Page 56 - History of War - Issue 18-15

THE FORGOTTEN SIKH REGIMENTS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

fromthemainarmyinthepreviousAnglo-
Afghan War. After initial assaults by the Gurkha THEBATTLE OF SARAGARHI
andHighlandregiments,theSikhswerecalled
in to supplement the Highland charge on the
bloodybutsuccessfulDargaiHeights.
Undoubtedly the greatest Sikh achievement 12SEPTEMBER 1897
of the war was the Battle of Saragarhi. A backs-
to-the-wall conflict of Thermopylae proportions, THE BRAVE DEFENCE OF A SMALL MOUNTAIN
21 Sikh soldiers managed to defend a small OUTPOSTBY21SIKHWARRIORS
outpost from 10,000 tribesmen for more than In1897,oneofthemostvolatileregionsofIndiawastheTirahareainthenorth-
seven hours. Despite receiving no aid from any westfrontier.InSeptember,10,000tribesmenfromthelocalPashtunpeoples
of the surrounding British forts, the 36th Sikhs hadn’ttakenkindlytoBritishannexationandmarchedonthefortsofGullistanand
Regiment fought courageously and, even in Lockhart.TheBritishstationedintheareawerecaughtoffguardandunableto
defeat, managed to blunt the Afghan assault for summonanyreservestocombattheoncomingthreat.Thetribesmenfocusedtheir
long enough to save the two forts of Gullistan attackonthesmallandseeminglyinnocuousSaragarhioutpostbetweenthetwo
and Lockhart. To this day, Saragarhi Day is forts. What they hadn’t counted on, however, were 21 Sikh soldiers from the 36th
celebratedannuallyinhonourofthisheroic Sikhs infantry regiment, dedicated to defending their ground to the last man.
sacrifice and each of the 21 received the Indian
OrderofMeritposthumously.
ThemainBritishFieldForcewasnowinthe 2 ENTER THE TRIBESMEN
ascendancy, but guerilla warfare was taking its At 9am, 10,000 Pashtuns assemble
toll on the beleaguered soldiers. In November readytotaketheoutpost,andwithit
1897,aunitfromtheNorthamptonshire the valuable British communication
Regimentwasgoingthroughavillageinthe centre.Spyingtheenemy,theSikhs
Saran Sar Pass when it came under heavy call to Fort Gullistan for aid.
fire. In the end, the group had to be saved
andextractedbyacombinationofSikhsand
Gurkhas, who managed to haul the British out
of harm’s away with only 18 men killed.
Theterrainandlocalknowledgeofthe
Afghansevenmadelifedifficultforthe
impressive Sikhs, who were ambushed while on
thehuntforstragglingAfridis,oneofthemany
Afghan tribes. Along with two companies from
the Dorset Regiment, the Sikhs were cornered
inanumberofburned-outhousesbefore
makingittosafety.25menandfourofficers
were killed. The next move of the expedition
wastostarvetheAfghansoftheirwinterfood 1 THE DEFENDERS ARRIVE
supplies. Accompanying the Yorkshire Light InthefirstweekofSeptember,21
Infantry,the36thSikhsmadeagraveerror membersofthe36thSikhRegiment
and, after a misunderstanding, abandoned the are entrusted to defend the area
strategicallyvaluableheightstothewestofa afterearningtheirstripesinprevious
pass. Their position was taken up by a group engagements against Pashtun forces.
of Afridis, who inflicted casualties on the men
fromYorkshire,forcingthemtoescapewiththe
aidofareliefcolumn.
Despite the occasional failure, the Sikh
regimentsprovedthemselvesaworthyally
totheBritish.AfterservingintheMalakand
Campaign of 1897, Winston Churchill wrote a
bookofhisexperiences.Init,hepraisedthe
contribution of the Sikhs, and wrote of how he
nearlylosthislifesavingawoundedSikh.

Below: 45th Rattray’s Sikhs, raised in 1856 by Captain
Thomas Rattray, with three prisoners captured during the
Second Anglo-Afghan War

3 HELP DOESN’T COME
Lieutenant Colonel John Haughton is
in charge of Gullistan, but is unable to
come to the aid of the Sikhs. He is low on
soldiers, so cannot sanction any relief.

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