Top Floor
The Birth of the Regiment
The Green Howards Regiment can trace its history back to 1688, when its founding regiment was raised to fight in the `Glorious Revolution’.
Over the next hundred years the regiment fought wars in Ireland, mainland Europe, America, India and Sri Lanka and spent long periods protecting Britain’s territories overseas.
The regiment was part of an army that was changing rapidly, generating the success on the battlefield that was key to Britain’s rise to a world power.
Luttrell’s Regiment
In 1684 James II became King of England. James was a Catholic and many of his subjects feared that he would make England a Catholic country again.
On the birth of a Catholic heir, Protestant parliamentarians invited the King’s Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William Prince of Orange, to replace James on the throne.
Beginning what became known as the `Glorious Revolution’, William and his troops landed in Devon on the 5th November 1688.
At Exeter he met Somerset landowner Francis Luttrell who offered to raise a regiment of foot soldiers in his cause.
Three days later 400 men left Luttrell’s home at Dunster Castle to fight for William. It is from Luttrell’s regiment that the Green Howards descend.
1. The raising of the regiment at Dunster Castle by Terrance Cuneo
The painting shows Luttrell’s recruits being issued with arms in the courtyard of Dunster Castle, Somerset.
2. Musketeers Bandolier or collar of charges with bullet bag
This ‘collar of charges’ was worn diagonally over the shoulder. This example has 12 wooden flasks which each held sufficient gunpowder for one shot.
3. Plug Bayonet
The plug bayonet was designed to be rammed securely into the muzzle after the musketeer had fired his shots. This bayonet has the ‘blazing star’ mark of John Hathaway, a London cutler.
4. Flintlock musket
This musket was issued on formation of the regiment. The musket bears the carved initials FL (Francis Luttrell) on the stock and barrel.
Erle’s Regiment
William of Orange succeeded in taking the crown from James II but his position was not secure.
To defeat his enemies William needed a larger British army. Erle’s Regiment helped defeat James II army at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. In the Spanish Netherlands – now Belgium they suffered a series of defeats but gained a reputation as a regiment that were skilled and courageous.
5. Colonel of the Regiment, The Right Honourable Thomas Erle
He was described as, ‘a man of very good sense, a hearty lover of his country and of his bottle.’
6. Battle of Malplaquet, 1709
Erle’s Regiment is thought to have been one of the thirteen regiments commanded by Lord Orkney. The position of Orkney’s force can be seen left of the large wooded area. They captured the French position marked A-A, repelled a French counter-attack and stopped the French cavalry counter-charge. This final action decided the outcome of the battle.
How the Regiment became known as the Green Howards
Throughout the late 1600s and early 1700s it was customary for regiments to be named after their Colonel.
In 1744 the Regimental Colonel was the Honourable Charles Howard. On the battlefield in Flanders, Charles Howard’s Regiment was placed alongside another regiment whose Colonel was also named Howard.
To avoid confusion some distinction had to be made. Charles Howard’s regiment wore green facings on their uniform so they became known as the ‘Green Howards’.
The nickname ‘The Green Howards’ stuck and in 1920 became the official title of the regiment.
7. Private soldier by John Pine, 1742
8. Waist belt with infantry short sword and bayonet scabbard
Very few examples of this type of equipment have survived. The drawing shows how the waistbelt would have been worn.
9. Grenadier Company sword, used between 1740-1760
10. Bayonet for Brown Bess
This bayonet was a major technological breakthrough. Unlike the plug bayonet this socket bayonet allowed the musket to be fired when the bayonet was fixed. The bayonet replaced the pike making every foot soldier a musketeer.
19th Foot and a Yorkshire Home
The confusion caused by having regiments named after their colonel ended in 1751 when infantry and cavalry regiments were given numbers. The Green Howards became the 19th of Foot. Army reforms in 1782 led to regiments being linked to a particular county for recruiting purposes. The 19th of Foot was affiliated with the North Riding of Yorkshire and was granted the title ‘The 19th (First Yorkshire North Riding Regiment) of Foot.’ Richmond became the regiment’s home in 1783.
11. Shako plates
These plates were worn on the front of a headdress known as a shako. You can see examples of this type of headdress in this case and the next. They show how the regiment’s name change to the 19th Foot and its affiliation with North Yorkshire were depicted on the uniform of the time.
Long Years of Campaigning
With the major powers driven by dynastic ambition, revolution and empire-building, the later 1700s saw prolonged fighting in Europe.
During Britain’s Seven Year War with France the Green Howards took part, in 1761, in a successful seaborne assault on the island of Belle Isle off the coast of Brittany. In 1755 they were deployed to South Carolina to fight the American revolutionaries. This was a demanding campaign with communications a supplies stretched to their limit. The Green Howards suffered again from the failure to adequately supply the British army when they fought the young French Republic in 1794. Sickness, starvation and intense cold exacted heavy losses as they were forced to retreat in the face of superior forces.
Raids on the French coast at Belle Isle 1761
During the assault on Belle Isle the soldiers of the Grenadier Company of the Green Howards were rowed ashore then clawed their way up the steep rocky cliffs. When they reached the cliff top 300 French soldiers attacked but the company held its ground until reinforcements arrived. The actions of the Grenadiers enabled the French to be pushed back into their main fortress and after a two month siege the French surrendered.
