Recruitment in the British Army from families with a military tradition. (This contrasted with the Navy, whose officers were more often from a middle-class background.) The second son of King George III, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, did much to improve the standard of officer recruitment from his position as Commander in Chief of the Army (from 1795 to 1809, then from 1811 to 1827). The sale of commissions, finally abolished in the Cardwell reforms in 1868–1874, and the further Childers Reforms. In spite of its abolition, the status of an officer being from a privileged background and that of another rank being
George Milner (British Army officer) George Milner (British Army officer) General George Milner (1760–1836) was a general officer of the British Army during the late eighteenth century. He was the son of Sir William Milner, 2nd Baronet. In 1776, he was appointed an ensign in the 3rd Foot Guards, purchasing his lieutenancy (nominal rank of captain) in 1778 and captaincy (nominal rank of lieutenant-colonel) in 1792. He served in Flanders through 1793 and 1794, being given the brevet rank of colonel in 1796 and appointed as a major-general in January 1801. From February 1800 to January 1802 he served on the staff in Jersey. In