Afghanistan Medal 1878-80. With clasp, Kandahar (G.N. 284. Duffedar. Kisonsing. P.H.)

The recipient was an Indian soldier who held the rank of Duffadar (Sergeant) while serving with the Poona Horse, of the Bombay Presidency Army

Reference 'The Afghan Campaign 1878-1880' (S. H. Shadbolt, ), the regiment's record of service during the Second Afghan War:

POONA HORSE.

On the 17th Jan., 1880, the Poona Horse, then stationed at Sirur in the Bombay Presidency, received orders to hold itself in readiness for service in Southern Afghanistan. At that time about half the
regiment was serving under the Civil authorities in the Poona, Sholapur, and Sattara Districts these parties were ordered to rejoin Head-quarters at Sirur immediately and on the 28th of the month the
regiment marched for Bombay, where it arrived on the 5th Feb., 1880.

From Bombay the Poona Horse proceeded in four detachments to Sibi; the first two leaving on the 7th Feb., under Major Hogg and Lieut. Minchin respectively; the 3rd, on the 13th, under Major
Stevenson, and the Head-quarters, under Lieut.-Colonel La Touche, with Captain Erskine, Lieut, and Adjutant Anderson, and Surgeon Stewart, on the 15th.

The regiment concentrated at Sibi on the 27th Feb., and remained there till the 13th March, when a wing, under Major Stevenson, commenced its march to Quetta. On the 22nd March, a party of 30
sabres, under a Native Officer, was detached as escort to Major-General Primrose, who was proceeding to Kandahar to take the command of the Field Force; and on the following day, the Head-quarters started for Quetta, a small party being left behind to escort Brigadier-General Brooke to Kandahar. Head-quarters arrived on the 10th April at Quetta, from whence, a few days previously, a squadron under Major Erskine, who had advanced with Major Stevenson’s Wing, had marched to Kushdil Khan. On the 20th April the regiment resumed its march to Kandahar, leaving detachments at the six posts on the line from Chaman. Major Stevenson, who had been left behind at Quetta on the departure of Head-quarters, died there on the 26th April from pleuro-pneumonia; Lieut.-Col. H. Phillipps, of the 2nd Bombay Light Cavalry, being appointed to succeed him.

Kandahar was reached on the 1st May, and on the 27th, Lieut.-Colonel Phillipps arrived to take up his appointment, Major Hogg on the following day being appointed Brigade-Major to the Cavalry
Brigade under Brigadier-General Nuttall.

On the departure of Brigadier-General Burrows’s Brigade for the Halmand at the end of June, the Poona Horse, on account of its numerical weakness (only some 180 men of all ranks being with Head
quarters) remained for garrison duty in Kandahar. When the news of the disaster of Maiwand came in, a party of 50 men, under Captain Anderson, proceeded with Brigadier-General Brooke’s force to Sinjiri to cover the retreat of the stragglers, and inflicted ”—to quote the words of the Brigadier’s despatch—“considerable loss on the enemy by two well-executed charges.” For their conduct on this occasion, seven men were recommended for, and obtained the Order of Merit. Another party of 30 men, under a Native officer, was sent to Mundi Hissar to bring in the post stationed there, and pass on orders for the posts of Abdul Rahman to Gatai to fall back on Chaman.

During the siege of Kandahar the Poona Horse (total strength 220 of all ranks) was employed every day on covering and working parties. The regiment also took part in the affair at Khairabad, and the sortie to Deh Khwaja. At the sortie, in which 100 of all ranks were engaged, 1 Native officer was killed, and Surgeon Stewart and 5 men were wounded. 9 horses were also killed, and 16 (of which 3 were afterwards destroyed) wounded. Two men of the regiment, who were orderlies to General Brooke, were for their gallantry on this occasion decorated with the Order of Merit.

On the advance guard of General Roberts’s force being signalled at Robat on the 27th Aug., a party of 50 sabres proceeded as an escort to Lieut.-Colonel St. John, the Resident, to communicate with
Brigadier-General Hugh Gough, who commanded the Cavalry Brigade and advance guard of the Kabul Kandahar Force.

At the battle of the 1st September the regiment was out with the Bombay Cavalry Brigade, under Brigadier-General Nuttall, and when the enemy were retreating, was detached to prevent stragglers
escaping through the Kotal-i-Murcha Pass. The parties of the regiment who had concentrated at Chaman on the withdrawal of the posts from the line of communications were during the investment of Kandahar employed under Major Westmacott, Road Commandant, in keeping open the Khojak Pass. Later on they were joined by the troop under Major Erskine from Kushdil Khan, and formed part of Major-General Phayre’s advance force for the
relief of Kandahar.

On the 8th Sept., 1880, Head-quarters and 200 sabres marched as part of Brigadier-General Daubeny’s Brigade to Maiwand, for the purpose of searching for arms and prisoners and burying the
dead. After a three days’ halt at that place, the Brigade marched back to Kokaran, at which place Major Erskine with some t8o men rejoined. On the breaking up of this Brigade the regiment was
transferred to the Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier-General Wilkinson, and on the 16th Oct., moved with that force into a new camping-ground at Kohak; Lieut.-Col. Phillipps being at the same time detached
with one squadron to Kandahar. The Head-quarters and remainder of the regiment followed on the 3rd Nov., and remained in quarters till the 20th Jan., 1881, when it was ordered to proceed with a force
of all arms under command of Brigadier-General Wilkinson to Maiwand. On the 12th Feb, the regiment, with the other units of this force returned to Kandahar, and remained there till the final evacuation, when it made its way back to India.

A highly desirable campaign medal to the famous hard-fighting 'Poona Horse' of the Bombay Presidency Army

Condition: GF

Code: 24294