British Raj The Battle of Gandamak - 1842

[Brian Wolfe]

The Battle of Ganadamak 1842

Perhaps it is my past as a numismatist that occasionally finds me purchasing an item because the date on the piece corresponds with the date of some famous or infamous event. The item must, of course, also bear some relevance to the event and not simply reflect a corresponding date. One such item was a British black powder percussion pistol dated 1842, which is the date of the Battle of Gandamak, Afghanistan.

Background:

The “Grim”, as the British soldiers called it, was an inhospitable rugged piece of the world quite unsuited for empire building and the “civilizing” of the indigenous people. Civilizing, pacifying or dominating the terms all become quite subjective depending upon one’s point of view. The one indisputable point was that to be taken alive as a prisoner by a tribe such as the ruthless Pathans would result in a long and most terrible death. Of this horrible fate Rudyard Kipling once wrote:

“When you are wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,

An’ the women come out to cut up what remains,

Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains,

An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.”

This area, the “Grim” once belonged to Afghanistan but is better known by its more official name as The North-West Frontier, of India. The North-West Frontier included names as Chitral, Waziristan, Baluchistan and Khyber perhaps the most well know for the Khyber Pass. This stretch of land between India and Afghanistan contained some of the most fearsome advisories the British Empire would ever encounter; such tribes as the Afridis, Baluchis, Chitralis, Pathans (mentioned earlier) and the Waziris. These same peoples remained as tough, resourceful and ruthless right up to the present day, facing armies from the Soviet Union then, America, Canada and other allied nations of peace keepers. However this is not about current history but that of the situation Britain found herself in during the early 1800’s.

The flag of the Honourable East India Company

The First Afghan War:

Russia viewed the riches of India, British India, with envious eyes and the only way to India and her riches was through Afghanistan. Russian influence in the area had already caused upheaval in Persia and the British, as a counter move, increased their presence in the North-West Frontier and offered what amounted to bribes to the ruler of Afghanistan to resist Russian advances. Once this had taken place and the Russian threat no longer looming there was a decision made to remove the current ruler of Afghanistan and re-install the older former ruler. This accomplished, an army set out for Kabul leaving a garrison in Kandahar and once in Kabul all appeared to have calmed down to an atmosphere of peace and tranquility ; but appearances were seldom a reflection of reality in Afghanistan or along the North-West Frontier.

The 1842 Kabul Retreat or The Massacre of Elphinstone’s Army:

In the spring of 1841 the commander of the forces in Kabul retired to be replaced with the unfortunate Maj. Gen. William Elphinstone; a man suffering from ill health and lacking the ability to make sound, if any, choices regarding major decisions. I use the term “unfortunate” as at this same time the Honourable East India Company decided to cut back on the payments to the different tribal leaders resulting in attacks on caravans attempting to use the passes controlled by their tribes. Kabul was now isolated, cut off from the rest of the Empire and in effect surrounded by the enemy.

It was not long before the isolated Kabul was to see repeated attacks from the tribesmen surrounding city with sections being overrun. As the tribesmen closed in on the garrison William Henry Macnaghten, the chief advisor to Lord Auckland, now with the garrison in Kabul, attempted to negotiate with the tribesmen but was murdered along with an officer; another two were imprisoned. It was now up to Maj. Gen. Elphinstone to make the decision to surrender the city or stand and fight to the last man. The Afghans offered to allow the garrison and all personnel to march out of Kabul and return to Jalalabad, the nearest British stronghold. The offer was made with the assurances that the column would be granted safe passage. Elphinstone accepted the Afghan assurances. History would record this as one of the last poor decisions of Elphinstone’s career and the worst massacre to befall the British Army. No sooner had the column lest the safety of the city than tribesmen started sporadic attacks, picking off stragglers and laying down a harassing rifle fire killing soldiers, servants, women and children. As the column plodded along the enemy snipers and the harsh frigid weather continued to take its toll, men women and children froze to death in their tracks with many sepoys abandoning their weapons further their vulnerability. Elphinstone and a few others had been taken prisoner. In an attempted break through the Afghans lines two groups mounted despite attacks. A dozen men of the first group had ridden on toward Futtehabad with only one, the company Surgeon, Dr. William Brydon completing the trek to Jalalabad; only one of 4,500 men of Elphinstone’s command. The second group headed toward Ganamak.

