Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

The Second Afghan War Medal to Major-General Arthur Battye, 2nd (P.W.O.) Gurkhas, one of the ‘Fighting Ten’ Battye brothers, who was wounded at Kandahar, three times mentioned and awarded the C.B. for Afghanistan

Afghanistan 1878-80, 2 clasps, Kabul, Kandahar (Lt. Col. A. Battye, CB. 2nd Goorkha) minor nicks and bruises, otherwise toned, nearly extremely fine £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Arthur Battye, brother of Charles Forbes Battye (see Lot 80) and seventh son of George Wynard Battye, B.C.S., was born at Torquay on 30 October 1839. He was commissioned Ensign on 6 January 1857 and in April was posted to the 19th N.I., which corps was disbanded at Barrackpore by Sir John Hearsey (see Lot 12) on 31 March. He is supposed to have served with Hodson’s Horse at the capture of Lucknow in 1858, and, gazetted to the Bengal Staff Corps, was appointed the 2nd Gurkhas in May 1859. He served with them in the 1864 Northwest Frontier expedition against Sultan Muhammed Khan, and in 1871-72, he took part with the regiment in the expedition to punish the Looshais and rescue the abducted tea planter’s daughter, Mary Winchester. The expedition was divided into a two-pronged advance, with the 2nd Gurhkas marching in early December 1871 in the Chittagong Column under Brigadier-General C. H. Brownlow. After a couple of skirmishes, the force came up against the village of Chief Lal Gnura. The 2nd Gurkhas attacked and took the village losing one man killed, Captain Battye and nine men wounded.

In 1878 the 2nd Gurkhas formed part of the Malta and Cyprus expeditionary force, which in accordance with the treaty between Britain and Turkey was to garrison the latter island at the handover of administration in case of local opposition. There was no serious trouble and the expediton returned to India towards the of the year when the 2nd (P.W.O.) Gurkhas were ordered on service to Afghanistan. Battye served through both campaigns, commanding the regiment from May 1879 in the first and throughout the second. In December 1878 he took part in the operations under Brigadier-General Doran in the Bazar Valley, and returned to that area with Brigadier-General Appleyard’s column early the next year. On 26 January he commanded a rearguard action in which two of his men were wounded and the enemy repulsed. In March the regiment moved through the Khyber to Basawal where it remained until withdrawing to India at the signing of the Treaty of Gandamak. On the renewal of hostilities Battye’s Gurkhas advanced with Brigadier-General Charles Gough’s brigade to Gandamak in October, and the next month was employed on outpost duty at Pezwan and Jagdalak. Battye took part in the fighting at the latter place, and on 21 December marched with Gough’s brigade to the relief of Sherpur, arriving on the 24th. The regiment remained at Kabul until the evacuation of the northern Afganistan in August 1880, when it formed part of Macpherson’s brigade in Roberts’ march from Kabul to Kandahar.

At the battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880, Battye’s regiment formed part of the 1st Brigade and played a conspicuous part in the captures of the villages of Gandi Mullah Sahibdad and Pir Paimal. Lord Roberts wrote, ‘Grieg’s 9-pounder and Robinson’s 7-pounder (screw gun) batteries covered the attack on Gundi Mulla Sahibdad, which was made by the 2nd Gurkhas, under Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Battye, and the 92nd Highlanders ... The village was carried with the utmost gallantry, Highlanders and Gurkhas, always friendly rivals in the race for glory, by turns outstripping each other in their efforts to be first within its walls.’ In this action eight men of the regiment were killed, and Battye and twenty-one men were wounded. For services in Afghanistan, Battye was mentioned in despatches three times, received the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel, and was created a Companion of the Bath. He retired with the rank of Major-General and died on 13 June 1909.

‘The late distinguished General’s demise’, one obituary read, ‘acquires an additional interest for the singular fact that it has become an unusual event for a soldier Battye to die in his bed, though he gave fate every opportunity, was wounded, and in the thick of the Indian warfare, for many yeras.’

Refs: Who Was Who; The Indian Army of the Empress, 1861-1903 (Harfield); The Afghan Campaign of 1878-80 (Shadbolt); The Second Afghan War (Hanna)‘ The Fighting Ten (Battye).