Lot 56

India (North-West Frontier Province) - Tirah Expedition - Dargai Heights - Ashanti Campaign

Second Boer War - First World War - British Military History - Gordon Highlanders

£4,536

Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs

Auction: 28 September 2022 from 10:00 BST

Description

Gordon, Alister Fraser, Capt. (later Brigadier-General) (1872-1917), Gordon Highlanders

Alister Fraser Gordon played a vital and hitherto unsung role in the storming of the heights at Dargai during the Tirah campaign, one of the most celebrated and iconic feats of arms achieved by British soldiers in the North-West Frontier, which resulted in the award of no fewer than four Victoria Crosses, two of which went to members of Gordon's own regiment.

The following description of the battle is by Maj Gen J C Lawrence:
'The Tirah Campaign lasted for almost 18 months. Arguably the most significant engagement of the campaign occurred on the heights surrounding the village of Dargai. Heavily defended, the village could only be reached by an exposed mountain track which ended in open ground immediately below the village. On 19 October 1897, the 3rd Gurkhas and King’s Own Scottish Borderers succeeded in taking the village but, for reasons which are still not entirely clear, they decided not to remain in position overnight. When British forces advanced to reoccupy the village on the morning of 20 October 1897, they found to their cost that overnight hundreds of well-armed tribesmen had infiltrated back into the village. It took determined charges by the Gordon Highlanders, and others, to eventually retake the village. The casualties were significant: over the three days of the Dargai operation, the Gordon Highlanders losses alone were seven officers and 37 other ranks either killed or wounded.

Alister Fraser Gordon's personal role in the battle is described graphically in his letter to his mother in lead, faded purple pencil. And his words and conduct are borne out by his portrayal in the famous picture by R. Gibb in the Gordon Highlander Museum

The Collection: Personal Correspondence 1895-1917, c. 695 autograph letters, to his mother 1895-1902 and 1914-17, and to his wife Pilar 1915-17; describing 1895 Chitral expedition (arrived too late for any action); 1897 Tirah expedition including the taking of the Heights of Dargai (including 6 quarto albumen prints of Tirah expedition, captioned on verso); 1897-8 Post Tirah, mainly garrison at Gharialm, coming home via Alexandria to UK; 1899 Central Africa, Mauritius, Somalia, then to Ashanti; 1900-01 Ashanti campaign, War of the Golden Stool under General Willcocks; taking of Kumasi and expeditions, awarded DSO; 1901-2 Boer War, via SS Matabele to Pretoria, Wonderbook Fort, Pretoria; 1914 France (Arras, Marne & Ypres) Staff officer DAA & QMG - Temp. colonel 1st Division; 1915 Ypres and Artois Offensive, Staff Officer, then takes command of 92nd Regiment (20 Inf. Bde., 7th Div), April wounded in hand, May wounded in calf, returned to UK; 1916 Commanding 182nd Brigade in England; 1916 Commanding 182nd Brigade on the Somme, visit by Haig, various raids on German lines to distract from main battle area of the Somme, mining and counter mining, losses of 75 officers and 1200 men; 1916 On leave in UK and France, bad car accident, repatriated to England; 1917, In London, then Commanding 153rd Brigade during Nivelle offensive, hit when carrying out recce before taking over part of front line, died of wounds 13th July. Letter from Doctor offering the piece of shrapnel which killed him;
Letters to his wife, Pilar: 1916, Commanding 182nd Brigade in England and France; 1916 Battle of Somme; 1917 Takes over 153rd Brigade. Nivelle Offensive, hit on 29th July and dies 2 days later; in total about 695 letters, plus miscellaneous items (e.g. envelopes, dried flowers, bills &c); together with diaries for 1898 (Tirah expedition, garrison life, return home); 1899 (Central Africa, Mauritius, Somalia, Ashanti), 1900 (Ashanti Campaign)

Footnote

Note:

A very large collection of detailed personal correspondence from a decorated British soldier, illuminating a distinguished career served in India, Africa and on the Western Front, commencing with the Chitral Expedition of 1895 at the age of 23 and ending with his death in the Nivelle offensive in northern France in 1917 at the age of 45.

Alistair Fraser Gordon 1/2/1872 to 31/7/1917

Letters to Mother 1895 to 1902

Folder No. - Dates - Number of Letters - Activity

31/3/95- 3/11/95 (32) 1895. Chitral Expedition (arrived too late for any action ) 28/6/97- 13/4/98 (49) 1897. Tirah expedition including the taking of the Heights of Dargai 27th Oct 1897. Plus six photos 2/5/98- 19/12/98 (35) 1897/1898. Post Tirah. Mainly garrison at Gharial. Coming home via Alexandria to UK 19/3/99- 27/12/99 (29) 1899. Central Africa, Mauritius, in Somalia against the Mad Mullah. Then to Ashanti 11/1/00-21/12/00 (50) 1900. Ashanti campaign- War of Golden Stool under General Willcocks 6/1/01-14/9/01 (34) 1901. Ashanti War continues. Taking of Kumasi and expeditions -Ashanti campaign ends- Awarded DSO 23/9/01 25/12/01 (18) 1901. Boer War. Via SS Matabele to Pretoria (final throes of the Boer war) 1/1/02-16/8/02 (34) 1902. Boer War. Wonderboom Fort- Pretoria

