War Medals and Their HistorySteward, William Augustus
History
War Medals and Their History
Steward, William Augustus
Great Britain. Army -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
=Umbeyla.=--At the end of 1863 a somewhat serious trouble again broke
out on the borders of the Aklumd of Swat by the fanatical outbreak of
Hindustanis, and a very arduous campaign had to be undertaken between
October and December before the district settled down. This little war
in Umbeyla (Ambela) was responsible for the death of a great number
of officers; first the Buner people refused to allow Sir Neville
Chamberlain's army to pass, and the commanding points on the mountains
were repeatedly taken and retaken, despite the bravery of the Punjabis
and the general gallantry of the troops. Around the Eagle's Nest and
the Craig Piquet the most desperate fighting took place, and at the
latter post Lieutenants Fosbery and Pitcher won the V.C. for their
daring, but to little avail until the force was increased to 9,000 men,
and then through strenuous opposition it pushed on, and the Hussanzaie
tribes were dispersed. In this expedition 36 British and 31 native
officers were killed, and 150 British and 689 native soldiers killed or
wounded. A bar for this expedition was not authorised until July 1st,
1869.
=Bhootan, 1864-6.=--The Umbeyla campaign was but the precursor of
another, for that restless spirit which seems to thrive so well on
the frontier engendered another outbreak, and disturbances among the
Bhootanese in 1864 necessitated the sending of an expedition of four
columns to invade Bhootan, a district to the north-east of India.
The left column met with little opposition at Dhalimcote, where the
fort was bombarded and stormed, or at Bhumsong, where the stockaded
positions were evacuated without a shot being fired by the enemy,
although they made something of a stand at Chamoorchee. Buxa was taken
by one column, and while another pressing on to the Barungah Pass
found small opposition, the other reached Bisheusing unmolested. The
annexation of Bhootan was then formally declared. In 1865, however,
the inhabitants endeavoured to free themselves from British dominion,
and rather determined fighting ensued; at the various places already
mentioned attacks were made upon the garrisons, and it became evident
that stronger force was necessary to hold the country. Reinforcements
were hurried forward under Brigadier-General Tombs, C.B., V.C., but
after the defeat of the Bhootanese at Dewangari, a hill post at the
summit of the Dungarah Pass, hostilities came to an end, and with
a stronger permanent military establishment peace was ensured, but
not effectually until in 1866 a force of 7,000 men was sent into the
country. This determined attitude on the part of the Indian Government
resulted in the Deb Rajah of Bhootan signing a treaty of peace.
[Illustration: Naval General Service.
New Zealand.
Ashantee.
Afghanistan.
I.G.S., 1895.
Sudan, 1899.
South Africa, 1900.
SEVEN PHASES OF QUEEN VICTORIA'S LIFE AS REPRESENTED ON THE OBVERSE OF
HER WAR MEDALS.
1881]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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