1842 retreat from Kabul: Captain Robert Salusbury Trevor

Discussion in 'Prewar' started by CL1, May 7, 2019.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Last edited: May 7, 2019
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  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Robert Salusbury Trevor
    1802–1841
    BIRTH 30 DECEMBER 1802 • Chester, Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority, Cheshire, England
    DEATH 23 DECEMBER 1841 • Kabul, Afghanistan

    Cadet Record
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    TD
     
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  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Thanks for posting chaps, the three Afghan Wars, possibly four depending on how you look at things, are my particular interest area re: collecting British campaign medals.
     
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  4. smdarby

    smdarby Well-Known Member

    Info from Retreat from Kabul (Macrory)

    Sir William Macnaghten (British Envoy), escorted by 3 British Captains including Trevor, had gone to meet with the Afghans when the order was given to seize them. “The unlucky Trevor fell, or was dragged, from his horse and died instantly beneath the Ghazi knives”.

    As for Macnaughten: “There came another yell of hate and derision from the window, where a human hand, impaled on a pole, was being bobbed up and down in mockery… this was the hand of Sir William Macnaughten.” Macnaughten’s head and limbs were paraded around the town and then his body hung on a meat hook next to Trevor’s in the bazaar.

    So, I doubt Trevor is actually buried in Kensal Green Cemetery!
     
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  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    It says Remembered in Kensal Green
     
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  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Here's my only campaign medal for Afghan 1. It is a Candahar, Ghuznee, Cabul 1842.
     

    Attached Files:

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  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  8. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I've had a quick search to see if any of the medals of MacNaughten or Trevor had been up for sale at any of the major auction houses, but to no avail so far.
     
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  9. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

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  10. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Is this the same as this book, slightly different title, same author?
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Signal-Cat...y&sprefix=Kabul+catas,aps,151&sr=8-6-fkmrnull
     
  11. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

  12. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Thanks, I might get a copy. I've read a lot of books on the second Afghan War, which is where my main interest lies, but it is always good to read more around the subject. As you said earlier, nothing much has changed for occupiers of the country over the last 170 odd years.
     
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  13. smdarby

    smdarby Well-Known Member

    I believe it's the same Macrory book as I mentioned earlier in the thread. First published in 1966 as "Signale Catastrophe" in the UK and as "The Fierce Pawns" in the US. The addition I have was published in 2002 and is titled "Retreat from Kabul". Best work I could find on the subject. See also "Britain in Afghanistan - The 1st Afghan War" (Forbes), and contemporary accounts "With the Cavalry to Afghanistan" (Taylor) and Lady Sale's Diary (can probably find online somewhere).

    I bought a number of books on the subject a few years ago - it seemed like a good story and I had the idea of writing a movie script. Never got around to writing the script, but I did read the books!
     
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  14. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    thank you for all the info just ordered a copy of the book
     
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  15. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    I just received my copy of Signal Catastrophe this morning. I purchased a 1967 hardback edition and it has some lovely photographic plates and maps. It is now placed third in the queue on my reading list.
     
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  16. Jonathan Ball

    Jonathan Ball It's a way of life.

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  17. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    The first of the Flashman books describes it all very well--which is to say chillingly.
     
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  18. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    That was my first ever Kindle book, and probably one of only a few. Never really took to the thing! Today's purchase has that lovely musty smell and slight foxing to the pages.....
     
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  19. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    So in the end, I couldn't resist photographing all four Afghanistan campaign medals together. One of each over the years. When you look at these and the various dates: 1842,1878-80,1919 and 2001-? it seems that very little has changed in terms of outcome and of course continued British casualties.

    Afghan Wars.jpg
     
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  20. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    This book is so well written. Sometimes with these types of subject matters, the accounts of actions can be a little dry, especially if you need to remember so many indivivdual names from both sides of the divide. Macrory delivers this so well and portrays the sense of impending doom for the British Army of occupation, building the suspense with every chapter.
     
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