Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 234

'So a party that were not turning out of camp that night took the horses back to the river, and then heard the worst - that the poor fellows who could not swim, and many who could, were drowned. But when I left camp at 12.30 p.m. we knew but little about it, only what Sergeant Roper (who luckily swam his horse back) said - that the leading part of the squadron (or two troops) got over all right, and the remainder went off too much to the right, did not follow their front, missed their way, and went out of their depth.'

An officer of the 10th Hussars describes the disaster at the Kabul River

A Kabul River casualty's Afghanistan Medal awarded to Private H. Allen, 10th Royal Hussars, who drowned during the tragedy on 31 March 1879 - which later formed the subject of Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem ‘Ford o’ Kabul River’

Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Ali Musjid (1223. Pte. H. Allon. 10th Rl Hussars.), note surname spelling, edge bruise, very fine

Approximately 46 men of the Regiment drowned during the infamous crossing of the Kabul River.

Henry Allen was born in November 1856 and enlisted at Hounslow on 19 May 1871 with the rank of Boy. Reaching his Majority the next year Allen was promoted Private on 22 November 1871 and the next year joined the Royal Military School of Music to train as a Bandsman. He was noted as 'indifferent' and 'idle' and it is not certain that he served in the band of the 10th Hussars.

Posted to India on 8 January 1875 he entered the Second Afghan War with the Peshawar Valley Field Force under the command of Sir Samuel Browne, alongside two other squadrons of the Regiment. They were deployed alongside the rest of his army at the Battle of Ali Musjid on 21 November 1878. The British attacked the Afghan army around the fortress pass head on and failed to break through, however a flanking move resulted in the Afghans falling back to avoid being encircled.

Browne sent his cavalry forward after the Battle and they advanced as far as Gandamak where he was to spend the rest of the war. Later a mixed force under Brigadier-General Macpherson advanced from Jalalabad towards Laghman early the next year to dispel a force of Afghans that had gathered there. With him were two squadrons of cavalry, one from the 10th Hussars and another from the 11th Bengal Lancers, under the command of Major Wood.

They were ordered to cross the Kabul River at a ford about a mile across with an Island at its centre, to complicate matters this crossing was to take place at night. The Lancers entered the river first and crossed safely with their baggage mules following behind, however the mules edged too close to the river with two being swept away.

The Squadron of the 10th was following hard on the heels of the mules and did not realise that they were edging towards the river. The current was very strong and in a sudden moment of confusion some 46 men of the leading files were swept away. Burdened down with weaponry and kit, surrounded by panicked and struggling horses, the men were unable to swim for safety and most drowned as the swift waters sent them spinning downstream with bodies found up to six miles from the ford.

The first many knew of the disaster that had occurred was a number of riderless horses which rushed into the British camp, seeking shelter. Many of the bodies were found to have suffered severe injuries caused by panicking horses lashing out in the water, battering the helpless troopers. Allen was one of those killed in the tragedy, it is not known if his was one of the 19 bodies recovered from the river.

The crossing was marked in verse in the Ford o' Kabul River by Rudyard Kipling:

Kabul town's by Kabul river -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
There I lef' my mate for ever,
Wet an' drippin' by the ford.
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
There's the river up and brimmin',
An' there's 'arf a squadron swimmin'
'Cross the ford o' Kabul river in the dark.

Kabul town's a blasted place -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
'Strewth I sha'n't forget 'is face
Wet an' drippin' by the ford!
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
Keep the crossing-stakes beside you,
An' they will surely guide you
'Cross the ford o' Kabul river in the dark.

Kabul town is sun and dust -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
I'd ha' sooner drownded fust
'Stead of 'im beside the ford.
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
You can 'ear the 'orses threshin',
You can 'ear the men a-splashin',
'Cross the ford o' Kabul river in the dark.

Kabul town was ours to take -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
I'd ha' left it for 'is sake -
'Im that left me by the ford.
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
It's none so bloomin' dry there;
Ain't you never comin' nigh there,
'Cross the ford o' Kabul river in the dark?

Kabul town'll go to hell -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
'Fore I see him 'live an' well -
'Im the best beside the ford.
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
Gawd 'elp 'em if they blunder,
For their boots'll pull 'em under,
By the ford o' Kabul river in the dark.

Turn your 'orse from Kabul town -
Blow the bugle, draw the sword -
'Im an' 'arf my troop is down,
Down an' drownded by the ford.
Ford, ford, ford o' Kabul river,
Ford o' Kabul river in the dark!
There's the river low an' fallin',
But it ain't no use o' callin'
Cross the ford o' Kabul river in the dark.'

Sold together with copied research.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£240