George Pollock Field Marshal Sir George Pollock , 1st Baronet , GCB , GCSI ( 4 June 1786 – 6 October 1872 ) was a British soldier . Military career . Educated at the Royal Military Academy , Woolwich , Pollock was commissioned into the Bengal Artillery in 1803 . His first action was the Battle of Deig ( November 1804 ) , against the Mahrattas under Holkar and he was present at the siege of Bhurtpore ( January – February 1805 ) . After a period of staff appointments , he took part in the 1814 – 16 Nepal War . He returned to his staff duties until 1824 when he was promoted to Lieutenant - Colonel . At this time he was ordered to take sick - leave in England but he managed to be appointed to the British forces taking part in the First Anglo - Burmese War during which he played a conspicuous role which won him the CB . He returned to England in 1827 on sick leave where he remained until 1830 when he was posted to Cawnpor . He received his King ' s commission as Colonel in 1835 and in 1838 became Brigadier - General in Dinapore . That same year he became Major - General . In 1838 , Lord Auckland , the Governor - General of India decided to invade Afghanistan to proclaim a pro - British former ruler as king of Afghanistan . The initial campaign was a success but at the end of 1841 , faced with ever - increasing hostility from the Afghans , the military and political leaders decided to withdraw the 5 , 000 British and Indian troops and 12000 camp - followers , wives and children from Kabul and to return to India . The retreat was a disaster and eventually led to a " massacre " because of inefficient leadership , the cold and the ferocious tribes . There was now almost nothing between the Afghanistan forces and India except for the small British garrison at Jallalabad . Legend has it that only one ( Dr . Brydon ) survived ; in fact he was the only one to reach the British garrison at Jallalabad ( or Jellalabad ) in January 1842 — several others had been taken prisoner and many were later found destitute in the streets of Kabul . Pollock was appointed Commander of the Force sent to relieve Jallabad . He advanced through the Khyber Pass to Jellalabad , whose garrison he relieved in April after defeating an enemy force of 10 , 000 for the loss of 135 . At this moment General Nott , who had advanced from India to Kandahar through Quetta , was authorised to retreat to India through Kabul and Pollock was authorised to do what was necessary to protect the British troops . Both generals took advantage of the badly written orders to advance on Kabul . Pollock reached Kabul on September 15 after fighting the battles of Jugdulluck Pass and Tezeen , and Nott arrived on September 17 , after fighting the battle of Ghuzmee . Meanwhile the Afghan leader had fled towards Turkhistan with his prisoners , and Pollock ordered his military secretary , Sir Richmond Shakespeare , to rescue them , with Sir Robert Sale , the commander of the Jellalabad garrison , in support . Shakespeare caught up with them on the 17th and delivered them to Sale on the 20th . Amongst the rescued captives was Sale ' s own wife and daughter . Pollock and Nott withdrew to India in October after destroying the great Bazaar . Once again they had to fight their way through the Khyber Pass . Pollock ' s division passed through with the loss of one or two men , but the other divisions did not take the same precautions and suffered more , but in any case the " retreat " had been another great victory . In 1844 the British residents in Calcutta created the Pollock Medal to commemorate Pollock ' s achievements . This medal was to be awarded to the " best cadet of the season " at the Addiscombe Military Seminary . George Pollock retired in 1870 with the rank of field marshal and was made Constable of the Tower in 1871 . He was awarded the GCSI in 1861 and the GCB in 1873 , and made a baronet in 1872 . Sir George died on 6 October 1872 in Walmer in Kent , and is buried in Westminster Abbey with a memorial crafted by the sculptor E . J . Physick . Pollock ' s elder brother Sir Frederick Pollock , 1st Baronet served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and was the grandfather of Ernest Murray Pollock , 1st Viscount Hanworth , Master of the Rolls .