Henry Francis BROOKE, KIA 1880, Siege of Kandahar, 2nd Anglo-Afghan War

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by dbf, Jun 25, 2019.

  1. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    At Colebrooke Parish Church, Enniskillen
    Henry Francis Brooke 1836-188.png

    HERE LIES
    THE BODY OF
    BRIGADIER GENERAL HENRY FRANCIS BROOKE
    ELDEST SON OF THE LATE
    GEORGE FREDERICK BROOKE
    OF ASHBROOKE AND OF THE
    LADY ARABELLA BROOKE
    BORN 3RD AUGUST 1836
    KILLED IN ACTION 16TH AUGUST 1880
    AGED 44
    HE FELL WHILE COMMANDING
    THE SORTIE AGAINST THE VILLAGE
    OF DEH KHOJA DURING THE SIEGE
    OF KANDAHAR SOUTH AFGHANISTAN
    IN THE NOBLE ENDEAVOUR
    TO SAVE THE LIFE OF A
    WOUNDED BROTHER OFFICER
    CAPTAIN CRUICKSHANK R.E.

    GREATER LOVE
    HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
    THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE
    FOR HIS FRIENDS
    JOHN 15
     
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  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Battle of Kandahar - Wikipedia
    The siege of Kandahar
    The remnants of the straggling column reached Kandahar on the 28th raising the garrison numbers to 4360 — the Afghan population of 12,000 were compelled to leave. With the abandonment of the cantonments, the whole garrison withdrew behind the walls of the fortified city and organised preparations for its defence. These defences included improving and facilitating communications along the city's walls, plugging breaches, constructing gun platforms and the laying of wire obstacles outside the walls to entangle their foe. The Afghans determined to harass and hinder the defenders’ preparations throughout.
    On 8 August, Ayub Khan, the victor at Maiwand, opened fire on the citadel from Picquet hill north west of the city; a few days later other guns volleyed forth from the villages of Deh Khoja and Deh Khati on the east and south. An attempt to neutralise the village of Deh Khoja, led by Brigadier General Brooke on the 16th, proved unsuccessful. During the extrication, both Brigadier General Brooke and Captain Cruickshank fell, adding to the casualty total of over 100.


    Photo, Royal Collection Trust:
    Unknown Person - Brigadier-General Henry Francis Brooke (1836-80)

    Private Journal Of Henry Francis Brooke, Late Brigadier-General Commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade Kandahar Field Force, Southern Afghanistan, From April 22nd To August 16th, 1880
    Private Journal of Henry Francis Brooke by Henry Francis Brooke

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-Br...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1561472924&sr=8-1

    A quote, from said journal, via Henry Francis Brooke b. 03 Aug 1836 Fermanagh d. 16 Aug 1880 Kandahar, Afghanistan: The Tatham Family of County Durham:
    "I oppose our forward policy in Afghanistan. They (the Afghans) are a very war-like people and prefer tyranny and misgovernment from their own kind to order after the English fashion".
     
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  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    [​IMG]

    Name Henry Francis Brooke
    Spouse Ann Isabella Christopher
    Father George Augustus Frederick Brooke
    Mother Arabella Georgina Hastings
    Children George Cecil
    Birth 03/08/1836 Wakefield Yorkshire England
    Death 16/08/1880 Kandahar Afghanistan

    TD

    Interesting to know why his Will is based in Ireland
    Web: Ireland, Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920
    Name: Henry Francis Brooke
    Death Date: 16 Aug 1880
    Death Place: Fermanagh
    Primary Beneficiary: George H Brooke
     
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  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    'Deh Khoja, from above the Durrani gate', 1880 (c) | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London
    image.png
    'Deh Khoja, from above the Durrani gate', 1880 (c)
    Photograph by Benjamin Simpson (1831-1923), 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880), 1880 (c).
    NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1951-01-43-2
    Copyright/Ownership: National Army Museum, Out of Copyright

    Deh Khoja was a village to the east of Kandahar. Ayub Khan's men captured the settlement at the start of the Siege of Kandahar. They stationed several guns there and opened fire on the city. The British attempted to silence the batteries during a sortie on 16 August 1880, but they were unsuccessful. Brigadier-General Henry Brooke, who commanded the operation, was among those killed that day.

    From an album of 34 photographs.
    Online Collection | National Army Museum, London
     
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  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    'Deh Khoja, from above the Cabuli gate', 1880 (c) | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London
    image.png
    'Deh Khoja, from above the Cabuli gate', 1880 (c)
    Photograph by Benjamin Simpson (1831-1923), 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880), 1880 (c).
    NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1951-01-43-3
    Copyright/Ownership: National Army Museum, Out of Copyright

    Deh Khoja was a village to the east of Kandahar. Ayub Khan's men captured the settlement at the start of the Siege of Kandahar. They stationed several guns there and opened fire on the city. The British attempted to silence the batteries during a sortie on 16 August 1880, but they were unsuccessful. Brigadier-General Henry Brooke, who commanded the operation, was among those killed that day.

    From an album of 34 photographs.
    Online Collection | National Army Museum, London
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    when do we get the 'then & now' photos :rolleyes::whistle:

    TD
     
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  7. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    He's from an Anglo-Irish family, the very same which produced Field Marshal Alan Brooke.
    Viscount Brookeborough - Wikipedia

    Pre-1922 records are shared/split; some having been previously deposited in the Irish capital city anyway. For the diaspora though it's a mixed blessing.
    The fire that destroyed all Irish records - the myth and the reality
    Irish civil registration records survive intact.
     
  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    OK thanks - saw he was born in Wakefield and died in Afghanistan

    TD
     
  9. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    And I'm left wondering how they repatriated him.
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Lead coffin?

    TD
     
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    They would not have bothered if he had been an Other Rank that is for sure.
     
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  12. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 20.29.25.png
    Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 20.29.58.png
    The Daily News Monday 13th December 1880

    Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 20.24.23.png
    Screen Shot 2019-06-25 at 20.25.12.png
    Globe 25th August 1880
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 25, 2019
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  13. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

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