Abyssinia (battle honour)
Encyclopedia
Abyssinia is a battle honour
awarded to units of the British Indian Army
and the British Army
which participated in the 1868 campaign to free Europe
ans held hostage in Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia
) by Emperor Tewodros II
(known at that time to the British as Theodore). The success of the expedition led to the award of this honour to units of the British Indian Army
which had participated in the campaign. The units belonged, with the exception of the Madras Sappers, to the Bengal and Bombay Presidency Armies.
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A diplomatic contretemps by the British Foreign Office led to a rupture of relations between Britain
and Ethiopia. The Ethiopian monarch Tewodros had imprisoned a number of Europeans, mostly British and German, including the British Consul, Charles Duncan Cameron
, in 1864. A diplomatic mission led by Hormuzd Rassam
to gain their freedom, which entered the country in 1866 after numerous delays, met the same fate. In order to obtain their release and punish the offender, an expeditionary force consisting of units from the Bombay and Bengal Armies was despatched from Bombay. The force disembarked on the Red Sea
south of Massawa
in 1868, traversed 500 kilometres using native labour for road construction, crossed mountain ranges as high as 2,970 metres to storm the Imperial fortress at Magdala
to release the prisoners. In the end, only a brief battle
was fought against the men who were still loyal to Tewodros, two of the British soldiers wounded in the attack would later die from their injuries, the only other British Forces' deaths were due to disease . The Emperor committed suicide and the force withdrew.
, then Commander-in-Chief, Bombay. The strength of the expeditionary force amounted to 14,000 men comprising four and a half regiments of cavalry, seven batteries and one Indian company of artillery, four battalions of British infantry and ten of Indian infantry.
The Engineers consisted of seven Companies of Sappers and Miners. There were four companies of Bombay Sappers and Miners under Captain (afterwards Major General) AR MacDonnell, namely Numbers 1,2,3 and 4 (that is 17, 18, 19 and 20 Field Companies). The Madras Sapper companies were G, H and K Companies. Also included was the 10th Company of the Royal Engineers
.
on 21 October and set to work at once to build a pier at the beach. A camp was made about one mile from the sea and 20 wells were erected. The Sappers were also tasked for improving the existing track to Senafe
. When the whole force was assembled, they started advancing into the hinterland. The engineering difficulties in reaching Senafe were enormous with high mountains lying ahead.
The Sappers were engaged for six weeks in making a road 10 feet wide, in some places it was carried over enormous granite boulders, by ramps. The force arrived at Senafe on 29 January 1868 and on 26 February, the main body marched from Adigrat
and through the good work of a 'Pioneer' force, which included the Bombay Sappers, reached the neighbourhood of Antalo in March. The advance was resumed over increasingly barren and difficult country, where altitudes exceeded 2,900 metres, till at last General Napier arrived at Arogye, a plain at the foot of Magdala on 12 April, where the British could see the way barred, by many thousands of armed Abysinians camped around the hillsides, with up to 30 artillery pieces.
The Emperor ordered an attack, with many thousands of soldiers armed with little more than spears. The 4th Regiment of Foot
quickly redeployed to meet the charging mass of warriors and poured a devastating fire into their ranks. When two Indian infantry regiments contributed their firepower, the onslaught became even more devastating. Despite this, the Abyssinian soldiers continued their attack, losing over 500 with thousands more wounded during the ninety minutes of fighting, most of them at little over 30 yards from the British lines. During the chaotic battle an advance guard unit of the 33rd Regiment
overpowered some of the Abyssinian artillerymen and captured their artillery pieces. The surviving Abyssinian soldiers then retreated back onto Magdala.
