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


At daybreak [on 28 July, the day after the battle] I arrived at the Argandab river, where I had water. Here I met Lieutenant Salmon, a gun of E-B, Royal Horse Artillery, and Lieutenant Lawford of the Transport Department. Here the enemy was in view again. Bullets kept flying over our heads, and isolated and a handful as we were, with a gun serving as fit attraction for the enemy, our position was one of extreme danger. Lieutenant Salmon and Lieutenant Lawford I left behind, determined to bring in the gun, and I rode on.’


Salmon was one of only two European officers from Jacob’s Rifles to reach Kandahar safely. The regiment had suffered over 200 casualties at Maiwand but the remainder served throughout the subsequent defence of the city, having charge of the Bahar Durani Gate front, against Ayub Khan’s besieging force. Following the disastrous sortie to Deh Kwaja on 16 August, Salmon, together with Lieutenant Adye (attached from the 83rd Foot) distinguished themselves in rescuing a wounded officer, for which feat they were recommended for the Victoria Cross. The rewards being unforthcoming amongst the subsequent liberal ‘Afghan Honours’, the following account was published in The Homeward Mail on 31 May 1881: ‘The story of the gallant deed performed by these two young officers is thus told by an eyewitness of the affair. “On the morning of August 16, 1880, a party of the Fusiliers arrived at the Bahar Durani Gate, and reported that an officer was lying in a dooly badly wounded just outside the north of the village, and that he had been deserted by the dooly bearers. Lieutenants Salmon and Adye, who were near the gate at the time, immediately volunteered to go and bring the wounded officer in. Permission having been given, they both went over the wall by a rope ladder and proceeded in the direction of the village under a very hot fire, and having found the dooly brought the officer (Lieutenant Wood of the Fusiliers) in. Unfortunately their gallantry was not of much use, for poor Wood died very shortly afterwards.” The Victoria Cross has frequently been given for deeds of a similar nature, and we trust that the military authorities will not allow Lieutenants Salmon and Adye to go unrewarded, especially when orders and promotion have been conferred upon officers for services of a less dangerous nature.’


The Leamington Spa Courier, the newspaper of Lieutenant Adye’s home town, added further details of the rescue: ‘Two officers attached to Jacob’s Rifles, viz. Lieutenant M. B. Salmon, 2nd West India Regiment, and Lieutenant Walter Adye, 83rd Regiment, volunteered to run out 700 yards to the ‘ziarat’ and bring in Lieutenant Wood. Permission being obtained, they both went over the wall of the fort near the Bur Durani Gate, by means of a rope ladder, and succeeded in bringing poor young Wood to the ditch; he was subsequently removed to the inside of the fort, and died in about half an hour. To convey some idea of how severe the fire was under which these officers went to and returned from the ‘ziarat’ carrying Lieutenant Wood, it would be well to tell you that other officers looking on from the wall observed that owing to the dust thrown up by the bullets all round these two officers that they were at times almost invisible. During the return journey, one soldier of the Fusiliers, who was assisting to carry Lieutenant Wood, was shot through the middle (and died shortly after) about fifty yards after the shelter of the ‘ziarat’ had been left; another, and the only remaining one, was shot through the arm, the same bullet passing into poor young Wood’s side; also the unfortunate young fellow whose life these two officers were attempting to save received two or three more bullets in him before the ditch near the fort was reached, and while in the arms of his helpers... Lieutenant Adye [and presumable, by extension, Lieutenant Salmon] really deserves, if ever a man did, to wear on his breast the bronze Cross of Valour, for a nobler act than that performed by him has scarcely been recorded.’


Following service at the battle of Kandahar on 1 September, in which 30th Jacob’s Rifles formed part of the City Reserve, Salmon transferred to the Bombay Governor’s Body Guard, the 3rd (Queen’s Own) Bombay Light Cavalry, in February 1887, and became Captain and Squadron Commander in August 1887. He died at Neemuch on 30 December 1887, after an accident whilst playing polo in which he suffered a fracture of the base of the skull.


Sold with comprehensive research including a photographic image of the recipient. For the recipient’s sword see the following lot, Lot 197.


197


The rare ‘Jacob pattern’ sword belonging to Lieutenant M. B. Salmon, West India Regiment, attached 30th Bombay Native Infantry (Jacob’s Rifles)


A rare ‘Jacob pattern’ sword, specially ordered to replace one lost or damaged during the Afghan campaign, of a pattern similar to the pattern 1857 Royal Engineers Officer's sword, with 33-inch slightly-curved fullered blade by HENRY WILKINSON, PALL MALL [Serial Number 22410 which indicates a date of manufacture in 1881], with a longitudinal groove as used on heavy cavalry swords (and more akin to that used, in brass, for Royal Engineer officers after 1857), etched with a family Crest, and Motto ANS TACHE, the steel guard pierced with ‘Honeysuckle’ design, wire-bound fish skin grip and chequered pommel, in its massive wooden-lined brown leather scabbard with polished steel locket and chape, overall very good condition and rare


£600-£800


For the recipient’s Afgahn Medal see the previous lot, Lot 196. Note: Owing to recent legislation, specialist shipping will be required for this lot.


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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