13 Facts About James Travers

James Travers was born and grew up in County Cork, where the first of his ancestors to be born there, Sir Robert Travers, was killed at the Battle of Knocknanuss in 1647.

James Travers received a commission in the Bengal infantry in June 1838 and arrived in Calcutta in January 1839.

James Travers served with the 57th native infantry at Barrackpore and then the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry at Firozpur.

James Travers served with this regiment in the First Anglo-Afghan War between 1841 and 1842, being mentioned in despatches for the action at Zamin-Dawar; was at the capture of Ghazni and the action at Maidan.

James Travers was appointed adjutant to the Bhopal contingent in March 1843 and promoted to captain and brevet major in January 1846, to reflect his earlier Afghan service.

James Travers then took part in the First Anglo-Sikh War, where on 10 February 1846 he commanded a Gurkha battalion at the battle of Sobraon, for which he was mentioned in despatches.

James Travers was a 36 years old Colonel in the 2nd Bengal Native Infantry, Bengal Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed led to his award of the Victoria Cross:.

Colonel James Travers's horse was shot in three places, and his accoutrements were shot through in various parts.

James Travers was promoted to lieutenant general in 1873, and general in 1877 and placed on the supernumerary list in 1881.

James Travers was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in May 1873.

James Travers died at Pallanza, Lake Maggiore, Italy, on 1 April 1884, aged 63.

James Travers was originally buried in the Old Cemetery in Pallanza then moved in about 1920 to the New Cemetery, before finally being interred in the Municipal Ossuary in the Cimitero di Pallanza in 1996.

James Travers's brother was General Donald Macintyre VC, while her elder sister married Doctor William Brydon, the sole survivor of the 1842 retreat from Kabul.