,_magdala,_sentry_post_over_gate,_(custom).jpg)
The following day the advance was resumed with 3,500 men against the stronghold of Magdala which was perched high on a mountain of granite and had only two entry gates. In the assault on 13 April, the Engineers led the way along a path on the side of the precipice towards one of the gates. On reaching the gate there was a pause in the advance as it was discovered the engineer unit had forgotten their powder kegs and scaling ladders and were ordered to return for them. General Staveley
was not happy at any further delay and ordered the 33rd Regiment to continue the attack. Several officers and the men of the 33rd, along with an officer from the Royal Engineers, parted from the main force and, after climbing the cliff face, found their way blocked by a thorny hedge over a wall. Private James Bergin
, a very tall man, used his bayonet to cut a hole in the hedge and Drummer Michael Magner
climbed onto his shoulders through the hedge in the gap and dragged Private Bergin up behind him as Ensign Conner and Corporal Murphy helped shove from below. Bergin kept up a rapid rate of fire on the Koket-Bir as Magnar dragged more men through the gap in the hedge.
As more men poured through and opened fire, they advanced with their bayonets fixed, the defenders withdrew through the second gate. The party rushed the Koket-bir before it was fully closed and then took the second gate breaking through to the amba. Ensign Wynter scrambled up onto the top of the second gate and fixed the 33rd Regimental Colours
to show the plateau had been taken. Private Bergin and Drummer Magner were later awarded the Victoria Cross
for their part in the action .
Tewodros II was found dead inside the second gate, having shot himself with a pistol that had been a gift from Queen Victoria. When his death was announced all resistance ceased. His body was cremated and buried inside the church by the priests. The church was guarded by soldiers from the 33rd Regiment although, according to Henry M. Stanley, looted of "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses".
.
The following Indian units were awarded the battle honour (their present day inheritors are listed after):
by George MacDonald Fraser
. This work was Fraser's last 'Flashman' novel.
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
awarded to units of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
which participated in the 1868 campaign to free Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans held hostage in Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
) by Emperor Tewodros II
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
(known at that time to the British as Theodore). The success of the expedition led to the award of this honour to units of the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
which had participated in the campaign. The units belonged, with the exception of the Madras Sappers, to the Bengal and Bombay Presidency Armies.
The Abyssinian Campaign of 1868
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ethiopia. The Ethiopian monarch Tewodros had imprisoned a number of Europeans, mostly British and German, including the British Consul, Charles Duncan Cameron
Charles Duncan Cameron
Charles Duncan Cameron was a British soldier who was serving as British consul in Ethiopia when he was imprisoned by Emperor Tewodros II as one of the acts which led to the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia.- Life :...
, in 1864. A diplomatic mission led by Hormuzd Rassam
Hormuzd Rassam
Hormuzd Rassam , was a native Assyrian Assyriologist, British diplomat and traveller who made a number of important discoveries, including the clay tablets that contained the Epic of Gilgamesh, the world's oldest literature...
to gain their freedom, which entered the country in 1866 after numerous delays, met the same fate. In order to obtain their release and punish the offender, an expeditionary force consisting of units from the Bombay and Bengal Armies was despatched from Bombay. The force disembarked on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
south of Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
in 1868, traversed 500 kilometres using native labour for road construction, crossed mountain ranges as high as 2,970 metres to storm the Imperial fortress at Magdala
Magdala
Magdala is the name of at least two places in ancient Israel mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and one place that may be mentioned in the Christian New Testament...
to release the prisoners. In the end, only a brief battle
Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...
was fought against the men who were still loyal to Tewodros, two of the British soldiers wounded in the attack would later die from their injuries, the only other British Forces' deaths were due to disease . The Emperor committed suicide and the force withdrew.
Expeditionary Force
The Abyssinian expedition of 1868 was led by an engineer officer, Lieutenant General Sir Robert NapierRobert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala
Field Marshal Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, GCB, GCSI, CIE, FRS was a British soldier.-Early life:...
, then Commander-in-Chief, Bombay. The strength of the expeditionary force amounted to 14,000 men comprising four and a half regiments of cavalry, seven batteries and one Indian company of artillery, four battalions of British infantry and ten of Indian infantry.
