A Collection of Medals for the Second Afghan War 1878-80


Lieutenant W. C. Aslett, 1st Bombay Native Infantry (Grenadiers) states: ‘During the Maiwand fight I assisted Colonel Griffith in looking after the right wing. The Regiment lay down after the enemy opened fire with his guns. We did not fire a shot for a long time. The enemy’s shot and shell appeared to come from every direction, some almost enfilading us. While the men were lying down doing nothing, I tried to make out the enemy with my glasses, but, from the thick haze, what afterwards turned out to be masses of the enemy I took for plantations of trees. After some time General Burrows came up and ordered “A” Company to fire a volley at the battery which was opposite to us, but such a distance off that only the smoke of their firing was visible. As we were flanked by our artillery we got a lot of the shot and shell aimed at our guns. After an hour of this we were ordered to advance, but, after going about 200 yards, again halted and ordered to lie down. Our artillery that was on our right did not advance with us, but fired from behind. I now could make out with my glasses that what I had taken for trees were large bodies of men. The mass opposite us advanced towards us. From their dark dress and regular formation, I fancy that they were regulars of Ayub’s army. When at about 800 yards we gave it to them as hot as we could, and after a short pause they withdrew, and changing their tactics inclined towards our left flank, behind which, but some distance off, a great mass of the enemy had already got. At the same time an advanced of ghazis took place from the right front towards our right, on which was E-B, Royal Horse Artillery. Colonel Griffith wheeled back one company to face this attack, and the men were firing very steadily at them when the break up came. The seventy rounds the men had in their pouches were quickly used up, and the first reserve was nearly finished. Owing to the rapid firing, the rifles became so intensely hot that the men could hardly handle them, and the breech action would not act. I was now engaged in supplying the fighting line with ammunition, as the bandsmen told off for this work did not keep them sufficiently supplied. I ow noticed that our left had wheeled back almost at right angles to our former line, and that the enemy were working still round it. As I was returning with ammunition from the ponies, I was surprised to see a company on the right of the wheeled back companies of the left wing rise and at once lose their formation, and press back towards their present rear. I could not see over them to see the cause of this. I ran and tried to make them front and lie down like the rest of the regiment; they would not, and pressed back on the right wing. Colonel Griffith, the only officer I could see, called out, “Form groups.” The right wing then got up and looked round, but the left pressing on them threw them into such confusion that no formation could be made, and in half a second, how I cannot say, there was a struggling mass of the 66th, 1st Grenadiers, and Jacob’s Rifles, all pushing and shoving towards the right rear. They refused to halt and make a stand and even fire at the enemy who were coming close after us, but a few ghazis who came to our present front were at once bayoneted. Some one called out, “Let’s go to that village over there”, and the mass turned half left, and we must have gone over some the of the ground previously occupied by the enemy, as we stumbled over a great number of their dead.’


Surgeon A. H. C. Dane, 1st Bombay Native Infantry (Grenadiers) states: ‘A little after 2 o’clock the enemy’s fore became much heavier, and some guns that they had brought down on the right were enfilading the line. The Revd. Mr. Cane came up to me at this time and told me that there were a number of wounded men lying on the field, and he assisted me to collect some doolies and get the men to come to the front. I went, accompanied by two of my subordinates, and found in a slight depression in the ground, about 200 yards behind and to the right of the regiment, some fifteen or twenty men of the Grenadiers and a few Europeans, all of them more or less severely wounded. I was engaged putting these men into the doolies when some of the artillery and cavalry passed me going to the rear; and looking up, saw the infantry broken and retreating slowly, with thousands of ghazis amongst the ranks, cutting at the men. They were then some sixty to seventy yards distant. I galloped to the nallah, and seeing that there was a general rout, I occupied myself in getting the loads thrown off the camels and tattus, and putting wounded men on them. About 200 yards across the nallah I was joined by Colonel Griffith, and shortly afterwards by Lieutenants Whittuck and Whitby and several other officers. We kept together till dark, when somehow we got separated.’


As a result of the Afghan campaign, Griffith was awarded the medal with clasp Kandahar and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 3 December 1880).


Griffith was appointed Deputy Assistant Commissary of Ordnance, Transport Branch, at Poona on 5 December, 1882, and was promoted to Colonel on 8 June 1884. He retired with the honorary rank of Major-General on 10th June 1885. Major-General Griffith died on 31 December 1913, aged 79, in Winchester. He is buried in a family plot at Westhill Cemetery, Winchester.


Sold with comprehensive research, including Griffith’s personal account of the action at Maiwand.


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