20. Attack on Belle Isle, by Dominic Serres
The Green Howards participated in a successful seaborne assault on the island.
21. Lock and padlock from gate of the Belle Isle Citadel, 1761
When the French surrendered and marched out the Grenadier Company were given the post of honour at the main gate. This was in recognition of the vital part they played in establishing a foothold on the island.
General Samuel Townsend, portrait and full dress coat of 1780s
In 1761 Townsend commanded the Grenadier Company at Belle Isle. This portrait was painted when Townsend was stationed at Gibraltar in 1766. The full dress scarlet and blue coat was worn by Townsend when he was on parade as Inspector of Recruiting between 1784 and 1794. It is the oldest uniform in the museum collection.
American War of Independence 1781-1782
In March 1781 the regiment left Ireland for Charlestown in South Carolina to play its part in the American War of Independence. During the next twelve months it took part in several skirmishes and lost its baggage, including the paymaster’s chest of 720 guineas. After fighting in the last major battle of the war at Eutaw Springs, the regiment left North America for the West Indies.
18. Tricorn hat and Grenadier cap
These bearskin caps were worn to make the Grenadiers look taller and more ferocious. The rest of the regiment wore three-cornered hats.
19. Miniature of an unknown officer about 1780
Flanders 1793-95
Retreating with the Duke of York across Flanders
After the French revolution, France declared war against Britain and invaded the Netherlands. Just back from Jamaica, the Regiment joined an ill-equipped, outnumbered army led by King George III’s son, the Duke of York. They took part in the siege of Ostend and experienced unimaginable suffering as they retreated through Holland in the severest winter of the century.
12. HRH Duke of York’s pistol holders
These holsters were retrieved from under the Duke of York’s horse by his secretary Captain Hewgill of the Coldstream Guards.
13. HRH The Duke of York
Frederick Augustus (1763-1827), Duke of York and Albany, the second and favourite son of King George III. Brave, but inexperienced his British force would lose 20,000 men in two years of fighting.
14. Sergeant Talbot’s horn tumbler from about 1788
15. Brown Bess and sling, about 1795
Affectionately called the ‘Brown Bess’ after the colour of the walnut stock. Prior to this the musket had been painted black.
16. General Colebrook Nesbitt cocked hat
Nesbitt served with the regiment from 1872-1789 and was appointed to Inspector General of Overseas Forces in 1797.
17. Ensign John Bradford, 1808
24 Years of Tropical service in India and Sri Lanka 1796-1820
In 1796 the regiment embarked for service overseas. Under Colonel Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, the Green Howards fought a series of battles in India against French-led local armies. In Sri Lanka they were ordered to `pacify’ the independent Kingdom of Kandy. When the regiment joined the retreat from Kandy they had to leave behind their sick and wounded. They were massacred and Corporal Barnsley was the only survivor.
22. Toddy bottles
These bottles were made from coconut shells and were used to hold a daily ration of raw alcoholic spirit known as toddy. It was issued in the belief that it would prevent the men becoming ill with fever.
23. Major Adam Davie
Davie was Commander of the Kandy garrison at the time of the massacre in 1803.
24. Alexander Scott
Scott joined the regiment in 1818 in Sri Lanka. He remained with the regiment until 1842. The silhouette clearly shows the high collars and silk stocks which were part of the uniform at the time.
25. Button Stick
Carved from an elephants tusk and used by a soldier in the regiment to protect his scarlet tunic while polishing his buttons.
26. Regimental record book kept while stationed in Sri Lanka
This is the original testimony of Corporal Barnsley describing how he survived a massacre at the hands of Kandian soldiers in 1803.
27. Entrée Dish
This dish marked with XIX is the only surviving piece of regimental china used in the Officers’ Mess in Sri Lanka between 1796 and 1820.
28. Town and Lake of Kandy
29. Lieutenant Thomas Tayloe’s tankard
30. Lieutenant Thomas Tayloe’s Grenadier Company Uniform worn in Sri Lanka between 1811 and 1820
This type of uniform is known as levee dress and was worn at special occasions such as visiting royalty.
31. Officer 1819
32. Kandian Spears
33. An Officer of the regiment about 1815
34. Tulwar, knife and dagger taken from the commander of the Kandian army, 1815
35. New Land pattern Brown Bess musket with East India Company markings
36. Shako
Light Company officer’s shako, 1812-1818
Regiments changed to this new form of headdress in 1796. This type was known as the Wellington Shako.
37. Leather and Silk Stocks
Stocks were worn around the neck to encourage ‘military bearing’. Silk stocks were worn by officers, leather by the other ranks.
38. Turban taken from the Commander of the Kandian army
Lieutenant Robert Stansfeld scarlet coatee and blue undress uniform, 1825-1828
The scarlet coatee was worn by Lieutenant Stansfeld when he was on parade or on duty. The blue undress uniform was called an ‘undress frockcoat’ and was worn off duty.
