Description
Ghuznee Medal, 23rd July 1839, Private William Hall, Her Majesty’s 16th Lancers. For the storming of the Ghazni Citadel, during the First Anglo Afghan War of 1839.
Contemporarily engraved on reverse, the naming in fine running script and the unit in capitals:
“Private William Hall H.M. 16th Lancers.”
Fitted with the original hinged silver suspension, some contact marking through uniform wear.
Provenance, sold by us previously in 2008, also ex DNW that year.
The following is an extract from the Historical Record of the 16th Lancers regarding the siege;
“Breaking up from Candahar, on the 27th of June, the army moved along a valley of dismal sterility includes between mountains of bare rock, to the Turnuk river, then advancing up the right bank, passed the confines of the territory recently subject to the Barukzye Chiefs of Candahar, traversed the country of the Ghilzees, and arrived in the vicinity of Ghuznee, a fortress of great strength, garrisoned by upwards of three thousand Affghans under Moohummed Hyder, who had determined on a desperate defence, and was well provided with stores.
A squadron of the Sixteenth accompanied the Commander-in-Chief in a reconnoissance of the place on the 21st of July; on the 22nd, the regiment supported the Shah’s troops in repelling the attack of a body of mountaineers, who were fanatics of a desperate character; they were driven back with the loss of many killed and taken prisoners.
Every gate of Ghuznee had been blocked up by masonry but one; to this gate of quantity of gunpowder was brought secretly in the night, and before daylight on the morning of the 23rd of July, the gate was destroyed, and the town captured by assault.
The cavalry regiments were stationed round the town to prevent the escape of the garrison, and to hold in check the numerous bands of Affghan horsemen assembled in the neighbourhood. The Sixteenth swept the plain to the southward of the town and intercepted many fugitives. When the Affghan horsemen learnt the fate of the town, they fled towards Cabool, leaving behind them their camp equipage and baggage.”
After the Siege of Ghuznee, the 16th Lancers were selected to form the Escort of the Commander-in-Chief, Lieut General Sir John Keane, on his return to India, and commenced their march on the 15th of October 1939. on the 11th of December, when fording the wide and rapid river Jilum, Captain Hilton, Ten Men, and thirteen Horses were drowned, in consequence of mistaking the direction of the ford.
The regiment arrived at Lahore on the 25th of December, re entering the British territories on the 1st of January 1840, arriving in the Meerut Barracks on 8th February 1840, this expedition to the Dooranee Empire, had lost them 3 officers, 83 men and 231 horses.
The Book “Ten Years in India, in the Queen’s 16th Lancers” is an excellent book written by a fellow Cavalryman in the 16th Lancers who served in the same battle.
It can be read for free here to gain a better understanding of his role during the campaign; https://archive.org/details/tenyearsinindiai00gouluoft
Sergeant Gould speaks about their role storming Ghuznee here;
“On the 4th June we broke up camp and started for Ghuznee, our way lying through the Bolan Pass.
As we approach its appearance is formidable, the mountains at each side seem to reach to the clouds, they have an ascent of 14,000 feet.
Arriving at Ghuznee on 21st July, we observed on the hills, Hadjie Khan the commander of Dost Mahomet’s army encamped with twenty thousand men.
Ghuznee is strongly fortified, cut out of solid rock, on the slopes of a hill, surrounded by a moat. As the enemy commended firing on the 22nd with a heavy shot, our commander thought better to move the camp back about two miles.
On the morning of the 23rd, we moved up at three o’clock, and got into position. One division of cavalry opposite the gate on the Cabul road; one part of our force moved off to our left, to watch the enemy on the hills, and make a feint attack on their position on the opposite side, so as to draw their attention from us.
We were occupied in placing batteries so as to command the gate; at the same time Colonel Thompson, of the Engineers, was laying a chain cable to throw a bridge across the Moat.
When this was accomplished a mine was laid under the stone buttresses, and at a quarter to six o’clock the mine was opening, and up went the gates with a terrific crash.
The storming party, consisting of the 13th Light Infantry, under Colonel Sale; the 2nd or Queen’s, under Sir Thomas Wiltshire; when the bugle sounded, commenced their attack under a heavy fire – the 13th had the honour of leading.
The enemy everywhere made a terrific resistance. Colonel Sale was knocked off his horse and trampled upon, still he ordered the Bugler to sound a retreat, instead of which, whether intentional or not, the advance was sounded.
Nothing could daunt the ardour and bravery of the men. They soon gained a footing inside, where hand to hand encounters was carried on in its most relentless form, and in half an hour, both regiments were firmly established inside the walls. By daylight the British Flag was mounted on the Citadel, many of the enemy having thrown themselves therefrom, rather than surrender, to the Moat below, a distance of 150 feet.
We were ordered to enter and seize the horses, which were running wildly without riders, which we did after some hard work, and brought them to the prize agent outside.
We were annoyed however, very much, through having to encounter the worst of firing, as many of he Afghans popped at us from loop-holes and windows in every street of the city.
When the sun rose on the hills the Infantry could plainly be seen ascending the greatest heights of the Citadel, far above the city; here they got into the bank, and loaded themselves with money. Many of the enemy were trying to escape to the valley away on our left; these, and the force on the mountains, kept our troops in that direction busy. By 2 o’clock pm, all was over and Ghuznee was in possession of the British.”
He then talks about the haunting effects of the battle on himself:
“When all opposition ceased, and one went through the city, now filled with sounds of wailing, he cannot but be struck with the dreadful havoc war brings with it. This was my first general action, and although when in the heat of it, I felt no pity for any one, at least I cannot remember feeling so, still, when the desolation is complete, and you are met everywhere with its sad effects, property destroyed, mutilation of brutes, horses, camels, & dead, and writhing in pain from wounds; wounded men and women everywhere begging for mercy or succour, the dead piled all round, the most hardened must give way to sadness. Shash Soojah, our newly crowned king, was busy on our right, hanging and shooting traitors, some of them leading Chiefs who had fallen into his hands. The whole of the 24th was occupied in burying the dead, and on the following day Hadjee Khan came in, and gave up his sword, a beautiful one, the hilt studded with costly gems; for its possessions the officers had race, which was won by the 4th Light Dragoons. The horses captured, all of them valuable Arab or Turcoman were sold by auction, the proceeds appropriated as prize money.”
