&pg=PA169|publisher=John Murray|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1842}}

• Commissioned as an ensign in 18th Regiment of Foot – 22 March 1821
• Promoted to lieutenant – 21 July 1825{{cite web|last1=War Office|first1=Great Britain|title=A List of the Officers of the Army and of the Corps of Royal Marines|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_4bAQAAIAAJ&q=Nicholas+Tomlinson+18th+Foot&pg=PA177|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1827}}
• Promoted to captain – 8 February 1833{{cite web|title=The United Service Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQwcAQAAIAAJ&q=18th+foot+Nicholas+Ralph+Tomlinson&pg=PA445|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1833}}
• Promoted to major – 13 March 1840{{cite web|title=The United Service Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MFs3AAAAYAAJ&q=Nicholas+Tomlinson+18th+Foot&pg=PA574|publisher=H. Colburn|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1840}}
• Promoted to lieutenant colonel – 23 November 1841.{{cite web|last1=Pollock|first1=Arthur William Alsager|title=The United Service Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EdsRAAAAYAAJ&q=Lt+col+nicholas+ralph+tomlinson&pg=PA587|publisher=H. Colburn|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1841}}

Nicholas Tomlinson deployed with his regiment as part of Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Gough's force to subdue the Imperial Qing Chinese Forces resisting East India Company trading access to coastal China.{{cite web|last1=The Opium|first1=Wars|title=MIT Visualizing Cultures|url=https://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/opium_wars_01/ow1_essay01.html|website=ocw.mit.edu|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en}} The Chinese forces were numerous but often poorly equipped.{{cite web|title=The life and campaigns of Hugh, first Viscount Gough, Field-Marshal|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924088002120#page/n269/mode/2up|website=archive.org|accessdate=14 June 2017}}

He would fight with distinction at the following engagements:{{cite web|last1=Luscombe|first1=Stephen|title=The British Empire, Imperialism, Colonialism, Colonies|url=http://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/britishinfantry/rir.htm|website=www.britishempire.co.uk|accessdate=14 June 2017}}

• Capture of Chusan in July 1840
• Battle of Canton in May 1841
• Battle of Amoy in August 1841
• Second Capture of Chusan in October 1841
• Battle of Ningpo in March 1842
• Battle of Tzeki in March 1842.

Lieutenant Colonel Tomlinson was killed leading his regiment at the Battle of Chapu on 2 May 1842, specifically an attack on a fortified religious building (called a Joss House by the British), which was heavily defended by Tartar soldiers.{{cite book|last1=Hernon|first1=Ian|title=Britain's Forgotten Wars: Colonial Campaigns of the 19th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFEWDQAAQBAJ&q=elite+Tartar+troops+in+chinese+army&pg=PT336|publisher=History Press|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=14 September 2016|isbn=9780750980562}} Sir Hugh Gough wrote effusively about the bravery of Nicholas Tomlinson and that he was buried at sea.{{cite web|title=The United Service Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQo3AAAAYAAJ&q=General+Hugh+Gough+Tomlinson+Irish&pg=PA472|publisher=Henry Colburn|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1842}} His death and the death of others of his regiment is commemorated with a memorial in St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin.{{cite web|title=War Memorial Royal Irish Regiment China Memorial in Dublin 08, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin City 08|url=http://www.irishwarmemorials.ie/Memorials-Detail?memoId=382|website=www.irishwarmemorials.ie|accessdate=14 June 2017}} The 18th of foot would lose their commanding officer, a serjeant and three soldiers killed; and a further two officers, a serjeant, a drummer and 27 soldiers wounded - the 18th had the highest casualties of any of the regiments in action that day at Chapu.{{cite web|title=The Chinese Repository Vols 11-15 1842|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xX8jAAAAMAAJ&q=Chapu+tomlinson+18th+foot+death&pg=RA1-PA252|publisher=Maruzen Co Ltd, Tokyo|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en|date=1842}}