This battle honour, which records the services of the army commanded by Sir Herbert Kitchener at the capture of the stronghold of Mahdiism, is borne by the
21st Lancers.
Grenadier Guards.
Northumberland Fusiliers.
Royal Warwicks.
Lincolnshire.
Lancashire Fusiliers.
Seaforth Highlanders.
Cameron Highlanders.
The decisive success achieved at the Atbara on April 8, 1898, opened the road to Khartoum. The railway was now pushed on to the Atbara River, and fresh reinforcements sent out from home, bringing up Sir Herbert Kitchener's force to nearly 26,000 men, thus distributed:
British Division: Major-General Gatacre.
First Brigade—Brigadier-General A. Wauchope: 1st Warwicks, 1st Lincolns, 72nd (Seaforth Highlanders), and the 79th (Cameron Highlanders).
Second Brigade—Brigadier-General Hon. N. Lyttleton: 1st Grenadier Guards, 1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, and the 1st Rifle Brigade.
Egyptian Division—Major-General Hunter: Consisted of four strong brigades.
In addition, there were 2 batteries of Royal Artillery, 5 Egyptian batteries, 20 machine guns, a flotilla of 10 gunboats, under Commander Keppel, R.N., the 21st Lancers, with a brigade of Egyptian cavalry and the camel corps, making a total force of 8,200 British and 17,600 Egyptian troops, with 44 field, 12 mountain, and 22 machine guns. The flotilla of armoured gunboats mounted 36 guns in addition, and these in the final action contributed not a little to the success of the day.
Late in August the whole force was concentrated at Metemneh, the site of one of the actions between the little force under Sir Herbert Stewart and the Mahdi's troops in January, 1885. On the left bank of the river lay the British force, on the opposite bank a large levy of friendly tribes eager to throw off the despotism and tyranny of the Khalifa. On September 4 the British force encamped four miles from Khartoum, and Sir Herbert Kitchener, who was not the man to leave anything to chance, threw up a strong breastwork, and bivouacked for the night. On the morrow the gunboats bombarded the fort of Omdurman. The Khalifa, stung into action, delivered a fierce attack on the zareba, but was repulsed with heavy loss. Kitchener then left its shelter, and advanced towards Omdurman; but the spirit of the Mahdiists was by no means broken. Twice did they attack the British troops, but all was of no avail. The training of the British officer now bore good fruit. Under its incomparable leader, Brigadier Hector Macdonald, his brigade of black troops manœuvred with all the coolness of veterans, and the 21st Lancers, seizing their chance, charged into the struggling mass of the enemy, who met them with the utmost gallantry. The day was well won, and ere nightfall the British flag was flying over the walls of the Khalifa's capital. His black flag was amongst our trophies, and 10,000 of his misguided followers lay dead on the sand-hills outside the accursed city. The results of the battle, in which we lost some 500 of all ranks, killed and wounded, were the destruction of the Khalifa's army, and the restoration to the Khedivial Government of those provinces which had thrown off his rule in the great upheaval of 1884.
Casualties at the Battle of Khartoum.