Walker Dawson Fawcett was the younger son of General Sir William Fawcett KB of Shibden Hall, Yorkshire. He joined the Indian Army in 1780 as a cornet in the 2nd Bengal Native Cavalry. He was a lieutenant in 1781 and in 1802 he transferred to the 6th BNC. He rose to the rank of Major-General by 1813. His will is in the National Archives, dated 20 Jan 1824.
The miniature portrait c 1802 shows him in a scarlet waist-length jacket with silver braid, buttons and shoulder scales. The collar is yellow. The Tarleton style light dragoon helmet was authorised for all the Bengal regular cavalry in 1802. It was of black leather with a bearskin crest and a leopardskin turban decorated with double silver chains. A ‘King’s Regulation feather’ on the left side was red at the base and white extending the whole plume to 17 inches. At the back was a red bow and silver tassels. The helmet was worn until 1812 when it was replaced by the first pattern shako. Images of BNC officers wearing this helmet are rare. There is good reason to suppose that the black bearskin crest was replaced, unofficially, by a flowing red horsehair mane, as shown in paintings such as Fighting Pindaris 1810.
