Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers Part I


‘But the Afghan artillery had not ceased firing from lack of shell and ball. The cannonade had slackened because Ayub Khan was about to give the signal for an advance on all fronts... Rising from the salient in savage thousands they charged to the attack. Ghazis in their white robes, wild-eyed and howling their war-cries of “Allah! Bismullah!”, right arms with swords extended, shield-arms held from habit across the body for useless protection against rifle-bullets, dark-uniformed Kabulis plodding forward in line, on they came. The 66th mowed them down in their hundreds but nothing stopped them. Only human, they flinched at last from the disciplined fire of the 66th. They swerved to the right, across the front of Jacob’s Rifles, and headed straight for the guns. Anderson of the Grenadiers, preoccupied as he was with his own battle, saw them coming and wheeled his right company back still more to face them and protect the battery, his men firing steadily and well. But as he did so, there arose the roar of another ghazi charge on his own regiment’s front and left. Again, a line of waving standards had risen aloft and was being escorted forward by a fanatic mob of white-clad ghazis... It was too much for Cole’s companies [Jacob’s Rifles]. A youth must have turned and started to run. A few followed. In an instant a terrified, disorganised rabble was streaming to the rear... one of the inside companies of the Grenadier left-wing stood up, broke formation, and began to press back towards the rear... Flushed with success, the tribesmen charged into the ranks of the Grenadiers, who were so close packed that the men could not use their arms, and defence was hopeless... Great numbers of sepoys from the two native regiments now pushed themselves into the rear ranks of the 66th, and nothing could stop them... The 66th Foot, Jacob’s Rifles and those Grenadiers who had pushed in among their ranks stood hesitant in a mingled mass of all three regiments until a voice cried, “Let’s try that village over there!”, and they began to trudge dazedly towards Khig.’


‘Grant of the Grenadiers was still able to walk, despite his wounded leg, and was one of the first to reach the last garden. Hurt though he was, he tried his best to make his men stand and reform, calling out as well as his dry throat permitted, even getting hold of a bugler of Jacob’s Rifles to sound the halt and assembly. But every man was well-nigh done from the day’s work and heat, and no one paid any attention to the bugle-calls. Grant could elicit no reply, other than the occasional expletive from a British soldier, and the men filed on through the gap in the enclosure. A few Afghan irregular horsemen were waiting outside, firing in the saddle from behind a high wall, but the straggle of fugitives carried on regardless of the nuisance. Grant tried at least to turn the nearest of the men in the direction of the main body which he could see at Mundabad, but they plodded on, aiming for the shortest route across the plain to the Khushk-i- Nakhud spur and the road to Kandahar. So he gave up the attempt, and turned off towards Nuttall’s force, accompanied only by a few Europeans and natives.’


On this disastrous day the losses sustained by the Grenadiers were of appalling magnitude. Of the 7 British officers present, 2 were killed, and 2 wounded; of the 15 native officers, 8 were killed, and 4 wounded; and of the 624 men, 347 were killed, and 55 wounded. The remainder underwent the indescribable horrors of retreat, straggling into Kandahar by twos and threes. Grant, himself, was in Kandahar throughout the siege from 28 July to 31 August, 1880, and returned with his regiment to India (Mentioned in despatches; Medal).


Grant was promoted to Major, 1 March 1884; transferred to 17 Bombay Infantry, 12 December 1884; second in command, 17th Bombay Infantry, 18 June 1886; Lieutenant-Colonel, 30 June 1891; Colonel, 30 June 1895; retired, 17 September 1903. Grant’s only campaign service was during the Afghan War 1878-80, during which he served with the 1st Bombay Grenadiers during both phases of the war. He was still in the Retired List in 1924.


885 Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Subdr. Major Didar Bux 21st Regt. N.I.) nearly very fine £300-£360


Appointed to the 1st Class of the Order of British India with the title of “Sirdar Bahadur” G.G.O. No. 571 of 21 October 1881, ‘In recognition of services during the late war in Afghanistan’: Subadar-Major Didar Bux, Bahadur, 21st Bengal Native Infantry. A rather unusual award of the O.B.I. for campaign service rather than for the more usual long service criteria for this award.


886


Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Kandahar (Major F. J. S. Adam, Bo. S.C. Asst. Qr-Mr. Genl.) extremely fine


£600-£800


Frederick John Stewart Adam was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer on 22 September 1836, the son of John and Susan Adam, his father having been a Surgeon in the Madras Army. He was educated at the College of Boulogne-sur-Mer and was appointed Ensign in the 77th Foot on 11 May 1855. Although he went to join his regiment in the Crimea in December 1855 he did not qualify for a medal. He joined the Indian Army on 20 December 1856, being posted to the 22nd Bombay Native Infantry, and is stated to have served during the Indian Mutiny with Sir Hugh Rose’s force in Hyderabad but, once again, he did not receive a medal. He transferred to the Bombay Staff Corps in February 1861, was promoted to Captain in December 1866, and to Major in December 1876.


Between April and August 1878, Adam served with the Indian Expeditionary Force sent to Malta during the ‘Eastern Crisis’ as Assistant Quarter-Master General to the force. Following this service he returned to England on sick certificate until June 1879, when he returned to India to his post as A.Q.M.G. in Bombay. During the Afghan war, Adam served as A.Q.M.G. to the Kandahar Field Force from January 1880, and played a distinguished part throughout the defence of the city, the sortie against Deh Khoja, and in the battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880.


Adam was one of the three officers who who went out from the besieged city to meet the advanced guard of Sir Frederick Roberts’ relief force, as recounted in the Official History by Major Cardew:


‘... on the following day [25 August 1880] the A.Q.M.G. [Adam] with a party of the Poona Horse, rode out to reconnoitre and found Baba Wali strongly held, but the country around quite deserted. Passing through Deh Khwaja the bodies of Col. Newport, Captn. Cruickshank and others were found and on the return of the party to Kandahar arrangements were made for their burial... At length, about 12 noon on the 27th August, a heliograph was seen flashing in the east; communication was difficult at first due to the dense haze, but when it was established, it was ascertained that General Gough was at Robat with two regiments of Bengal Cavalry. The A.Q. M.G. rode out with Col. St. John and arrived there at about 5.30 p.m.; and thus established communication with the advance guard of Sir Frederick Roberts’ force. The A.Q.M.G. remained at Robat until the following day and saw the Bengal Division march in. With the arrival of the Bengal force in the neighbourhood of Kandahar, the trying four weeks of siege were brought to an end.’


From 1884 to 1891, Adam was again on the Staff, first as Deputy Q.M.G. and afterwards as Quartermaster General, Bombay, and in 1894 he was placed on the Retired List. His final promotion came in 1912 when he was appointed Hon. Brigadier-General. He lived in Dover from 1905 until 1920, but died at Cheltenham on 7 March 1920. Since he was a resident of Dover, his body was taken to Dover for burial in the Charlton Cemetery there.


Sold with additional research including numerous extracts from published works mentioning Adams and his part in the Afghan War. www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 20% (+VAT where applicable)


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