Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Army of India 1799-1826, 1 clasp, Bhurtpoor (2nd Lieut. A. H. E. Boileau, Engineers), short hyphen reverse, officially impressed naming, good very fine £1000-1200

Alexander Henry Edmonstone Boileau was born in Calcutta on 3 February 1807. An Addiscombe Cadet during 1823-24, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Engineers on 17 June 1824. Arriving in India in May 1825, he was posted to the Sappers & Miners at Cawnpore in July 1825. Present at the siege and capture of Bhurtpoor in January 1826, he commanded two companies of Sappers & Miners during the storm of that city. In February 1827 he was promoted to Lieutenant and he served in the Shekhawat Expedition of 1834. Promoted to Captain in May 1839, he received the brevet of Major in August 1847 and the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1849. He was appointed Superintending Engineer of the North West Provinces in May 1854 and Chief Engineer in the Nagpur Territory in April 1856. In June the same year he was promoted to Colonel and attained the rank of Major-General on 18 October 1860. Major-General Boileau died of dysentry at Cawnpore on 30 June 1862.