A Collection of Awards to the Scinde Rifles

Four: Lieutenant-Colonel W. D. Hoste, Indian Army, onetime attached Land Transport Corps, a long served officer of the Raj who distinguished himself in command of the 6th Punjabis in the Umbeyla campaign and who was wounded in a rebel raid near Kohat in March 1868 - thereby gaining his second Vote of Thanks for gallantry

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Capt. W. D. Hoste, Land Transpt. Corps), old engraved naming; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, no clasp (Captn. W. D. Hoste, 5th Punjab Infy.); India General Service 1954-95, 1 clasp, Umbeyla (Maj. W. D. Hoste, 6th Punjab Infy.); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian die, Hunt & Roskill pattern, unnamed, the three earlier awards mounted as worn, very fine and better (4) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Scinde Rifles.

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William Dashwood Hoste was born at Litcham, Norfolk, in March 1826, the son of a clergyman, and the nephew of Captain Sir William Hoste, Bt., K.C.B., Royal Navy, the distinguished victor of Lissa in 1811. Entering the Bengal Army in 1843, young William arrived in India in August of the same year, where he was appointed an Ensign in the 21st Native Infantry.

Actually on furlough at the time of the Crimea, he offered his immediate services and was employed in the Land Transport Corps, and of his subsequent career in that conflict and beyond an excellent account appears in Soldiers of the Raj, but by way of summary the Army List of 1871 states:

‘Lieutenant-Colonel W. D. Hoste served in the Crimea campaign in 1855 as a Captain of Division of the Land Transport Corps (Medal & clasp for Sebastopol; Turkish Medal). Served in the Indian Mutiny campaigns 1857-59; led the Upper Column of attack against the rebel village of Rawjee (Thanked by the Government); and served throughout the Oude campaign of 1858-59, including the actions at Barree, Simree, Nawabgunge and Sultanpore and other minor affairs (Medal). Commanded the 6th Punjab Infantry during the Umbeyla campaign of 1863-64 and was thanked ‘for marked gallantry in action on 6 October 1863’ (Medal & clasp). Commanded a detachment of the regiment in action against the Bezotee Afreedees in March 1868 (wounded) and thanked ‘for bravery’ by both the Supreme and Punjab Governments.’

Hoste, who was advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1869, died suddenly in October 1872, while serving Commandant of the station at Dera Ismail Khan; sold with further details, including typescript of the extensive biographical entry published in Soldiers of the Raj.