Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880Brooke, Henry Francis
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Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke: Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade, Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, from April 22nd to August 16th, 1880
Brooke, Henry Francis
Afghan Wars; Brooke, Henry Francis, 1836-1880
Sergeant-Major T. Rickard, of the 2/7th Fusiliers, states:--On the
16th August, 1880, I was one of the Party ordered out for the storming
of Deh Khoja, under General BROOKE. We attacked the village at the
South end about 5.30 a.m. under a very heavy fire in all directions
from the enemy. When we arrived in the centre of the village, Captain
Cruikshank, R.E., got wounded. General BROOKE assisted in helping
him along. We then advanced further on, to force our way through the
village, when we halted and got under a wall, as we thought under
cover, but the enemy's fire from all directions kept getting heavier,
and the longer we stopped the heavier the fire got. General BROOKE
said to me, "Sergeant-Major, we shall never get out of this, I am
afraid." He then ordered us to retire back out of the village. We did
so. After we got out of the village about 300 yards, we halted again
under cover about 10 minutes, and fired on the enemy as fast as we
could. General BROOKE asked me to send him another man to help him
along with Captain Cruikshank. I did so, and we retired again towards
the Fort, and had only got about 200 yards when General BROOKE was
shot in the head (dead), and the other man that was helping was shot.
I was with General BROOKE the whole time, till he was shot.
T. RICKARD,
Sergeant-Major 2/7th Royal Fusiliers.
* * * * *
From Colonel French, R.A., Commanding Artillery in Kandahar.
Kandahar, 26th August.
My Dear Annie,
Most sincerely do I sympathize with you in the loss of your dear good
Husband, poor HENRY; he was so genial, cheery, kind, and courteous
to all who came in contact with him, and much beloved and respected
by everyone in this Force. No braver or truer soldier lost his life
in that ill-fated attack on Deh Khoja. I miss him so very much, we
were thrown so much together during the last four months. No man was
more keen for a fight than poor HENRY, and when the day of battle did
come, right gallantly he led his men, sacrificing his life in the
humane effort to rescue a wounded man from falling into the hands
of the enemy. From Trumpeter McGlynn, C/2 R.A., who was his Orderly
Trumpeter on the 16th August, I have heard the following account of
how poor HENRY fell:--After half an hour's skirmishing they reached
the village, and on entering, HENRY and the Trumpeter had just
dismounted, when a volley from the enemy so startled their horses
they broke away, and galloped back to within the City. HENRY advanced
through the village on foot, cheering on his men amidst a galling fire
of musketry, which the enemy poured on them from loop-holed walls.
Arrived in the centre of the village, Captain Cruikshank, R.E., fell
badly wounded. At this time our men were being driven back by superior
numbers and the heavy fire from the houses. HENRY helped to carry
Cruikshank; succeeded in getting him out of the village, of which
they had got clear about 30 yards, HENRY still supporting Cruikshank,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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