[1] He received his early education at the grammar school at Chudleigh, and then attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

After a year and a half, during which he was employed on the military works and fortifications of Portsmouth under Major General Vyvyan Evelegh, he was sent to Ceylon and was one of the first batch of British engineers stationed there.

In January 1812, he was at the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, where he was one of the directors of the attack, and accompanied Major General Sir John Vandeleur's 4th British Brigade.

For his service, he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel on 21 September 1813, and under the order of 1 June 1814, was decorated with the gold medal.

Some 33 years afterwards, he was awarded for these distinguished services the war medal and five clasps for C'iudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Vittoria, Nivelle, and Nive.

[2] On 4 June 1815, he was created one of the first Companions of the Order of the Bath, and for the next six years, held an appointment as commanding engineer in southern England.

In 1821, Captain Ellicombe was made Assistant Adjutant-General of the Royal Engineers,[5] and as such, was on the staff of the Inspector-General of Fortifications at the Board of Ordnance in London.

He was selected for the duty because of his well-known administrative ability and intimate acquaintance with the large range of complicated details connected with the military and scientific business of the Royal Engineers.