Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-80

[ndess]

I Garen, 

The preceeding is my relative.  The sibling of Edmund C.  We are also in touch with GW daughter Dora grand daughter, all through internet contacts.  My ggfather Herbert Young is missing in your report on GW, b 1871 Lewisham.  He was born when GW was on half pay owing to his regiment 2 WIR being disbanded in 1870.  GW originally enlisted with 1/10th Foot in 1859 and transferred to 1 WIR in 1861, all as enlisted man.  He was made an ensign in Sept 1865 when serving on Gold Coast.  Nine months later, almost to the day, his first son, George Patrick was born.  GW had an older brother who also served in 1 WIR, Joseph Alexander Smith, becoming their commanding officer in 1880.

We are looking as to where we may find bith certificates for officers serving in the Carribbean.  I was in Jamaica looking for some of GW children born in Spanish Town, Jamaica but there is no record of them.

Thanks for this leg of research

[phil100652]

Hello. I'm trying to establish whether or not William Barnett, who served his 'full 21 years' with the 8th Hussars from 1868 to 1889 (which included the Afghan War), could be my great grandfather.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest he was the father of my grandmother but the time she was conceived and born is in the middle of a 4 & 1/2 year service spell in East Indies (Sep 1884 to May 1889).

My question specifically is could it be possible that he and his first wife would be sent home to England on leave from East Indies part-way through the 4 & 1/2 years he was out there or, once out there, did they have to stay there until the whole unit was transferred back to England?

[Garen]

I Garen, 

The preceeding is my relative.  The sibling of Edmund C.  We are also in touch with GW daughter Dora grand daughter, all through internet contacts.  My ggfather Herbert Young is missing in your report on GW, b 1871 Lewisham.  He was born when GW was on half pay owing to his regiment 2 WIR being disbanded in 1870.  GW originally enlisted with 1/10th Foot in 1859 and transferred to 1 WIR in 1861, all as enlisted man.  He was made an ensign in Sept 1865 when serving on Gold Coast.  Nine months later, almost to the day, his first son, George Patrick was born.  GW had an older brother who also served in 1 WIR, Joseph Alexander Smith, becoming their commanding officer in 1880.

We are looking as to where we may find bith certificates for officers serving in the Carribbean.  I was in Jamaica looking for some of GW children born in Spanish Town, Jamaica but there is no record of them.

Thanks for this leg of research

Thanks very much for that extra info, ndess. I have updated George's database entry though it will not show online until the next upload, probably a few weeks away.

Cheers!

All best - Garen

[Garen]

Hello. I'm trying to establish whether or not William Barnett, who served his 'full 21 years' with the 8th Hussars from 1868 to 1889 (which included the Afghan War), could be my great grandfather.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest he was the father of my grandmother but the time she was conceived and born is in the middle of a 4 & 1/2 year service spell in East Indies (Sep 1884 to May 1889).

My question specifically is could it be possible that he and his first wife would be sent home to England on leave from East Indies part-way through the 4 & 1/2 years he was out there or, once out there, did they have to stay there until the whole unit was transferred back to England?

Hello Phil,

William Barnett (no.1201 - hope that's the right one) served in the Afghan War and returned to the UK in May 1882. He then went back to India in Sep 1884. His record states that he was not back home again until May 1889, so the answer is no - he didn't return to the UK halfway through that second stretch.

William's record does note that his wife was with the regiment, and - yes -  it is possible that his wife, pregnant, returned home before William did - especially if she was ill as well, or had just had enough and wanted to be back with her family for the new baby.

It was more usual for officers to come and go (on furlough or sick leave) but privates and ncos were pretty much stuck with their regiment. Men's wives were not necessarily so stuck.

All the best -
Garen

[catwoman8950]

Hello,

I have just joined this forum and am searching for information on the death of Henry Bangs who served as a Colour Sergeant with the 51st King's Own Light Infantry stationed in Fyzabad and Peshawar between 1872 and 1880.  Henry Bangs was born in Mildenhall, Suffolk in around 1835 and married my husband's great aunt, Elizabeth Ann Stubbs, in 1867 whilst stationed at the Western Heights Barracks in Dover, Kent.

4 children were born in India:
Agnes Martha Bangs b1873 in Fyzabad
Alfred William Bangs b1875 in Fyzabad, d1876 in Peshawar
George Bangs b1877 in Peshawar
Elizabeth Ann Bangs b1879 (March) in Dagshai

By 1881 Elizabeth Ann Stubbs was widowed and living with her surviving children in Salford, Lancashire.  There is no record of Henry Bangs' death in England and we therefore assume that he died in India around 1879/80.

