The following letter from a young man, a native of Norwich, describes the recent disaster of the Tenth Royal Hussars, a regiment well know in this city :-
“On Monday night we received orders to shift from Jalalabad at night. I with B Troop and three other troops to turn out at 12.30 p.m., and A Troop (my troop) and C Troop to turn out three hours earlier, the last two troops to cross the river. At about 11.00 p.m. there were horses galloping all over the place and no-one on their backs, so I, with others went to see the cause, and to our sorrow we found all the saddles quite wet, and came to the conclusion that all their riders were drowned.
The Cabul River Disaster
So a party that were not turning out of camp that night took the horses back to the river, and then heard the worst – that the poor fellows who could not swim, and many who could, were drowned. But when I left camp at 12.30 p.m. we knew but little about it, only what Sergeant Roper (who luckily swam his horse back) said – that the leading part of the squadron (or two troops) got over all right, and the remainder went off too much to the right, did not follow their front, missed their way, and went out of their depth.
I have crossed it quite safe in the daytime, but many have not. The next day we got the bad news that out of the 76, all told, 46 were missing, and one officer. About seven men got back that night, and some crossed quite safe.
On April 1st they were looked for the missing, and found 19, who were buried in one grave on the 2nd April. The officer and 27 are still missing. The river has a very strong current, and I hear that one body was picked up six miles from where the alarming accident took place.
Cabul River Disaster Burial
Sergeant Green is one of the missing, although it is said that he is the man who was picked up at Ali-Began six miles off. Five sergeants and three corporals were drowned; a great many carbines were lost. Good swimmers could not swim with their swords and clothing on them. There is £10 offered for the officer’s body and £5 each for the remaining ones. Five men were married and 41 single.
Sub Lt. Francis Hervey Harford
Second son of William H. Harford, Esq., of Barley-wood and Lawrence-Weston, Francis Hervey Harford was born in March 1858, and educated at Winchester and R.M.C. Sandhurst. Passing out from Sandhurst in 1877 in the first class, he was gazetted to the 16th Foot, then serving in Ireland, and transferred to the 10th Hussars the same year (November 23). He sailed from England in the following month, leaving Portsmouth on board the Troopship Euphrates on December 30, and joined the Headquarters at Rawal Pindi. On the outbreak of the Afghan War, he went with the regiment into the Khyber Pass, and was present at the taking of Ali Musjid on November 21.
Forming one of the ill-fated squadron which was to accompany the force directed to join General Macpherson’s column in the second Lughman Valley expedition, he was swept away with the rest of the squadron, during the night of the March 31, 1879, in the disastrous fording of the Kabul River at Kala-i-Sak, and will one of those found missing when the roll was called after the accident. Sub-Lieutenant Harford, 46 N.C.Os. and men, and thirteen horses were drowned in this disaster, which was the subject of a famous poem by Rudyard Kipling. (See below.)
His body was found in the beginning of April, and was buried with military honours on the evening of the same day, the General and all the officers in garrison following it to its last resting-place.
‘Few young soldiers have gone to an early grave more deeply regretted than the gallant but ill-fated subject of this brief memoir. His life was one of the finest promise, and there are none who knew him who could doubt that that promise would have been fulfilled to the utmost had he lived.’
His missing sword will amazingly be found some 15 years later (during the Chitral expedition) in the roof beams of an Afghan hut at Remorah.
from Husards-photos.com
The Cabul River Disaster
Cabul River Disaster Burial
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The Secretary of the Admiralty states that information has been received from the Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope, dated December 3rd, reporting that the transport Ismore struck on the rocks off Columbine Point, near St Helen’s Bay, distant about 75 miles north of Table Bay, in calm, thick weather. The troops had been landed, also a quantity of baggage, most of the guns, swords, carbines and some ammunition. The men were reported to be comfortable and plenty of food available. The Admiralty was sending HM ships Niobe and Doris, also the transport Columbine, with lighters to assist.
A copy of a telegram has been received from the principal transport officer at Cape Town, dated the 4th inst., reporting that the transport Ismore (no 52.)broke up on Sunday night. Her stern is out of water and her bows gone. All hands and 20 horses were saved and will probably entrain to Malmesbury. The Ismore, which went ashore in Helen’s Bay on Sunday morning is the second transport that has come to grief on the voyage to the Cape the Persia having been disabled in a storm at St Vincent while conveying the C Squadron of Dragoons and some men of the Inniskillings on November 8th. In the latter case all the troops and horses were successfully transferred to the transport Goth, but in the case of the Ismore a large number of the horses were lost. She had on board the 63rd Field Battery, Royal Artillery from Bristol, “A” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars and a troop of “B” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars from Aldershot, and No. 9 Company (Bearer) Royal Army Medical Corp from Colchester. The military details would necessarily have with them a considerable number of horses, for the mounted troops on board number 460. As only 20 horses were reported saved, it is feared that the loss of animals is serious, inasmuch as they would not be3 of the chartered class, but selected trained chargers and gun-teams. The value placed upon such animals by military authorities is very considerable, and the loss will be much keenly felt by reason by the dearth of suitable and reliable mounts and gun-teams at the front.
It is too be hoped that the troops will be able to save the six field pieces, if not the wagons and other pieces of the Field 63rd Battery, but nothing is said as to this being effected.
The presence of warships at the scene of the wreck may have been valuable in this respect, assuming that the position of the wreck and weather permitted the sufficiently near approach of the working parties who would have the advantage of the necessary appliances for transferring the guns. The time at the disposal of those on the spot between the hours of the vessel sinking and breaking up to save much other than themselves would seem to have been very limited, and therefore it cannot be hoped that any considerable proportion of the vessel’s war stores can have been saved. It is known that with the troops were landed some guns, swords, carbines etc. and ammunition; but the bulk of Ismore’s cargo cannot have been landed in the time available. It will be remembered that the Ismore endeavoured to leave England in a gale, and after futile attempts took shelter in Moelfre Bay on the Anglesey coast until November 8th, when she put to sea four days late.
The Ismore had on board 400 rank and file of various sections. The 63rd Field Battery consisted of six officers, 170 men and 140 horses, with six 15 pounder guns 11 four-wheeled military vehicles, ambulance wagons, and stores. The Bearer Company of the Royal Army Medical Corps on board consisted of one officer and 52 men, with ambulance wagons and fittings. The A squadron and troop of B squadron of the Tenth Hussars on board numbered about 180 officers and men. There were altogether about 250 horses shipped, together with numerous wagons and vehicles. Major W Paget is the officer commanding the Field battery , and Major Alexander the Hussars.
The Press Association added that 230 valuable horses have been lost to the British cavalry and artillery proceeding to the front by the wreck of the Ismore. It is scarcely possible that the numerous ambulance wagons and other vehicles referred to in the above telegram can have been saved owing to the difficulties of transfer, and consequently one of the most important non-combative branches of the military service has lost probably their conveyance and medical equipment and supplies.
From the Glasgow Herald 3rd December 1889
By kind Permission of the British Library Board.