56/304 COLOUR /SGT RICHARD FRASER 92nd REGT OF HIGHLANDERS (later Gordons )
Another real passion of mine is military documents an area I really feel is over looked by collectors , some times ` tatty bits o` paper` give up a fantastic story.
These documents didnt cost me much but they opened up an area of british military history I new nothing about and also the story behind a very large british defeat .........
Document concerns his death and that of his wife and the distribution of his effects, document was issued in Cawnpore India and gives his death as SEPT 1880.
` Compensation for clothing , sale of wifes kit , charges for schooling of children , funeral expenses `
Cant decide if its truly sad or justthe british army way of doing things but to read about all the deductions from his pay after his death is quite moving .
I think there is a real story there yet to be told about what happened to a soldiers wife and children if he was killed , were they just turfed out and had tp pay thier own passage home ??
Richard Fraser was from Stirling and enlisted in 1860
In July, 1880, far away to the south-east a force of 2,500 under General Burrows had defeated as Maiwand with casualties of 1,000 and the survivors were now besieged in Kandahar. It was just such a defeat of European troops by native forces which was calculated to bring the latent unrest in North India into open rebellion and it was imperative that the beleagured force be relieved.
The distance from Kabul to Kandahar is 300 miles and Lord Roberts, his guard throughout the march provided by 24 Gordon Highlanders, led a force of 10,000 through enemy country without news of their progress reaching besieged or besiegers at Kandahar. At the end of the long march came the culminating scene when Gordons and Gurkhas raced each other to capture the Afghan guns. And when Lord Roberts was Knighted being made a G.C.B.,(Grand Cross of the Bath) he, like Sir John Moore before him, chose to have as one of the supporters of his coat of arms, a private of the Gordon Highlanders.
I really hope these are of interest
Another real passion of mine is military documents an area I really feel is over looked by collectors , some times ` tatty bits o` paper` give up a fantastic story.
These documents didnt cost me much but they opened up an area of british military history I new nothing about and also the story behind a very large british defeat .........
Document concerns his death and that of his wife and the distribution of his effects, document was issued in Cawnpore India and gives his death as SEPT 1880.
` Compensation for clothing , sale of wifes kit , charges for schooling of children , funeral expenses `
Cant decide if its truly sad or justthe british army way of doing things but to read about all the deductions from his pay after his death is quite moving .
I think there is a real story there yet to be told about what happened to a soldiers wife and children if he was killed , were they just turfed out and had tp pay thier own passage home ??
Richard Fraser was from Stirling and enlisted in 1860
In July, 1880, far away to the south-east a force of 2,500 under General Burrows had defeated as Maiwand with casualties of 1,000 and the survivors were now besieged in Kandahar. It was just such a defeat of European troops by native forces which was calculated to bring the latent unrest in North India into open rebellion and it was imperative that the beleagured force be relieved.
The distance from Kabul to Kandahar is 300 miles and Lord Roberts, his guard throughout the march provided by 24 Gordon Highlanders, led a force of 10,000 through enemy country without news of their progress reaching besieged or besiegers at Kandahar. At the end of the long march came the culminating scene when Gordons and Gurkhas raced each other to capture the Afghan guns. And when Lord Roberts was Knighted being made a G.C.B.,(Grand Cross of the Bath) he, like Sir John Moore before him, chose to have as one of the supporters of his coat of arms, a private of the Gordon Highlanders.
I really hope these are of interest
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