Private Thomas Dobney was born near Market Deeping, Lincolnshire and enlisted in the 75th Foot in 1842. Tried by Court-Martial in 1848 and sentenced to 40 days confinement, he had another run-in with higher authority in the following year, while en route to Calcutta from England, on this occasion being sentenced to 50 lashes, luckily commuted to 14 days solitary confinement. But worse was to follow on active service in the Indian Mutiny, when an enemy musket ball shattered his right ankle in the action at Badli-ke-Serai on 8.6.1857. Dobney was discharged as result of his crippling wound in the following year.