Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Brown Blake Savi was born in Calcutta in November 1841 and gazetted to the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant in December 1861. Posted to Corfu in early 1864, he embarked for India in January 1865 and participated in the Bhootan operations as an Assistant Field Engineer in command of No. 4 Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners. Savi went on to serve for around another 30 years in India, gaining advancement to Lieutenant-Colonel in December 1888. He was placed on the Retired List in January 1894.