CODRINGTON, SIR WILLIAM JOHN, K.C.B., was born in 1800. He is the eldest surviving son of Admiral Sir Edward Codrington. He entered the army in 1821, and in 1836 became lieutenant-colonel in the Coldstream Guards. In 1846 he attained the rank of colonel, and in 1854 that of major-general. During the whole of this period he had not been in any actual war-service.
When the British army was sent out to Turkey in 1854, Sir William Codrington accompanied it as a spectator. Happening to be at Varna immediately before the sailing of the expedition to the Crimea, Lord Raglan appointed him to the command of the first brigade of the light division, which had just then become vacant by the appointment of General Airey to the situation of adjutant general of the Army of the East. Sir William led this brigade at the battle of the Alma with great steadiness as well as gallantry. Whets visiting the outlying pickets of his brigade about five o'clock in the morning of the battle of Inkcrmann he became aware of the near approach of the Russians, and immediately rode back to turn out his brigade, and to give the first alarm. His bravery during the battle
was noticed by Lord Raglan, and when Sir George Brown in conse quence of a wound received that day was obliged to retire to Malta, Major-General Codrington was selected by Lord Raglan to take the command of the light division during his absence. After the final retirement of Sir George Brown from the Crimea, Major-General Codrington succeeded him in the command of the light division, and in that situation had the chief direction of the unsuccessful assault ou the 'Sedan at the taking of Sebastopol, September 8, 1855. After the resignation of General Simpson ho was appointed commauder-in-chief of the British army in the Crimea, with the local rank of general. For his services in the Crimea he was made a knight commander of the Bath.