The Engineers consisted of seven Companies of Sappers and Miners. There were four companies of Bombay Sappers and Miners under Captain (afterwards Major General) AR MacDonnell, namely Numbers 1,2,3 and 4 (that is 17, 18, 19 and 20 Field Companies). The Madras Sapper companies were G, H and K Companies. Also included was the 10th Company of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.
Military Account
On 16 September 1867, a reconnoitering party sailed from Bombay. The 3rd and 4th Companies of Bombay Sappers with an advanced brigade from Bombay reached ZulaZula
Zula is a small town in central Eritrea. It is situated near the head of Annesley Bay , on the Red Sea coast...
on 21 October and set to work at once to build a pier at the beach. A camp was made about one mile from the sea and 20 wells were erected. The Sappers were also tasked for improving the existing track to Senafe
Senafe
Senafe is a market town in southern Eritrea, on the edge of the Ethiopian highlands. The surrounding area is inhabited by the Saho people and the Tigrinya people....
. When the whole force was assembled, they started advancing into the hinterland. The engineering difficulties in reaching Senafe were enormous with high mountains lying ahead.
The Sappers were engaged for six weeks in making a road 10 feet wide, in some places it was carried over enormous granite boulders, by ramps. The force arrived at Senafe on 29 January 1868 and on 26 February, the main body marched from Adigrat
Adigrat
Adigrat is a city in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at longitude and latitude with an elevation of 2457 meters above sea level, below a high ridge to the west, Adigrat is the last important Ethiopian city south of the border with Eritrea, and is considered to be a...
and through the good work of a 'Pioneer' force, which included the Bombay Sappers, reached the neighbourhood of Antalo in March. The advance was resumed over increasingly barren and difficult country, where altitudes exceeded 2,900 metres, till at last General Napier arrived at Arogye, a plain at the foot of Magdala on 12 April, where the British could see the way barred, by many thousands of armed Abysinians camped around the hillsides, with up to 30 artillery pieces.
The Emperor ordered an attack, with many thousands of soldiers armed with little more than spears. The 4th Regiment of Foot
King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
The King's Own Royal Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1680 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.-History:...
quickly redeployed to meet the charging mass of warriors and poured a devastating fire into their ranks. When two Indian infantry regiments contributed their firepower, the onslaught became even more devastating. Despite this, the Abyssinian soldiers continued their attack, losing over 500 with thousands more wounded during the ninety minutes of fighting, most of them at little over 30 yards from the British lines. During the chaotic battle an advance guard unit of the 33rd Regiment
Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
overpowered some of the Abyssinian artillerymen and captured their artillery pieces. The surviving Abyssinian soldiers then retreated back onto Magdala.
Charles William Dunbar Staveley
General Sir Charles William Dunbar Staveley GCB was a British Army officer.-Early life:He was born at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, the son of Lt-General William Staveley and Sarah Mather, and educated at the Scottish military and naval academy, Edinburgh.-Career:He was commissioned as second...
was not happy at any further delay and ordered the 33rd Regiment to continue the attack. Several officers and the men of the 33rd, along with an officer from the Royal Engineers, parted from the main force and, after climbing the cliff face, found their way blocked by a thorny hedge over a wall. Private James Bergin
James Bergin
James Bergin VC , born in Killbriken, Queens County, Ireland, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:Bergin was 22 years old, and a private in the...
, a very tall man, used his bayonet to cut a hole in the hedge and Drummer Michael Magner
Michael Magner
Michael Magner VC was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:He was 27 years old, and a Drummer in the 33rd...
climbed onto his shoulders through the hedge in the gap and dragged Private Bergin up behind him as Ensign Conner and Corporal Murphy helped shove from below. Bergin kept up a rapid rate of fire on the Koket-Bir as Magnar dragged more men through the gap in the hedge.
As more men poured through and opened fire, they advanced with their bayonets fixed, the defenders withdrew through the second gate. The party rushed the Koket-bir before it was fully closed and then took the second gate breaking through to the amba. Ensign Wynter scrambled up onto the top of the second gate and fixed the 33rd Regimental Colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
to show the plateau had been taken. Private Bergin and Drummer Magner were later awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for their part in the action .