Stansfeld was born in Halifax in 1805 and purchased his commission into the regiment when he was 20 years old. He reached the rank of Captain at 32 and at 67 was a Lieutenant Colonel.
Home and Abroad
The regiment returned from Sri Lanka to England in 1820. Some of the young men in the band and drums who had been born in Sri Lanka had never seen England. Their enthusiasm for English life came to a sudden end when local publicans soaked them with water for kissing their barmaids.
Within a year the regiment was on the move again, first to Ireland and then to the Caribbean, Malta and Canada. Between 1820 and 1851 they would spend just four six month periods at home in England.
39. Shakos
The red and white plume indicates that it was worn by an Officer in the Battalion Company, 1820-1828 and the shako with the green tuft by an officer in the Light Company, 1843-1855.
40. Ensign H J Montgomery Campbell, Light Company, 1839-51
41. Two officers, 1846
42. Ensign Edward William Evans, 1854
43. W M Farqharson-Macdonald, 1841
Defending Britain From Invasion
Militia/Volunteers
With most of the army fighting overseas, additional soldiers were needed to defend Britain from the threat of a French invasion.
Local militia units were created throughout the country. People understood that the militias were required but the enforced method of recruiting was unpopular. In contrast, units who were paid for by local subscription and manned only by volunteers proved very successful. In time these militia and volunteer units would become part of their local regiment and fight alongside them in conflicts throughout the next two centuries.
44. Special Order of the Day, July 1816
This order was issued by Colonel Turner Straubenzee on the disbandment of the 1st Regiment, North York Local Militia and the nine Companies of Loyal Dales Volunteers.
45. 1822 Pattern Officer’s Sword of the Rifle Volunteers
Slightly curved blade with etched decoration.
Captain James Carr
Captain James Carr wore this uniform when he served with the 2nd North York Supplementary Militia. They were formed in Richmond in 1797 to reinforce the existing North York Militia.
The Crimean War 1854 – 1856
The Crimean war was the point at which traditional combat began to be replaced by modern mechanised war. Men marched into battle in columns dressed in scarlet but they would also learn the value of logistics, firepower and trench warfare.
The Green Howards experienced these changes at the battle of Alma and during the siege of Sevastopol.
The invention of the telegraph and photography meant that news now travelled fast. The British public read about the suffering of the soldiers and demanded change. They also learnt about personal acts of bravery.
This interest in the individual soldier led to the introduction of a new medal, the Victoria Cross. Two members of the Regiment, Private Samuel Evans and Private John Lyons would be among the first to be given this highest award.
War against Russia on the Crimean peninsula
Throughout the 1800s, the Russian Empire was seen as a threat to British-ruled India. When the Russian army moved into Turkish land in southern Europe both Britain and France declared war.
In 1854 an Anglo-French force was sent to help Turkey repel Russian troops. Their objective was to destroy the Russian naval base of Sevastopol.
The Battle of the Alma
Between the allies and Sevastopol was the river Alma. The Russians decided to defend their port in from the hills above the river. On the afternoon of the 20th September 1854 the Regiment was among the British forces that crossed the Alma and surged uphill to capture the fortification which the British had nicknamed the Great Redoubt.
The Green Howards were among the small force that held off a Russian counterattack. Their determination contributed to the retreat of the Russians to Sevastopol and the regiment was awarded the battle honour of Alma.
1. Regiment leaving for the Crimea from the Tower of London
2. Panorama of the Battle of the Alma
3. Advance of the Guards, the storming of the Great Redoubt
4. Russian greatcoat
This is one of two coats taken from captured Russian soldiers at the Battle of the Alma that were then worn during the Crimean winter by Captain Lidwell and Lieutenant Clay.
5. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Warden’s sword
The sword was used by Warden when he commanded the Light Company at the Battle of Alma. Warden was severely wounded during the battle but was successfully treated by the regimental surgeons and two months later took part in the Battle of Inkerman.
6. Russian 1844 percussion musket
This example is one of two picked up at the Battle of the Alma on 20th September 1854.
7. Russian drums and drum head
Drums were attractive trophies for the Green Howard soldier as taking them proved they had defeated the Russian army.
8. Dispatch bag
This leather bag contained the dispatches of the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Raglan, on the victory at the Battle of Alma. It was carried to London by his Aide-de-Camp, Lord Burghersh.
9. Russian horse artillery officer’s cartridge pouch
10. Glass bottle
Found at the site of the Battle of Alma.
11. Inkwell
Decorated with scenes from the Battle of Alma.
12. French Claude Minié 1851 pattern bayonet
This type of bayonet was used by the Green Howards during the Battle of the Alma.
13. Bullet heads
Issued during the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny.
14. Two rounds of .702 inch calibre ammunition
Issued to the Regiment for use in the 1851 pattern Minié Rifle during the Crimean War.
Russian drum
Six drums from the Vladimir and Minsk Regiments and one from the Borodino Regiment were picked up after the Battle of Alma by members of the regiment. Today, five are held by the Yorkshire Regiment and are often paraded on Alma Day on 20th September. Laurel leaves are placed around them to remind members of the regiment of the officers and men who lost their lives.
The remaining drum and the top of another drum are displayed here. All have the brass Russian imperial two-headed eagle on them, symbolising domination of the east and the west.
