The Mohmand Campaign
Winston Churchill was there
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| Sergeant,
2nd or Queen's
c1897, (Tirah) (Click to enlarge) |
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| Standing Camp Raneket, from Chaubattia. (Click to enlarge) |
There had been growing unrest among the frontier tribes, stimulated by what is nowadays called Muslim Fundamentalism. There had been the success of the Turks over the Greeks in 1895 and the Amir of Afghanistan’s book in which he advocated Jehad, or Holy War. There was the more direct influence of Moslem priests who regarded British occupation of the Malakand and Chitral in 1896 as a serious threat to their influence and incited revolt. Tension came to a head in the summer of 1897 when the Mohmands, who inhabited the country north of Peshawar, attacked frontier forts and crossed the border to raid villages. This led to the formation of the Malakand Field Force which 1st Queen’s joined that August.
The Force took the initiative against the Mohmand tribes after their initial attacks were repulsed. The heaviest fighting involving the Queen’s was the repulse of a massive night attack on their camp in the Mawagai valley on 20th September. The Battalion was armed with the new Lee-Enfield rifle. Winston Churchill, who was then a young military correspondent, watched the battle. In his despatch he wrote:
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| 1st Bn The Queen’s Royal Regiment at the action at Mawagai, 20th September 1897. B Coy Lt H A Engleque, D Coy Capt Glasgow. Winston Churchill was there.. (Click to enlarge) |
“The fire of the British was crushing, their discipline was admirable, and the terrible weapon with which they were armed, and its more terrible bullet, stopped every rush. The soldiers, confident in their power, were under perfect control. When the enemy charged, the order to employ magazine fire was passed along the ranks. The guns fired star shell. These great rockets bursting into stars in the air slowly fell to the ground, shedding a pale and ghastly light on the swarming figures of the tribesmen as they ran swiftly forward. Then the popping of musketry became one intense roar, as the cartridges which the magazine holds were discharged almost instantaneously. Nothing could live in front of such fire. Valour, ferocity, fanaticism, availed nothing. All were swept away. The whistles sounded, the independent fire stopped with machine-like precision, and the steady section volleys were resumed. This happened not once but a dozen times during the six hours the attack was maintained.”
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