AFG letters to his mother 1914 to 1917

2/8/14-30/12/14 (27) 1914. France (Arras, Marne and Ypres). Staff Officer DAA & QMG- Temp. colonel 1st Division 4/1/15- 31/12/15 (50) 1915. Ypres and Artois Offensive. Staff Officer, then takes over command of 92nd Regiment (20 Inf. Bde,7th Div.). In April slightly wounded in hand. In May wounded in left calf and returned to UK 6/1/16-21/5/16 (22) 1916. Commanding 182nd Brigade in England. Training in Salisbury Plain. Visit by King. Embark for France 26/5/16 -3/9/16 ((22) 1916. Commanding 182nd Brigade on the Somme. Visit by Haig. Various raids on German lines to distract from main battle area of the Somme. Mining and counter mining. Losses of 75 officers and over 1200 men 21/9/16-18/12/16 (22) 1916. On leave in UK and then to France. Bad car accident and repatriated to England 3/1/17-13/7/17 (31) 1917. In London, then commanding 153 Brigade during the Nivelle offensive. Hit when carrying out a recce before taking over part of front line. Died of wounds 31st July. Letter from Doctor offering the piece of shrapnel which killed him

AFG Letters to his wife, Pilar 1916 to 1917

14/2/16- 31/6/16 (103) 1916. See Letters above 11 and 12. Commanding 182nd Brigade. Training in England. Move to France. Battle of Somme starts 21st June 1/8/16 – 21/10/16 (80) 1916. See Letters above 12 and 13. Battle of Somme continues. Goes on leave 20/3/17 – 6/7/17 (57) 1917. See Letters above 14. Takes over 153rd Brigade. Nivelle Offensive. Hit on 29th July and dies two days later

Total letters about 695 plus miscellaneous eg envelopes, dried flowers, bills etc.

Diaries

January 1st to December 30th. Tirah Expedition, garrison life, and return home

Coincide with above letter folders 2 and 3

January 27th to December 31st. Central Africa, Mauritius, Somalia, Ashanti

Coincide with letter folder 4

1900 January 1st 1900 to 20/1/1901. Ashanti Campaign

Coincides with letter folders 5 and 6

The letters are currently housed in 18 separate folders, according to date. The 19th folder contains 9 large 4to albumen prints of the Gordon Highlanders and 2 of Hong Kong

Total Diaries: 3

GORDON, ALISTER FRASER, Capt., was born 1 Feb. 1872, third son of William Grant Gordon, of Drumdevan, Inverness-shire, and Louisa, daughter of John Fraser, of Achnagairn, Inverness-shire. He was educated at The College, Inverness, and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was gazetted to the Royal Highlanders 8 Oct.1890; was transferred to the Gordon Highlanders 12 Nov. 1890, becoming Lieutenant 1 Sept. 1893. He served in Chitral, 1895, with the Relief Force (Medaland clasp); and on the North-West Frontier of India, 1897-98, including the actions of Chagru Kotal and Dargai, where, as Lieutenant, he commanded a company and led it across the zone of fire and was the first across it; was present at the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes; Operations in the Waran Valley, and at the action of 16 Nov. 1897, and at the operations in the Bara Valley, 7 to 14 Dec. 1897. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 5 April, 1898], and received two clasps. He was promoted to Captain 28 May, 1899; was employed with the Central African Rifles, and with the King's African Rifles, 12 April,1899, to 11 April, 1902, and served with the 2nd British Central African Regt. in the Ashanti Campaign of 1900. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 8 March, 1901], and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 26 April, 1901]: "Alister Fraser Gordon, Capt., Gordon Highlanders. In recognition of services during the recent operations in Ashanti." Invested by the King 24 Oct. 1902. He served in the South African War, 1901-02, as Railway Staff Officer and Station Staff Officer, taking part in the operations in the Transvaal, Sept.1901, to 31 May, 1902 (Queen's Medal with three clasps). He was G.S.O.,3rd Grade, Coast Defences, Northern Command, 18 Feb. 1908, to 17 Feb.1912; was promoted to Major 4 July, 1908 ; was D.A.A. and Q.M.G., Highland Division, Scottish Command, 6 June, 1913, to 20 Jan. 1914.He served in the European War from 1914, as D.A.A. and Q.M.G. 5 Aug.1914, to 17 Sept. 1914; was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, Gordon High–landers, in April, 1915, and was severely wounded in the leg at the Battle of Fetubert 16 May, 1915; A.A. and Q.M.G. 18 Sept. 1914, to 9 April,1915; G.S.O., 2nd Grade, 'Var Office (temporary), 1 Dec. 1915, to 12 Feb.1916; Brigade Commander 13 Feb. 1916. For his services in the European War he was six times mentioned in Despatches, and created a C.M.G. in1915, and Brevet Colonel in 1917. Temporary Brigadier-General A. F. Gordon died on the 31st of July, 1917, of wounds received in action, aged45. He was a highly scientific and brilliant officer-a loss to the Army and the nation. The following is an account of General Gordon's death: "On the Sunday morning, 29 July, 1917, General Gordon was visiting the front–line trenches, as was his custom, when the trench that he was in was hit by a direct German shell, which killed his Brigade Major and two Gordon Highland N.C.O.'s on the spot, and mortally wounded him. He died two days later in the Casualty Clearing Station to which he had been carried, and was buried in the Cemetery at Esporinghe. By the King's Special Order, a printed copy of his six Mentions in the European War was sent from the War Office to Mrs. Alister Gordon, 18 Dec. 1917, with a kind message of ' high appreciation of these services,' by His Majesty." He had married, in Jan. 1908, Pilar Mary, daughter of the late C. E. H. Edmondstune Cranstoun, of Corehouse, and they had one son, Alastair Joseph Edgar, and two daughters, Margaret Colette Mary and Elizabeth Pilar Mary.

India (North-West Frontier Province) - Tirah Expedition - Dargai Heights - Ashanti Campaign