Superior Weapons
British soldiers were issued with the Minié Rifle in 1854. This was an accurate and hard hitting weapon firing a .702 calibre bullet. Grooves inside the barrel made the bullet spin to give much greater accuracy for up to 900 metres.
In contrast, the Russians were issued with a less accurate and much older weapon. The calibre varied from .700 and .720 and was only really effective at 100-200 metres.
Preposterous Dress
‘Cruel and preposterous dress’
This was the Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie’s view of the uniforms worn by the British army in the early 1850s. Nothing had changed for the Crimean campaign. The uniforms were woefully inadequate for dealing with the freezing winter conditions and impractical for battle.
The Shako had a peak at the back which tipped the whole hat forward and made it difficult to see. The leather neck stocks also restricted movement. Officers’ coatees with their braid and wings were not ideal for fighting and many choose to wear their shell jackets in battle.
Lessons were learnt. The Shako was replaced by a soft ‘pork pie’ cap known as the Kilmarnock bonnet and by the end of the war officers and men were wearing long loose fitting tunics.
15. Officer’s ‘Albert’ Shako
This stiff beaver-skin hat was designed by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, and was introduced in December 1843. This example has the white and red wool tuft of a Battalion Company officer.
16. Officer’s shell jacket
This type of jacket was often worn in action instead of the long-tailed coatee. There were many variations of the shell jacket and officers altered them to meet their personal needs.
17. Stocks
At the start of the campaign the men were ordered not to wear their stocks. Luckily for Private Collis he never received this order as it saved his life. A bullet which should have injured him in the neck instead became lodged between his stock and the collar of his coatee during the Battle of Alma.
The siege of Sevastopol
The long winter blockade of Sevastopol would kill more men than any Crimean battle.
The besieging troops spent three nights out of four on trench duty, frequently under fire, interspersed with attempts to break through the Russian defences. The men ran short of rations, winter clothes, tents, medical supplies and fuel for cooking. Poorly clothed and lacking food and shelter, they soon succumbed to diseases, such as cholera and dysentery.
18. The 19th Regiment March on the Redan by Orlando Norie
19. Russian heel irons
These metal crampons were tied onto the boots of Russian soldiers to help them repair the steep sides of the parapet of the Great Redan at Sevastopol.
20. Black bottle
This bottle was dug up in 2003, close to where the regiment pitched their bell tents at Sevastopol. It probably held porter, a popular dark beer in Victorian Britain and for the soldiers during the Crimean War.
21. Drum Major’s sash
Worn by Drum Major Hunt during the Crimea.
22. Sword belonging to Captain H F Massy
Captain Massy commanded the Grenadier Company during the Siege of Sevastopol until he contracted cholera. He was replaced by his seventeen-year-old cousin Lieutenant W G D Massy who became a celebrated hero for his bravery during the attack on the Great Redan.
23. Pioneer’s sawback sword
This sword was used by regimental pioneers to construct defences, build military accommodation, cut down trees and make paths for troops. It was also a formidable weapon.
24. Russian grape shot balls
This shot was recovered from Sevastopol.
25. Russian helmet
Russian helmet worn by a member of their garrison artillery brigade. It is extremely rare as this type of helmet was only issued as existing stocks wore out.
26. Russian infantry helmet plates
27. Russian officer’s epaulettes
Heroes Recognised
Newspaper reports from the Crimea ensured that individual acts of bravery were widely reported. The public demanded that these brave actions should be recognised. In 1856 a new medal for gallantry called the Victoria Cross was introduced. The Victoria Cross remains the highest award for gallantry that any serviceman can achieve.
Green Howards Private Samuel Evans and Private John Lyons were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions during the Crimea. Evans was awarded his Victoria Cross for volunteering to go into an embrasure – an opening for firing – which had been heavily damaged by Russian guns. Despite heavy enemy fire he remained in position so that repairs could be carried out. Lyons picked up a live shell which had fallen into the trenches and threw it over the parapet. His action saved the lives of at least 20 men.
Victoria Cross
28. Private Samuel Evans paybook
29. Photograph of Corporal John Lyons
30. Statue of Private Samuel Evans scaling the redan
The Regiment’s Companies
During the Crimea the regiment consisted of eight companies. When formed in line the Light Company was positioned on the extreme left and the Grenadier Company on the right. The six Battalion Companies formed the centre of the line.
The uniforms of officers and men serving with the Light, Grenadier and Battalion Companies had distinctive features such as the colour of the tuff on the top of their Shakos. Light and Grenadier Company coatees also had wings or epaulettes at each shoulder indicating their position at the flank of the line.
Uniforms of the Crimea
Rare survivor of the Crimean campaign
This is the uniform and equipment worn by a Private soldier and the only example in existence today.
The equipment includes a wooden water bottle, square Trotter knapsack decorated with the number 19 and D-shaped mess-tin in a waterproof cover. The knapsack would have contained rations for three days – 4 ½ lbs of cooked salt meat and hard biscuit.
