John Wellesley Thomas

Who was John Wellesley Thomas?

Lieutenant-General Sir John Wellesley Thomas, KCB was a distinguished British military officer who served in Afghanistan, Australia, and China. He was the commander of the British military and police forces that quelled the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 1854.

Sir John W. Thomas, who was an elder son of the Admiral Jennings Thomas, R.N., was born in 1822. He received his first commission in 1839. He served with the 40th Regiment of Foot in Afghanistan in 1841-42, and he was also present at the action of Maharajpur, when he was severely wounded. His decorations for those engagements included the clasps "Kandahar, Kabul, Ghuznee" and the bronze start for Maharajpur. In 1854 he commanded detachments in the operations in Australia against the insurgents at the Ballarat goldfields. In North China in 1860 he served with the 67th Regiment of Foot and was wounded when in command of a half-battalion attacking the North Taku Fort. For this campaign he was mentioned in despatches and given a C.B. Two years later, when being promoted to colonel, he commanded the 67th Regiment and a brigade at the second capture of Khading in the Taiping rebellion.