Major Eldred Pottinger

Major Eldred Pottinger, the nephew of Sir Henry Pottinger, the first governor of Hong Kong, lies in a chest tomb higher up Section 11. His life reads like a story written for a Boys' Own fifty years ago. The East India Company sent him off alone aged twenty-four to reconnoitre and map the Northwest Territory, now part of Pakistan. Finding himself under siege in Herat in November 1838, he took successful command of its defence against the Persian army. The Persians were forced to lift the siege the following September. He was proclaimed 'Hero of Herat' and later sent to Chareker in Kohistan, where he was again besieged by rebellious tribesmen.

After another heroic defence he and a fellow officer escaped to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, which was in the hands of the British but also under attack. They managed to cross the enemy lines by pretending to be Persians and joined up with their fellow countrymen. However, both men were wounded; Eldred had 'a ball in his leg' and his fellow officer had lost a hand. Once in Kabul he negotiated terms for a British withdrawal. During the retreat the British forces were massacred and Eldred taken prisoner. While a prisoner he persuaded his captors to change sides and by the time he was relieved, had set up an administration to govern the tribesmen.

In 1843 Eldred arrived in Hong Kong. He was a taciturn man and it was said of him, 'You might have sat for weeks beside him at table and never discovered that he had seen a shot fired.'

However, he was weakened by the wound in his leg and after writing home, 'Hong Kong is very sickly at present. A sort of typhus fever is laying hold of people and doing much to thin our numbers', he fell victim himself and died on 15 November 1843, aged just thirty