31. Coatee worn by an officer in the Light Company
The Light Company were trained to skirmish ahead of the regiment, finding and engaging the enemy. The whistle on the cross belt was used to call forward the skirmishers. The emblem of the Light Company was the curved hunting horn, worn on their gold braided epaulettes.
32. Private’s uniform with field equipment
33. Coatee worn by soldiers of the Grenadier or Light Company
This coatee was preserved as an approved pattern at the Army Clothing Factory in Pimlico, so is in pristine condition.
34. Undress cap worn by the Colonel of the regiment
Lieutenant Leonard Douglas Hay Currie
35. Lieutenant Leonard Douglas Hay Currie about 1850
36. Captain Leonard Douglas Hay Currie’s campaign bed, dressing case and document bag
These items were all used by Currie on campaign during the Crimean War and later the American Civil War.
Equipment belonging to Colonel Leonard Douglas H Currie
Currie joined the regiment in 1849 and went out to the Crimea in 1854. He was wounded at the Battle of Alma and spent a short time at Scutari Hospital. Unfortunately the wound in his upper thigh did not heal and he was sent back to England in 1855.
Currie sold his commission in 1861 and emigrated to North America. He arrived just as the American Civil War was beginning and quickly joined the Union Army.
He became a Colonel commanding the 133rd New York State Volunteers and fought throughout the war.
Russia withdraws from Sevastopol
By spring conditions were improving and after nine months preparation, the Allies mounted their assault against the fortifications that protected Sevastopol.
They were thrown back with heavy casualties. Three months later they attacked again and captured the fortification but were forced out by a Russian counterattack. Although the Russians beat the allies back, they knew that they could not fight on and so they quietly and efficiently evacuated the city that night. The war drifted on for a further nine months to an inconclusive end in June 1856.
Defending the Empire
A year after the Crimean war the regiment moved to India. For the next 41 years they were engaged in extending, protecting or consolidating the British Empire.
The Green Howards would be posted to India, Bermuda, Canada, Egypt and Cyprus and see action in Sudan and the mountainous regions of India’s North West Frontier. The motives and values which drove the Empire were those of a different era, but it is hard not to admire the courage and leadership of the men who soldiered thousands of miles from home. They operated in the harshest conditions, battling disease and an often unpredictable enemy.
New Uniforms
1. Quartermaster’s cocked hat, 1870
2. Lieutenant P D Vigors’ frock coat, 1860
This ‘undress’ uniform was worn for ordinary duties. The frock coat was introduced in 1855. It was worn with a blue forage cap.
3. Lieutenant Colonel J H Kirke’s braided patrol jacket
The jacket was introduced in 1867 to replace the frock coat.
4. Officer’s shako, 1856-1860
This style of was introduced after the Crimean war and is based on the shako worn by the French army. In 1858 the Grenadiers and Light Company were discontinued and from this time officers and men all wore red and white ball tufts on their shakos.
5. Officer’s shako, 1861-1869
Made of cork and covered in blue cloth, it also has a ventilation hole at the back decorated with a bronze lion’s head. In battle the men wore either white helmets or forage caps.
India: The Black Mountain Expedition
By 1868 Britain’s control of India was well established but it struggled to maintain order over the North West Frontier between British India and Afghanistan.
In July 1868 a police post and 21 villages were attacked by Pathan tribesmen. The Green Howards were among the 10,000 strong force sent to impose order. Early on the 5th October 4,000 enemy fighters were observed on the slopes of the Black Mountain.
They were a formidable sight, beating drums, waving flags and brandishing swords but the force’s rifles and artillery ensured a swift retreat. Four days later peace was declared. It had been the regiment’s first experience of mountain warfare on the North West Frontier. It would not be their last.
The Black Mountain Expedition
6. Jezail used by tribes of the North West Frontier and Afghan border
These long and heavy muskets were often fitted with a forked rest to make them easier to fire.
7. Lieutenant J W R Parker’s Prismatic Compass
Parker took part in the Sudan Campaign and the war in South Africa. He was also instrumental in the creation of the regiment’s monthly magazine – The Green Howards’ Gazette which he edited between 1893 and 1896. His portrait can be seen in the Normanby Room.
8. Enfield pattern .577 inch Snider breech-loading short rifle
Further Developments In Uniform
9. Major L H Levin’s full dress uniform, with shako, 1869-1879
This type of uniform was reserved for parade and more formal occasions.
10. Lieutenant Colonel J H Eden’s full dress uniform, 1881-1899
Eden served during the Sudan campaign and was present at the Battle of Ginnis in 1885.
11. Officers’ and Other Ranks’ shakos, 1869-1878
Issued from the 1st June 1869, these were the last shakos influenced by French designs.
12. Other Ranks Glengarry hat introduced in 1872
The design reflected contemporary enthusiasm for Scottish dress.
13. Lieutenant Colonel J H Eden’s forage cap, 1878-1882
14. Officer’s undress Glengarry cap, 1880
15. Officers Glengarry 1880-1894
16. Officer’s full dress helmet, 1881-1901
The victory of the Prussians in the war of 1870-1871 inspired a change from the French style shakos to spiked helmets.
17. Private in marching order and officer in full dress, 1881 by Richard Simkin
18. Officer’s undress forage cap, 1882-1902
19. Officer’s ‘Torin pattern’ forage cap
Worn on active service, 1885-1895.