I have searched the military records on the internet and there is no record of Henry Bangs' death in India.  As the last child was born in Dagshai, it is possible that Henry Bangs died there.  I know from research that there was a hospital for tuberculosis patients built by the British at Dagshai, so perhaps he died of illness.

However, I know for certain that Henry Bangs was a soldier with the 51st King's Own Light Infantry Regiment in the 1870s and that this regiment fought in the 2nd Anglo-Afghan War.  Surely there must be a record of deaths of soldiers from this regiment in India somewhere, whether they died in battle, or from illness?

Any help in tracing where and when Henry Bangs died would be most welcome.

Debbie

[Garen]

Hello Debbie

I had a look at the Afghan war medal roll for the 51st Regiment and can see no Henry Bangs listed, unfortunately. If he was with this regiment as of 1878 then he may have fallen ill before they went off to the frontier, and perhaps died in 1878 or 1879, away from his regiment. It certainly seems as though he was not in Afghanistan with the 51st.

Do you know if he was part of the Jowaki campaign in 1877? The 51st Foot took part in that, so he should appear on the Jowaki medal roll.

(Edit: I just looked up the 51st Foot on the Jowaki medal roll at Ancestry and don't see Henry Bangs listed under the B's (Asia > India 1875-1877 > Perak 1875-76 - 3rd, 10th and 80th Regiments of Foot, Others; Jowaki 1877 - Royal Artillery, Others > p.14) - is there a chance Henry was with another regiment after 1876/77?

The next best thing to check would probably be the muster rolls for the 51st at Kew. I believe the reference you'd want would be WO 16/1811 (you can type that refernce into the National Archives catalogue search box here).

Sorry I can't be more help than that at the moment.

Best wishes - Garen

[catwoman8950]

Hello Debbie

I had a look at the Afghan war medal roll for the 51st Regiment and can see no Henry Bangs listed, unfortunately. If he was with this regiment as of 1878 then he may have fallen ill before they went off to the frontier, and perhaps died in 1878 or 1879, away from his regiment. It certainly seems as though he was not in Afghanistan with the 51st.

Do you know if he was part of the Jowaki campaign in 1877? The 51st Foot took part in that, so he should appear on the Jowaki medal roll.

(Edit: I just looked up the 51st Foot on the Jowaki medal roll at Ancestry and don't see Henry Bangs listed under the B's (Asia > India 1875-1877 > Perak 1875-76 - 3rd, 10th and 80th Regiments of Foot, Others; Jowaki 1877 - Royal Artillery, Others > p.14) - is there a chance Henry was with another regiment after 1876/77?

The next best thing to check would probably be the muster rolls for the 51st at Kew. I believe the reference you'd want would be WO 16/1811 (you can type that refernce into the National Archives catalogue search box here).

Sorry I can't be more help than that at the moment.

Best wishes - Garen

Hello Garen,

Thanks very much for your reply.  In the meantime I have been doing some checking myself at Ancestry and have found a document (ref WO 100/21A, generic date range 1846-1866) showing that Henry Bangs served with the 51st Regiment of Foot in India prior to his marriage in 1867 when stationed at Western Heights Barracks in Dover (his marriage certificate just states "Soldier" for occupation).  On the record at Ancestry he is listed as a Private in the 51st with the regimental number of 1121. Given that he was 32 when he married, I presume that this earlier record of his service in India was his first "tour of duty", so to speak.  What is curious about this record is that all the soldiers from the 51st Regiment appeared to have been denied a campaign medal.  The note against the names states "Not allowed by Indian Goverment vide .. (unreadable) in chief's letter 10.2.70" - whatever that means.  By the time of the birth of his first child at Weymouth Barracks in 1869 Henry had been promoted to Colour Sergeant with the 51st.

I have researched the history of the 51st Regiment and they were certainly in Fyzabad and Peshawar at the time some of the Bangs children were born.

It could be possible that Henry changed regiments though.  His uncle Thomas Bangs served in three different regiments, including the 51st.

I will certainly check the records at Kew under the reference number you have given me, because other than that, I don't know where to look next.

Kind regards,

Debbie

[bettyve]

Hi Garen
I am looking for any information on my Grandfather, Alfred Ennis who was in the Dorsetshire Regiment 1895 - 1903 and went to
Malta and India.  Do hope you may be able to help.  Best wishes.  bettyve

[bettyve]

Hi dailyblog4life

Yes I have him born St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands 1880, then the family moved to Poole, Dorset 1891.  He joined the army when he was 15 but stated his age was 18.  I have copies of his record of service (Alfred Edward Ennis) and his number was 4775.   In his possessions was a copy of a map of Peshawar, Kyber Pass, Old City, Afghan and Zaryab Colonys.   I am searching for any  information on what he did and where he went and campaigns while in India.

Hope this is helpful.

Best wishes

bettyve