British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle Honours — John Shaqi
British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle HonoursHodder, Reginald
History
British Regiments at the Front, The Story of Their Battle Honours
Hodder, Reginald
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army
One has only to remember the horrible atrocities of the Indian Mutiny
to acquit the Carabiniers of any charge of undue ferocity; one has only
to remember Cawnpore, and the women and the babies, in order to admire
their offices of stern, relentless retribution. And all this happened
at the very time when all London was celebrating the centenary of the
sublime victory of Plassey, and the brilliant acquisition of the Indian
Empire under the genius of Clive.
When, at Meerut, on that never-to-be-forgotten Sunday, they pursued the
fiends responsible for that awful massacre, the Carabiniers, together
with the 60th Rifles drew a very determined line between righteous
revenge and feeble long-sufferance; between just wrath, that
ever-potential factor in heroic blood: primitive wrath, and its cognate
barbarity of act. "Remember the women! Remember the babies!" ran
through the ranks on that occasion; and, with one heart and mind, the
Carabiniers and the 60th, an avenging host, pursued the rebels, and cut
them to pieces, right up to the very gates of Delhi, imprecating as
they slew. And well they might be forgiven for that. Never were the
lives of the innocent and defenceless so quickly, terribly, yet justly
avenged; never has a more awful nemesis from human hands fallen upon
the destroyers of women and women's honour. And, remembering all this,
we defend it and uphold it, for we know full well that, in this present
war, the barbarities and atrocities committed by an unprincipled enemy
must again meet with this righteous kind of vengeance. And, if it is
the traditional and special aspiration of the Carabiniers of to-day to
cry "Remember Louvain! Remember the women and babies of Belgium!" shall
we say "Hold and spare!" No! shall we say, "Vengeance is God's: God
will repay!" Yes, with all our heart and soul; and what better agency
for repayment than that of our noble Carabiniers! They are not of the
kind to repay barbarity with barbarity; but they are of the kind to use
their swords with singular effect, and like English gentlemen, whose
special office it is to wreak proper vengeance to-day as in the past on
the destroyers of women and children.
At Gungaree the Carabiniers lost three of their officers, but for this
they took a heavy toll. Meeting the rebels three days later, they
defeated them completely, taking their leaders prisoners. Again the
terrible work began. Hotly they pursued the flying rebels, and put them
to the sword without a show of quarter. Rebel blood flowed like water
for the rebel deeds they had committed against right and honour.
* * * * *
THEIR BATTLE HONOURS, ETC.
BATTLE HONOURS.--Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, Malplaquet,
Sevastopol, Delhi, Afghanistan 1879-80, S. Africa 1889-1902, Relief
of Kimberley, Paardeberg.
UNIFORM.--Blue, white facings, white plume.
[Illustration: CHARGE OF SCOTS GREYS AT WATERLOO.
_From a Painting by R. Caton Woodville._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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