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Auction: 24003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 242

The Afghanistan Medal awarded to Daffadar, S. F. Deen, 3rd Sind Horse, whose Regiment served at the Battle of Maiwand, with their Colonel being the subject of a Court Martial as a result of his performance in the action

Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Dufdr Shaik Futteh Deen 3rd Regt. Sind Horse), nearly extremely fine

Shaik Futteh Deen served with Colonel J. H. P. Malcolmson's 3rd Sind Horse as part of the South Afghanistan Field Force in 1879. The Regiment came into action for the first time at Kushk-I-Nakud on 26 February 1879, near the future site of the battle of Maiwand, where they charged a force of Afghans numbering 1,500 and routed them.

Later in May 1880 a Squadron of the Regiment was posted to Kalat-i-Ghilzai Fort, north of Kandahar where they were to play no further part in the drama unfolding to the south until the arrival of General Roberts. After word arrived that Ayub Khan had declared himself Emir in Herat and was marching his army on Kandahar a column under General Burrows was put together including the 3rd Sind Horse.

They marched to Girishk where they found the army of the loyal Wali of Kandahar had mutinied. The British dispersed these mutineers and drove them through the Helmand valley, capturing their artillery which was manned by men of the 66th Foot.

Approaching the village of Maiwand they found themselves opposing a much larger and better equipped army than they had first believed. The British anchored their line of the village of Khig to their right however the precipitous advance of their guns forced the line to advance over the dried ravine that had previously offered cover.

The 3rd were stationed behind the British left which was the most exposed and soon came under a heavy artillery fire. When the British line began to crumble under the bombardment the Afghans commenced an advance against the left and centre which threatened to collapse the line. In response Burrows ordered Brigadier Nuttall to launch a cavalry charge against the enemy centre.

A large part of the 3rd took part in this as well as a number of the 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry, about 150 sabres in all. However as the charge began the troopers veered off and swung back through the British line to the rear, leaving their officers alone. This failure sealed the fate of the British army, the left collapsed and fell back across the line causing havoc which the Afghans used to get close to the British.

The 3rd suffered comparatively light casualties- when compared to the other British units present- with only 14 killed and 5 wounded, although that still comprised 19% of their strength. They did not cover themselves in glory during the withdrawal, with only one troop under Monteith remaining to cover the column while the rest went ahead. Indeed it was a Jemadar of the 3rd who delivered the news of the defeat to Kandahar on 28 July 1880.

With Kandahar under siege General Roberts launched his great Kabul-Kandahar march and in the final stretch picked up the garrison of Kalat-i-Ghilzai including the remaining Squadron of the 3rd. Roughly half of the Regiment took part in the Battle of Kandahar, Deen however does not appear to have done so.

They later sent detachments to the battlefield of Maiwand to identify and bury the dead. Notably after they returned to India in September Colonel Malcolmson was Court Marshalled for cowardice during the retreat, he was exonerated; sold together with typed and handwritten research.

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Estimate
£140 to £180

Starting price
£110