Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VIINorman, Charles Boswell
History
Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VII
Norman, Charles Boswell
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
19th Light Dragoons, 4th, 5th, and 7th Regiments of Madras Cavalry;
the 74th and 78th (Highlanders); and eight regiments of Madras
sepoys, of which only three now survive. This force amounted to
3,000 British and 5,000 native troops, and it was subsequently
strengthened by 2,500 Mysorean horse and a considerable body of
cavalry sent by the Peishwa.
The Hyderabad subsidiary force, also under Wellesley's orders,
comprised 120 English gunners, the Scots Brigade (now the 2nd
Connaught Rangers), 900 native cavalry, and 6,000 native infantry.
It was commanded by Colonel Murray.
III. The division in Guzerat, which was to insure the safety of
Cambay, and then to operate from the west, was under Colonel
Stevenson, and comprised the 65th (York and Lancasters), 75th
(Gordon Highlanders), the 86th (Royal Irish Rifles), and
detachments of the 61st (Gloucesters), 84th (York and Lancasters),
and 88th (Connaught Rangers), with 200 English artillerymen.
The most difficult task was that assigned to Wellesley, for he
had to arrange for the security of an enormous tract of country,
ruled over by chiefs whose friendship was more than doubtful. After
providing for the defence of Guzerat, he left 2,000 men, including
the 86th (Irish Rifles), near Baroda, a force of similar strength
with the 65th (York and Lancaster) on the Taptee, and retained the
rest for active operations under himself and Stevenson.
IV. Harcourt had with him for the advance through Cuttack the 80th
Foot, two companies of the 22nd, and the 25th Light Dragoons,
two regiments of Bengal cavalry, including a squadron of the
Governor-General's Bodyguard, and four regiments of Bengal infantry.
The campaign opened with a simultaneous advance of all four armies,
Lake moving on Ally-Ghur, Wellesley on Ahmadnagar, Stevenson on
Broach, and Harcourt on Balasore.
On September 3 Lake stormed and carried the fortress of Ally-Ghur.
ALLY-GHUR, SEPTEMBER 3, 1803.
This battle honour is borne on the colours of the West Riding
Regiment alone; no other corps which shared in that decisive
victory being now existent; the two native regiments which bore
such a gallant part in the storming of the fortress having been
swept away during the Mutiny of 1857.
On the issue of the India General Service Medal in 1851 the
survivors of this action were granted that medal, with a clasp
inscribed "Ally-Ghur."
Ally-Ghur was held by a powerful force under the command of the
Frenchman Perron, and it made a gallant defence. The troops
selected for the assault were the 76th Foot, the 1st Battalion of
the 4th and the 17th Native Infantry, under Colonel the Hon. G.
Monson, the casualties being:
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