Tewodros II was found dead inside the second gate, having shot himself with a pistol that had been a gift from Queen Victoria. When his death was announced all resistance ceased. His body was cremated and buried inside the church by the priests. The church was guarded by soldiers from the 33rd Regiment although, according to Henry M. Stanley, looted of "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses".
Battle Honour
The honour was awarded vide Gazette of India No 1181 of 1869. It is not considered repugnantRepugnant battle honours of the Indian Army
Some battle honours earned by Indian Army units, which are descended from erstwhile units of the British East India Company, and later the British Raj, have been declared as repugnant by the Government of India. Indian Army units do not inscribe these battle honours on their colours and do not...
.
The following Indian units were awarded the battle honour (their present day inheritors are listed after):
- 3rd Bombay Cavalry - Poona Horse
- 10th Bengal Cavalry - 4 Horse
- 25th (Bombay) Mountain Battery
- Madras Sappers & Miners (G, H, K Companies) - Madras Engineer GroupMadras Engineer GroupMadras Engineer Group are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The Madras Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Madras Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its HQ in Bangalore...
- Bombay Sappers & Miners (HQ, 1st,2nd,3rd,4th Companies) - Bombay Engineer GroupBombay Engineer GroupThe Bombay Engineering Group, or the Bombay Sappers as they are informally known, are a regiment of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. The Bombay Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Bombay Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its centre in Khadki, Pune in...
- 2nd Bombay Infantry - 2nd Battalion, The GrenadiersThe GrenadiersThe Grenadiers are an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the two world wars and also since the Independence of India...
- 3rd Bombay Infantry - 1st Battalion, Maratha Light InfantryMaratha Light InfantryThe Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
- 10th Bombay Infantry - 3rd Battalion, Maratha Light InfantryMaratha Light InfantryThe Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
presently 2nd Battalion, Parachute RegimentParachute Regiment (India)-History:The first Indian airborne formation was the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade raised on 29 October 1941 with 151 British, 152 Indian, and 153 Gurkha Parachute Battalions and other support units.... - 25th Bombay Infantry - 5th Battalion, Rajputana RiflesRajputana RiflesThe Rajputana Rifles is the most senior rifle regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1921 as part of the British Indian Army, when six previously existing regiments were amalgamated together to form six battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles...
- 23rd Bengal Infantry (1st Bn Sikh Pioneers) - Sikh Light InfantrySikh Light InfantryThe Sikh Light Infantry previously known as The Mazabhi and Ramdasia Sikh Regiment is an elite Regiment of the Indian Army. Its name was changed to the Sikh Light Infantry in 1944. The Sikh Light Infantry is the successor unit to the Mazhabi Sikh Pioneers 23rd, 32nd and 34th Sikh Pioneers...
- 12th Bengal Cavalry - 5 Horse (PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) - 27th Bombay Infantry - 3rd Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment10th Baluch RegimentThe 10th Baluch or Baluch Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. After the Partition of India, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army. In 1956, it was amalgamated with the 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments...
(Pakistan) - 21st Bengal Infantry - 10th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment14th Punjab RegimentThe 14th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to the Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 15th and 16th Punjab Regiments in 1956, to form the Punjab Regiment....
(Pakistan) - 3rd Scinde Horse - Disbanded 1882
- 18th Bombay Infantry - Disbanded 1882
Fictional depictions
The 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was depicted in a work of historical fiction, Flashman on the MarchFlashman on the March
Flashman on the March is a 2005 novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the twelfth and last Flashman novel.-Plot introduction:As in all of Fraser's Flashman novels, the story is presented as part of the Flashman Papers, supposedly written by Sir Harry Flashman, the villain of Tom Brown's Schooldays...
by George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser
George MacDonald Fraser, OBE was an English-born author of Scottish descent, who wrote both historical novels and non-fiction books, as well as several screenplays.-Early life and military career:...
. This work was Fraser's last 'Flashman' novel.