The Battle of Gandamak:

On 13 January 1842 approximately fifty men led by Capt. Souter of the 44^th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot reached the village of Gandamak. Earlier the 1^st Brigade had left a force of Afghan irregulars at Gandamak while the main body move to Jalalabad with the hope of being able to relieve the besieged Kabul. Up to this point the local tribesmen had shown loyalty towards the British, however, as soon as the main column moved out the Afghan irregulars killed their officers, blew up the magazine and set fire to the camp. One can only imagine the disappointment felt by Capt. Souter’s men as they found a potentially hostile force in place of friendly troops waiting for them; the Afghans, under the guise of being friendly, attempted to disarm the British troops and take them prisoner. To the offer from the Afghans to spare their lives a British sergeant shouted “not bloody likely” which led to the brief but savage Battle of Gandamak. With only twenty muskets and fifty rounds of ammunition this small band stood their ground fighting hand to hand completely surrounded by the enemy. The Afghans began the attack with sniping fire followed by a series of rushes until only Souter and few soldiers and two civilians survived and were taken prisoner. In an effort to save the regimental colours Souter had wrapped them around his waist during the struggle. This appeared to be a gold sash which the Afghans mistook as the rank of a general in the British Army, thereby; it has been speculated, sparing his life and those immediately around him.

In the end Elphinstone had lost 4,500 with a total loss of 16,500 including camp followers. Sir John Kaye wrote in 1851 of the massacre: “There is nothing, indeed, more remarkable in the history of the world than the awful completeness – the sublime unity- of this Kabul tragedy.”

This episode led to the assembly of a British force at Peshawar and for the next thirty years the frontier remained unsettled with punitive expeditions political intrigues between the British and the Indian rulers all under the foreboding atmosphere of potential Russian expansionism. As one conflict ended the road to the Second Afghan War was being constructed; but that, as they say, is another story.

Regards

Brian

Sources of research for this article includes:

North-West Frontier 1837 – 1947

Robert Wilkinson-Latham

Various Wikipedia sites on the First Afghan War and the Battle of Gandamak

Arrogant Armies – Great Military Disasters and the Generals Behind Then James M. Perry

[Ulsterman]

I'm always reminded of Flashmans' account of the retreat, perhaps one of the authors' finest bits of writing....." "The Sergeants calmly ordering, as only they do in the British army, "Close up, Close up, Bayonets". as the Afghanis came at them in the final, terror flying rush.'

Edited April 3, 2014 by Ulsterman

[Brian Wolfe]

I can't help but to think that the reality of events such as this makes today's horror films pale by compairison.

Thanks for your comment Ulsterman.

Regards

Brian

[Ulsterman]

My next door neighbor when I was a lad was a Colonel of Skinners' Horse. he told me once about visiting Gandamack in the 1930s. one could still see small bones and equipment amidst the rocks on the hillside. he told me his companion rolled over a bolder and found a partially buried skull.

[Stuart Bates]

The 44^th would have worn the Bell-Top shako introduced in 1829 but modified over the years until its replacement in 1844. A Horse Guards circular of 1835 replaced the feather plume with a ball tuft - white for line regiments, dark green for Light Infantry Companies and black for Rifles. This had taken effect by 1^st April 1836. A subsequent order of 22nd February 1839 replaced the chin scales with a leather chin strap. A subsequent order, 26th August 1841, replaced the leather chin strap with a brass chin chain secured by Lions' head bosses.

Below is my c1835 shako which closely matches the one worn during the 1^st Afghan War.

Thanks to Brian for his article on this fascinating piece of British history.

Stuart

Edited April 4, 2014 by Stuart Bates

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Stuart,

Thank you for both your comments and the image of the helmet. The photo of the painting of the battle is not very clear but I think this helmet can be made out if one looks closely enough.

Regards

Brian