Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-80

[Garen]

Excellent, thank you - you're most welcome!

[StephenPaternoster]

Hi Gabe

I’ve been looking on findmypast to see when Henry King joined 70th Surrey Foot but I can’t seem to find anything about him the year he joined or the year he discharged I even checked ancestry as I have access to that but information is  limited.

Is there ever chance you could look if you have access to findmypast?.

Regards

Stephen

[Garen]

Hello Stephen

Sorry, no luck - I did look before for a service record but nothing turned up (at least within the time I was able to allocate for a search). Sometimes the old service record is attached to the new one (ie. his WWI record) - which I think you found - just make sure you've seen all the pages.

You could try a free trial at Fold3 - they have a set of Pensioner documents giving dates of discharge (these can also be searched for via Ancestry).

- Garen

[maluk]

Hi All,

I am new to this site, I have been trying for some time on many different sites to find details of my great grandfather and great uncle who I was informed through family members served in the 2nd Afgan war.

I understand that my great grandfather (Elijah McCann DOB 1851) served in the infantry and his brother (William McCann DOB 1848) served in the cavalry. However, that is all I know, I don't have any medals and I cannot find any conclusive evidence that they did serve. The family say Elijah was in the march to Kandahar and he attended reunions until he died at age 91.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

[Garen]

Hello maluk

1) Elijah McCann ...

I don't think Elijah McCann served in the Afghan war - it does seem that he was in the 66th Foot, a regiment who were in Afghanistan (at the infamous battle of Maiwand, but also with two companies marching part-way with Roberts' force) - but Elijah was discharged in March 1877, well over a year before the Afghan campaign commenced. He enlisted in 1869.

He's not on any of the lists I have for 66th Regiment men in Afghanistan, and his name does not come up anywhere on the Afghan war medal roll.

I see an article - which perhaps you know of - from the The Lancaster Guardian (4 Mar 1938) that features Elijah McCann where he states he was in Afghanistan, India and then Africa - I'm not sure about that, if he stayed with the 66th, because they came straight from Bombay to England in Feb 1881.

The only other place his name comes up (besides census returns and BMDs) is in a case of assault in Bentham in 1882 where he was acquitted of the charge. The alleged assault was on Ellen Galbraith who he seems to have married four months later.

It is not at all unheard of for old soldiers to claim they were involved in actions which they actually missed - especially if they felt their careers lacked some of the 'glory of battle' that others had. I wouldn't rule him out completely at this stage, but a first glance at the available records suggest he may have been adding a bit of a shine to things!

I will have a look into William McCann as well and report back.

Best - Garen

Hi All,

I am new to this site, I have been trying for some time on many different sites to find details of my great grandfather and great uncle who I was informed through family members served in the 2nd Afgan war.

I understand that my great grandfather (Elijah McCann DOB 1851) served in the infantry and his brother (William McCann DOB 1848) served in the cavalry. However, that is all I know, I don't have any medals and I cannot find any conclusive evidence that they did serve. The family say Elijah was in the march to Kandahar and he attended reunions until he died at age 91.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

[Garen]

2) William McCann ...

The Afghan medal roll throws up a couple of possibilities for William McCann - there was a W. McCann in the 9th Foot and a William McCann C/3 Royal Artillery.

The 9th Foot McCann (Private no.851) received the clasp for Kabul and seems to have been discharged by 1881 or 82. The RA McCann was a gunner (no.5597).

I'm afraid that's as far as I can go for now. Let me know if any more clues turn up!

Best - Garen

[maluk]

Thanks so much for this and the quick reply, I suspected it was something like this. I knew about the charges, he married Ellen a few months later and she is my granddads mother.

I hope you can find more positive info on William

Regards

Hello maluk

1) Elijah McCann ...

I don't think Elijah McCann served in the Afghan war - it does seem that he was in the 66th Foot, a regiment who were in Afghanistan (at the infamous battle of Maiwand, but also with two companies marching part-way with Roberts' force) - but Elijah was discharged in March 1877, well over a year before the Afghan campaign commenced. He enlisted in 1869.

He's not on any of the lists I have for 66th Regiment men in Afghanistan, and his name does not come up anywhere on the Afghan war medal roll.

I see an article - which perhaps you know of - from the The Lancaster Guardian (4 Mar 1938) that features Elijah McCann where he states he was in Afghanistan, India and then Africa - I'm not sure about that, if he stayed with the 66th, because they came straight from Bombay to England in Feb 1881.

The only other place his name comes up (besides census returns and BMDs) is in a case of assault in Bentham in 1882 where he was acquitted of the charge. The alleged assault was on Ellen Galbraith who he seems to have married four months later.

It is not at all unheard of for old soldiers to claim they were involved in actions which they actually missed - especially if they felt their careers lacked some of the 'glory of battle' that others had. I wouldn't rule him out completely at this stage, but a first glance at the available records suggest he may have been adding a bit of a shine to things!

I will have a look into William McCann as well and report back.

Best - Garen

Hi All,

I am new to this site, I have been trying for some time on many different sites to find details of my great grandfather and great uncle who I was informed through family members served in the 2nd Afgan war.

I understand that my great grandfather (Elijah McCann DOB 1851) served in the infantry and his brother (William McCann DOB 1848) served in the cavalry. However, that is all I know, I don't have any medals and I cannot find any conclusive evidence that they did serve. The family say Elijah was in the march to Kandahar and he attended reunions until he died at age 91.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

[maluk]

Thanks, will look into this further now.

2) William McCann ...

The Afghan medal roll throws up a couple of possibilities for William McCann - there was a W. McCann in the 9th Foot and a William McCann C/3 Royal Artillery.

The 9th Foot McCann (Private no.851) received the clasp for Kabul and seems to have been discharged by 1881 or 82. The RA McCann was a gunner (no.5597).

I'm afraid that's as far as I can go for now. Let me know if any more clues turn up!

Best - Garen

[Charlie24]

Hi, I have just had a look at Garen Ewing's website where he has established a database for soldiers in the second Afghan War. Am I right in thinking he is not accepting any more soldier's details at this time?
Also I have just received the attached photo from a distant cousin. I am told it is of my Great Grandfather Charles Wilson Cottrell (born 1854 Dalston, London). He was Colour Sergeant with the 2nd/15th East Yorkshire Regiment, and served in the Second Afghan War.
I wonder if anyone can confirm the uniform as being the 2/15th, rank etc. I believe he is wearing the Afghan War medal, so I have guessed date was around 1882, and that he was back in Poona.
What is the coil passing into his jacket for? And what do the insignia's on the sleeves indicate?