20. Other Ranks’ ‘field’ forage cap, worn on active service, 1894-1902
21. Officers in full dress and patrol jacket, 1880 by Richard Simkin
Egypt and Sudan
In the summer of 1884 a relief force was sent to Sudan to rescue General Gordon and his soldiers, who were besieged at Khartoum. The force arrived 48 hours too late.
The city had fallen and Gordon had been killed by followers of Muhammad Ahmad, who believed himself to be the Mahdi, the redeemer of Islam. A year later these Mahdists, known to the British as Dervishes, planned an assault on Egypt. The Green Howards were part of the British force that fought the Mahdists near the village of Ginnis. In preparation for the battle they were ordered to remove their khaki uniforms and put on their scarlet tunics. The aim was to frighten the enemy but it was the superior firepower, which included the new Gatling machine gun, which gave the British force a decisive victory.
22. Stanford’s war map of the Sudan, 1885
23. Officer, Egypt 1885
24. Plan of the battle of Ginnis by Major M L Ferrar, 30th December 1885
25. Items collected by Major M L Ferrar from the Mahdist camp after the Battle of Ginnis
They include a message in Arabic, a pair of slippers, and tongs used for lifting hot coals out of the fire to light a pipe.
26. Shackles
These were used to secure prisoners after the Battle of Ginnis.
27. A mile post from Haifa Akasha railway on the Nile
The sign has been damaged by gunfire
28. Pith helmet worn by Major J A Fearon during the Battle of Ginnis
29. Officer’s patrol jacket worn by Captain R H Dawson, 1881-1899
30. Mahdist jibba – cotton tunic smock
These cotton tunics were worn by Mahdist soldiers. They were decorated with red and blue patches to symbolise their rejection of worldly possessions.
31. Sudanese sword
32. A Mahdist dagger with a leather belt
33. British Martini-Henry Rifle 1870-1890
34. Mahdist throwing spear
This has a hammerhead blade. It would have had a weight at the opposite end to the blade.
35. Mahdist spears and spearheads
36. Medical Kit belonging to Captain Ronald D’Arcy Fife
India: North West Frontier
In 1877 the 2nd Battalion was sent to the Tirah region of the North West Frontier.
A rising of tribesmen had taken control of British territory and endangered the security of the frontier. The regiment formed part of the Tirah expeditionary force which engaged in a running battle with Afridi and Orakzai tribesmen. Every mile was fought over as the British advanced through the mountain passes into Tirah. As winter approached the British withdrew.
They had shown that they could reach into the heart of Tirah and destroy crops and villages but they had not won the war. The tribesmen remained fiercely independent and the area has continued to be a source of conflict to the present day
37. Map of Tirah
Used by Major C A Hosford throughout the North West Frontier campaign.
38. Silver match box
Used by Colour Sergeant R Oates.
39. Report on the number of enemy killed in relation to the number of rounds fired
40. Koran taken from a tribesman during the campaign
41. A binoculars case with a compass fitted to the lid
42. North West Frontier tribesman’s short swords
43. A Hazara tribesman’s sword
44. Khyber Knife
Used by the Afridi, this sharp knife with a curved ivory handle was notorious among generations of British soldiers. The hooked pommel gave a lightning fast draw from the wooden scabbard. The heavy backed T-section blade is tapered to a needle point with an exceptionally sharp edge.
45. Afridi dagger
Soldiers of the British Raj
46. Officer’s No 3 Dress Uniform
This uniform was specifically designed for hot weather and was worn in India between 1887 and 1900.
47. Roorkee Chair used in India about 1900
Highly portable, lightweight and extremely comfortable, it was used throughout the British Empire.
War in South Africa
In the South African War, also known as the Boer War, the British Army was forced to adopt new tactics to fight a well-equipped and highly mobile enemy. For the first time the Green Howards fought alongside volunteers and were part of an army that included men recruited from across the British Empire.
The Boer Republics
Britain’s ambition to control southern Africa was threatened by the independent Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, founded by the Afrikaans-speaking voortrekkers of Dutch heritage.
When Britain began to manoeuvre for control of the Republics the Boers used their gold and diamond wealth to stockpile weapons and then invade the British colonies of Natal and the Cape. By mid-October 1899 the Boer Republics and Britain were at war.
1. Horse shoe
Made from the railing at Paardekraat monument in Krugersdorp. It was on this site in 1880 that 6,000 people pledged to fight the British annexation of the Transvaal Republic. To mark their commitment a stone cairn was constructed but during the Boer War the monument was destroyed on the orders of Lord Roberts.
2. Plaque
President Marthinus Steyn of the Orange Free State lived for a while in a railway carriage which provided him with a mobile seat of government. This wooden plaque is from his special railway carriage.
3. Orange Free State flag
Removed from the Parliament Building, Bloemfontein, 14th March 1900.
British Army
4. Binoculars
Four field glasses per company were sent out from England. They were purchased from funds raised through The Yorkshire Post. The Dowager Duchess of Northumberland contributed £20 and Lord Zetland gave £10 10s.
