Sir Thomas Troubridge, 3rd Baronet

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas St Vincent Hope Cochrane Troubridge, 3rd Baronet CB (25 May 1815 – 2 October 1867) was an officer of the British Army who served with distinction during the Crimean War.

Born into a distinguished family with strong military connections, his two grandfathers and his father had been admirals in the Royal Navy. Troubridge entered the army and rose through the ranks, serving at first with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, and then the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot, the latter being a regiment he would later command. He served with his regiment in many stations throughout the Empire, inheriting his father's baronetcy in 1852, and held the rank of major in 1854 when the Crimean War broke out. Troubridge went out with his regiment and saw action in some of the early battles of the war, playing an important role in the Battle of Alma. He was involved in the heavy fighting surrounding the defense of British gun batteries during the Battle of Inkerman, and was badly wounded, losing his right leg and left foot. He refused to leave the battlefield until the attacks had been repulsed, and was commended for his gallantry by his commanding officer.

He returned to Britain and received a number of awards and promotions for his actions in the Crimea, but was unable to return to front-line service due to his injuries. He remained active in the army, in supervising parts of the supply and logistics forces, which he carried out until his death in 1867.

Family and early life Troubridge was born on 25 May 1815, the eldest son of Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge, and his wife Anna Maria, herself the daughter of another naval officer, Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and entered the army, purchasing his commission as an ensign in the 73rd Foot on 24 January 1834. He was promoted to lieutenant on 30 December 1836 in the Royal Fusiliers (again by purchase), then seeing service around the Empire, at Gibraltar, the West Indies, and Canada. and major on 9 August 1850. On the death of his father in 1852 he became the 3rd baronet.

Post-war Troubridge was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 12 December 1854 "for distinguished service in the Field", but his injuries caused him to be invalidated home in May 1855. He was present, in a chair, at the distribution of medals and awards by Queen Victoria on 18 May to those who had distinguished themselves in the Crimea. During this event, he was made an aide-de-camp to the Queen with the rank of brevet colonel. Troubridge was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855. He also received foreign awards from Britain's allies in the Crimea. The French appointed him Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, and the Ottomans appointed him to be the Fourth Class of the Order of the Medjidie.

Troubridge received a substantive promotion to lieutenant-colonel (without purchase), and thus became the commanding officer of the Royal Fusiliers on 9 March 1855, but his disability prevented him from serving with the regiment. He was placed on half pay with the 22nd Regiment of Foot on 14 September, but accepted the appointment of director-general of army clothing in 1855. During his time in this role, he designed a new valise to address what he saw as the defects in the standard army issue one. His design was approved by the leading medical officers and was so successful that it became the foundation of future forms of equipment.