War Medals and Their History

by William Augustus Steward

EDWARDIAN ARMY.

LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDALS.

Two divisions took part in this campaign, and European troops participated only with the Burma section. 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, and detachments of 1st Batt. Cheshire and Norfolk Regiments. The native troops were: 2nd Batt. 4th and the 42nd Goorkas; two companies of the Queen's Own Madras Sappers and Miners. The troops engaged with the Chittagong column were: 2nd Goorkas, 3rd and 9th Bengal Infantry; 28th Bombay Pioneers, and a company of Bengal Sappers and Miners.

North-East Frontier, 1891.—Early in 1891 the British Resident at Manipur was attacked, and columns from Tamu on March 28th, Silchar on April 15th, and Kohmia on April 20th were sent forward to secure the submission of the Rajah and the punishment of those responsible for the attack on the Resident. The Rajah submitted to the terms laid down, and by May 7th, 1891, the campaign was brought to a conclusion.

The Manipur Field Force consisted of about 300 of the 4th King's Royal Rifles; 1st Batt. 2nd Goorkas; 2nd Batt. 4th Goorkas; detachments of the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th Goorkas; 18th Bengal Infantry, and the 8th Bengal Mountain Battery. For this expedition the bar for the N.E. FRONTIER 1891 was added to the India General Service Medal 1854.

Hunza, 1891.—Lieutenant-Colonel Algernon Durand had foreseen that trouble was brewing, and made very praiseworthy efforts not only to circumvent it, but to ensure that should hostilities occur he would be in a position to defend himself against the robbers and slave-dealers who surrounded him. An attack had been made on the Chalt garrison, and further trouble was anticipated when Durand informed the chiefs of Hunza and Nagar, without referring to their misconduct, that the British intended having free access to their territory in order that "all requisite arrangements might be made for holding the frontier, and that unless they complied with our demands troops would enter their country, and make roads in spite of them." The tribesmen armed, and "confident in the strength of their defiles ... and to defeat Kashmir troops as of yore," they collected, and Colonel Durand concentrated at Chalt, from whence on November 29th an ultimatum was sent to the chiefs; but the envoy was insulted and robbed of his horse, so the British force crossed the Hunza River on December 1st by a temporary bridge thrown by Captain Aylmer, V.C., and the war which Colonel Durand had striven to prevent commenced, and with a little force of 1,000 men and 2 guns he opposed himself to about 5,000 or 6,000 men.

The force was made up of 180 of the 5th Goorkas, 400 Goorkas and Dogras of the Kashmir Bodyguard, 250 Dogras of the Kashmir Raga Pertab Regiment, 150 Punyali levies, and the commander's personal escort—20 men of the 20th Punjab Infantry. The only Europeans present were officers. The forts of Nilt were assaulted and captured after very desperate fighting, in which Captain Aylmer and Colonel Durand were severely wounded, and in the moment of victory the command passed out of the latter's hand. In two hours the place was captured, but owing to the failure to advance 4 British officers had been lost, and nearly 40 men killed and wounded after the successful assault. The cliff opposite Nilt, a very difficult position, was next scaled after "a little Dogra sepoy named Nagdu one night succeeded in climbing 1,200 feet up the cliff, and found a practicable path." Then the place was stormed by the men under the command of Captain Colin Mackenzie of the Seaforths; Lieutenant Manners-Smith led a little body of Kashmir troops up a cliff 1,000 feet high, and within two days Nagar was occupied, and the Hunza chief with Uzr Khan fled across the frontier. It is noteworthy that from the men of the district against whom we had fought, Colonel Durand raised the Hunza-Nagar levies who later fought so well for us.

In this little hard-fought campaign three Victoria Crosses were won, by Captain (now Major-General C. B.) Aylmer, Lieutenant (now Major) Boisragon, and Lieutenant (now Lieutenant-Colonel C. I. E.) Manners-Smith, while several of the native troops earned the Order of Merit for their gallantry and devotion.