5. Bible
Soldier’s New Testement. In the introduction Field Marshall Lord Garnett Wolesley (Commander in Chief of the British Army during the first year of the Boer War) states ‘In my opinion, there could be nothing more suitable for the spiritual comfort of a soldier on active service than this Testament. The size permits him to always carry it in his khaki jacket pocket, and each soldier who possesses a copy will have something of far greater value to him than the proverbial Marshal’s baton.’
6. Piece of khaki cloth
These pieces of khaki (a Pushtun word meaning dusty) cloth with a printed message were provided for men to send home with a personal note.
7. Slouch hat
This type of hat had been worn by several units prior to the Boer War but it was during the South African conflict that it grew in popularity.
8. Pith helmet
Those worn by the regiment had a scarlet square helmet patch with the word ‘York’ in white.
9. Bugles
Carried by the Drummers of the 1st Battalion. Despite technological advances like telegraph and heliograph, fife, bugle and drum still played an important in battlefield communications.
10. Junior officer’s sword
All British Officers took their swords to South Africa but they were put into storage on arrival. Officers were issued with rifles to make them indistinguishable from their soldiers to the Boer sharp shooters.
11. Sword
Victorian 1822 pattern sword belonging to Captain Ernest V L Wardle DSO. Wardle was born in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire and joined the regiment in 1897 aged 19. He served throughout the Boer war in South Africa and was both Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He served as a recruiting officer throughout the First World War and was killed in a motor car accident in 1931.
Boer Army
The Boer Republic relied on the mobilization of every man between sixteen and sixty. There was no uniform, no salary and no formal training. Each man provided his own horse, saddle and bridle; a rifle, plus thirty rounds of ammunition; and enough food for eight days.
The Boer army was split into commandos of between 500 and 2,000 men usually from the same area. Their commanding officers were usually elected by members of the commando, and all officers, regardless of rank, had an equal say in war councils.
12. Slouch hat – worn by Boer army
13. Bandolier – worn by 1st Boer Scout Regiment
This pattern of cartridge belt was the most common of those used by the Boers. It was equipped with nine pouches, each of which held a clip of five Mauser cartridges. The Boers often buckled two belts together. In this combination it was possible to carry 180 rounds.
Weapons and Tactics
In South Africa the British Army were fighting an enemy armed with the latest European weapons. British equipment, firearms, supplies and tactics would all be found to be inadequate. As Rudyard Kipling remarked, the Boer War taught the British, ‘no end of a lesson.’
14. Model 93 Mauser rifle
Used during the Boer War. The users initials are engraved on the butt. The Boers tended to be particularly proud marksmen and so it is a common feature for them to personalise their weapons.
15. Enfield rifle with sling
At the beginning of 1899, the Green Howards carried the bolt action .303 Lee-Metford Mk.1 rifle. In May 1899 the .303 Lee-Enfield Mk.1 was introduced. This had rifling better suited to high velocity firing. Neither weapon was considered a success and neither was a match for the smokeless Mauser rifles used by the Boers.
16. Bullet mould
Taken from Boer laager at Klip Drift, 15th February 1900.
17. British Maxim Gun Shells
Used in the one-pounder quick-firing Maxim gun known by the troops as the ‘twelve-a-penny’ or ‘pom-pom’ because of the noise they made when fired.
18. Clip of five British bullets
19. Powder holder
Used by the Boers.
20. Shrapnel
21. Rifle butt with indentation caused by a bullet.
The rifle belonged to Colour Sergeant Frank Roberts who was killed in the Green Howard’s first engagement in the Boer War at Slingersfontein on the 15th January 1900.
Supplies
22. Food tins
Found on the battle site above Slingersfontein Farm.
23. Emergency ration tin
This consisted of a meat ‘dinner’ in one end and cocoa in the other. It was designed to sustain a soldier for 36 hours while on active service.
Victory at Paardeberg
The 1st Battalion of the Green Howards arrived at Cape Town on the 15th December 1899. They joined the British force sent to capture Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
As they marched towards Bloemfontein news arrived that the Boer commander General Cronje was camped across the Modder river near Paardeberg. At 9am on the 18th February the Green Howards were ordered to advance to the river and attack the Boers. There was no cover for these troops, as they attacked across open ground many were killed. Others lay wounded in the heat of the day crying out for water. Sergeant Alfred Atkinson was awarded the Victoria Cross for risking his life fetching water for the wounded.
It would take 9 days to force General Cronje to surrender but Paardeberg was the first major British victory of the war.
24. Saddle and bridle
Belonging to General Piet Cronje. Taken at his surrender at Paardeberg, 27th February 1900.
25. Boer Medical Pannier
This essential kit was covered in lion skin and contained various medicine bottles. It was taken from General Piet Cronje’s wagon after the Battle of Paardeberg.
26. A Boer Sash
In the Republican colours found in the effects of General Piet Cronje.
Cronje’s Surrender
In February 1900 General Piet Cronje decided to retreat eastwards across the open veldt in an attempt to block the expected British advance on Bloemfontein. His failure to keep moving and instead halt at Paardeberg was his undoing.
After nine days of bombardment Cronje, together with 4,069 Boers surrendered. It was to be the turning point in of the war.
