Background
He was educated at Harrow School, the son of Henry Badcock (1801–1888), a Taunton banker.
He was educated at Harrow School, the son of Henry Badcock (1801–1888), a Taunton banker.
He obtained his first commission as ensign on 1 October 1861, was promoted lieutenant on 1 October 1862 and captain on 1 October
1873, brevet-colonel on 2 March 1885, major-general on 1 April 1897, lieutenant-general on 3 April 1900.
In his three earliest campaigns, Bhutan War (1864-1865), the Black Mountain Expedition (1868), and Perak (1875-1876) he attracted notice for his foresight and power of organisation, winning the thanks of government. His next service was rendered as principal commissariat officer under Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts in the Kuram field force (1878-1879), taking part in the forcing of the Peiwar Kotal and other actions.
Returning from furlough when operations were resumed, he joined the Kabul field force, and owing to his admirable preparations Lord Roberts found in Sherpur when it was invested "supplies for men stored for nearly four months and for animals for six weeks."
Badcock also assisted in recovering the guns abandoned near Bhagwana, and finally when the Kabul-Kandahar field force, consisting of 9986 men and eighteen guns with 8000 followers and 2300 horses and mules, started on 9 August 1880 he relieved Roberts"s "greatest anxiety," and the force reached Kandahar, 313 miles from Kabul, on 31 August, with a safe margin of supplies.
In 1885, he collected transport for the Sudan, and in 1895 received the C.S.I, and the thanks of government for his services in connection with the Chitral relief force.
He was appointed quartermaster-general in India on 7 November 1895. Besides these appointments he acted as secretary in the military department 1890-1891 and was president of a committee to consider the grant of compensation for dearness of provisions, October 1894. There is no known familial relationship between General Sir Alexander Robert Badcock and another nineteenth century British Army general bearing the same surname, General Sir Lovell Benjamin Badcock.
Sir Alexander appears in the picture of officers who took part in the Kabul - Kandahar march published by Major Whitelock of Birmingham in 1911.
On his retirement at the expiration of his term of office as quartermaster-general in 1900, he took an active part in the organisation of the imperial yeomanry, and was appointed member of the council of India, receiving on 26 June 1902 the Knight Commander of the Bath He died in London on 23 March 1907, while still holding that office, and was buried at Taunton.