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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 238

The Afghanistan Medal awarded to Private G. White, 66th Foot, the first man of his unit to die in Afghanistan, who was mortally wounded at Girishk, prior to the famous Battle of Maiwand

Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (1658. Pte. G. White. 66th Foot.), light contact marks

One of four men wounded at Girishk.

George White enlisted at Winchester on 9 November 1870, joining the 66th Foot he was posted to India the next month on 30 December. Posted to the Battalion in Karachi in February 1871 he was to join them in marching to Kandahar in March 1880 for service in the Second Afghan War. Arriving there on 25 March they joined General Primrose's Kandahar Field Force, garrisoning the city. The Regiment was still present there when news arrived that Ayub Khan, governor of Herat, had rebelled and was marching towards them.

The Wali of Kandahar urged a British intervention while assembling his own forces at Girishk, an ideal position to intercept the advancing army. Brigadier-General Burrows set out with a Brigade to rendezvous with the Wali's troops and confront the approaching Afghan army. They arrived at the Helmand River on 11 July with the Wali's army on the opposite bank, two days later the Afghan infantry mutinied and fled with the artillery north to join Ayub Khan.

Burrows pursued them and overhauled the mutineers the following day on a ridge just north of Girishk, retaking the guns and driving them into the Helmand Valley. An Officer of White's Company (H Company), 2nd Lieutenant Barr, wrote an account of the action which states:

'The fighting lasted exactly two hours, 12:15 to 2:15. We reckon that they left about 200 dead on the field. Our casualties were four horses, three men of my company wounded, one badly, and one other man with a bayonet wound through his hand. The native Cavalry and Infantry had no casualties among the men.'

White was the 'H' Company man badly wounded, having taken a gunshot to the left thigh. Two others, Ball and Robbins suffered similar wounds though less serious and Private Pike was wounded in the hand, saving his officer's life in the process and earning himself the D.C.M. All of these casualties were treated by Surgeon-Major Preston, a model of Arthur Conan Doyle's Dr Watson (whose medals were sold in these rooms on 4 April 2023).

Burrows collected his forces and marched back to the Kandahar road to face Ayub Khan at Maiwand. With him went the four wounded men including White. The account of Reverand Alfred Cane written on 21 July. outlines what happened next, stating:

'One of our wounded died yesterday. I was talking and administering to him in the morning and I buried him in the open at sunset.'

White is listed as dying of his wounds on 20 July 1880, he is buried in Afghanistan; sold together with two old dealers tags along with copied pay lists and handwritten research.

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Sold for
£650

Starting price
£320