Background
He was the third son of the Revd Edmund Gilbert (d 1816), vicar of Constantine and rector of Helland, Cornwall, and his wife, the daughter of Henry Garnett of Bristol.
He was the third son of the Revd Edmund Gilbert (d 1816), vicar of Constantine and rector of Helland, Cornwall, and his wife, the daughter of Henry Garnett of Bristol.
He gained a cadetship in the Bengal Infantry in 1800, and in September the following year was posted to the 15th Bengal Native Infantry (commanded by Colonel John Macdonald) as ensign. Arriving in India in October 1801, he then became lieutenant on 12 September 1803 and captain on 16 April 1810. Participating in the defeat of Perron"s brigades at Koil, Aligarh, the battles of Delhi, Laswari and the storming of Agra.
He also attracted the attention of Lord Lake by his participation in the four unsuccessful attacks on Bharatpur.
Next he was successively barrack-master and cantonment magistrate at Cawnpore, commandant of the Calcutta native militia, and commandant of the Ramgarh local battalion. Promoted to major on 12 November 1820, he then became lieutenant-colonel of the newly formed 39th Bengal native infantry in 1824, colonel of the 35th native infantry and of the 1st Bengal European Fusiliers in 1832, major-general in June 1838 and finally lieutenant-general in November 1851.
Walter is buried on the west side of the southern section of the central north-south path in Kensal Green Cemetery in London.
Like Sir Humphrey Gilbert, he was a member of the Devon family of Gilbert of Compton and he was named after Sir Humphrey"s stepbrother Sir Walter Raleigh.