medal code j3855

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THE EXTREMELY RARE DEFENCE OF GHAZNI SUTLEJ MEDAL TO CAPTAIN, 27TH BENGAL NATIVE INFANTRY, WHO TOOK PART IN THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR AND WAS TWICE WOUNDED DURING DESPERATE DEFENCE OF GHUZNEE, NOVEMBER 1841 – MARCH 1842, WHEN 1,000 MEN WERE BESIEGED BY 20,000 AFGHAN TRIBESMEN. ONE OF JUST 10 MEN TAKEN PRISONER WHEN THE FORTRESS SURRENDERED, THE MAJORITY OF THE DEFENDERS DYING OF DISEASE, BEING KILLED OR MURDERED BY THE VICTORIOUS AFGHAN’S. HE SUFFERED UNIMAGINABLE HARDSHIPS AS A PRISONER OF SHUMSHOODEEN KHAN BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF MAJOR-GENERAL POLLOCK IN SEPTEMBER 1842. HE LATER FOUGHT IN THE FIRST SIKH WAR

SUTLEJ 1845-46, FOR FEROZESHUHUR 1845 ‘CAPT. J: J: POETT 27TH REGT. N:I:’

John Joseph Poett was born in Dublin on 25 March 1807 and became a Cadet for the Bengal army in 1826. Commissioned Ensign on 14 June 1827, he arrived in India on 30 November that year. Posted to the 46th Bengal Native Infantry on 2 January 1828, he transferred to the 27th Bengal Native Infantry a month later. Advanced to Lieutenant, 28 September 1831, he took part in the first Afghan War of 1840-2 and was present with his regiment at Ghuznee (Ghazni) when the city was besieged, taking part in the epic defence of that place from November 1841 and March 1842.

With the insurrection at Kabul which started with the murder Alexander Burnes on 2 November 1841 and would result in the retreat from and total destruction of a British army of near 20,000 men by 13 January 1842, British forces were besieged at Candahar, Jellalbad and the fortress of Khelat-i-Ghilzie and Ghuznee. All would either hold out and be relieved bar Ghuznee, which appears to have been besieged by far greater numbers of Afghans and in what turned out to be an error in judgement, did not clear the town itself of civilians. Details of the first Afghan War can be found here:

https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armycampaigns/indiancampaigns/afghanistan1839.htm

The force besieged at Ghuznee, consisted of 9 Officers and 800 men of the 27th N.I., a squadron of the Shah’s Irregular Cavalry and various smaller detachments, the total amounting in the region of 1300 fighting men, this including a large number of sick. The fortress had a number of iron and brass artillery pieces, mostly of local manufacture and most poorly mounted. There were no artillerymen, so 100 soldiers were given instructions of how to work them by the 27th QM Sergeant, who had previously served in the artillery. Facing them were 20,000 Afghan tribesmen led by Shumshoodeen Khan…………

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Condition GVF, sold with digital research, including various books on the 1st Afghan War and the 27th N.I. narratives.

A fine and extremely rare medal to a Ghuznee defender who was twice wounded and captive of the Afghans for six months.

Code J3855        Price £  SOLD