Empire
In 1899 Queen Victoria decided to send a gift of tin boxes of chocolate to her troops serving in South Africa. It was intended that every soldier and officer should get a box, the manufacture of which was personally funded by the Queen.
J S Fry and Sons, Cadbury Bros. Ltd and Rowntree & Co Ltd produced 123,000 tins by the end of 1900. The tins had rounded corners for ease of storage in a soldier’s knapsack and each contained half a pound of vanilla chocolate.
The Empire Celebrated
27. Handkerchief, ‘The Absent-Minded Beggar’, about 1901
This cotton handkerchief is decorated with Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem ‘The Absent minded beggar’ which appeared in an 1899 ‘Daily Mail’ supplement. The poem was written to help raise money for the dependents of soldiers fighting in the Boer War. The fund, known as the ‘Absent Minded Beggar Relief Corps’, eventually raised about £250,000.
Prior to embarkation the Regiment’s 3rd Militia Battalion enjoyed large mugs of tea, coffee with cake paid for by this fund.
28. Commemorative plate
Made of pressed glass marking the capture of Pretoria on the 5th June 1900. The great public interest in the war meant that there was a great demand for memorabilia. Plates were amongst the most popular and affordable souvenirs.
29. Queen Victoria chocolate box tins
Literacy
The Education Act of 1870 led to improvements in literacy. In 1841 only 63.3% of adults were literate but by 1900 this had dramatically increased to 92.2%. This meant that for the first time most men were able to write letters home describing their experiences.
Improvements in literacy also meant more people were able to read newspapers. 58 journalists, including the young Winston Churchill accompanied the British army to South Africa.
Writing Home
30. Christmas card
Made of an old piece of uniform by Lance Corporal Smith for his sister.
31. Letter
Sent by William H Green from Rhenoster, 14th March 1901. The letter describes his experiences of the war including a train journey to Bloemfontein sleeping on a 22 kilos (50lb) bag of sugar and a Chaplain that drank too much whiskey.
32. Christmas card 1900
Printed in South Africa so that soldiers from the 1st Battalion could send a card home for Christmas.
Guerrilla War
By June 1900, British troops were marching into Pretoria and the war appeared to be over. However many Boers fought on, adopting guerrilla warfare techniques of sabotaging railways and ambushing supply columns. The 1st Battalion, supported by Volunteers, guarded blockhouses built to protect the railways from attack. It was hot and boring work and many were envious of their Green Howard colleagues serving with the Mounted Infantry. These men were constantly on the move riding for up to 12 hours a day in pursuit of the Boers.
In May 1902 the Boers finally accepted peace terms. The war in South Africa had taught the British army vital lessons which would lead to major army reforms. The Green Howards returned to England with new military skills that would be vital in the World War that was to come.
General Christiaan de Wet was a master of guerrilla war. His ability to appear from nowhere, attack, and then disappear into the veldt earned him the reputation of a magician.
The British response to guerrilla warfare was a ‘scorched earth policy’ in which farmsteads were burnt, livestock killed, crops burnt and civilians imprisoned in concentration camps.
De Wet’s own farmhouse was burnt and his possessions either burnt or taken as souvenirs. His dining table was acquired by the regiment’s 3rd Militia Battalion and at the end of the war was shipped back to the depot at Richmond.
33. Dining Table
Taken from General Christiaan De Wet’s farmhouse.
34. Bell
From Spring railway station which was guarded for several months by A Company, 1st Battalion.
35. Signalling Lamp
Used by the 1st Battalion in 1902 to signal between blockhouses guarding the main railway line.
36. Pipe and tin of tobacco
The pipe was carved by a prisoner and given to Captain F Taylor during the Boer War.
37. Bandolier
This leather belt was used for holding ammunition by the Mounted Infantry. It was worn slung over the chest or around the horse’s neck on the long treks across the veldt.
38. Bandolier
Worn by the regiment’s Volunteers.
39. Horse shoe case with sword frog
Used by a member of the Mounted Infantry.
40. Side saddle canteen
Containing a tin and the base of a flask. It belonged to Sergeant M Brown.
41. Spurs
Mounted Infantry
On arrival in South Africa 6 officers and 60 men were selected to form a Company in a Mounted Infantry battalion. They rode hardy ponies, many from Argentina, and were mobile enough to harass the Boers. They came into their own in 1901, when the Boer Army turned to Guerrilla warfare. For a further eighteen months they pursued the Boers who were blowing up railways and attacking supply columns.
Colonel J W Lodge
by Rowland Henry Hill, 1917
In 1900 John Lodge volunteered to serve in South Africa. His return to the Yorkshire Dales, after two years of service, was vividly described in the parish church magazine,
“A large and enthusiastic crown met him at the station, the West Burton Band playing appropriate airs. After much hand shaking and cheering, Mr Tomlinson in an admirable speech welcomed Colonel Lodge back to Wensleydale… After Colonel Lodge replied, giving a most interesting sketch of what he had had to do in South Africa, the band headed the procession from the station, Colonel Lodge riding in a wagonette with his sisters.”
Aysgarth parish magazine, June 1902.