Ensign W. A. Holcombe, H.M’s 6th Regiment, later Assistant Commissioner, Bengal Staff Corps, and a member of the survey team of whom himself and eighty men were treacherously massacred by a party of Nagas in February 1875

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, North West Frontier (Ensgn. W. A. Holcombe, H.M’s 6th Regt.) nearly extremely fine £1400-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of India General Service Medals 1854-95.

View
Collection

William Alexander Holcombe was born in Pembroke, South Wales, on 14 December 1848. He purchased an Ensigncy in the 6th Foot on 29 November 1867, and embarked for India eight days later. He served in the Hazara campaign of 1868 against the hill tribes and in the subsequent operations in the Black Mountain expedition. Holcombe was promoted to Lieutenant in February 1870, transferred to the Bengal Staff Corps and was posted to Luckimpore as Assistant Commissioner 3rd Grade.

On 2 February 1875, he was a member of a survey team of natives attacked by a party of Nagas when he and eighty men were treacherously killed, and Captain Badgely and fifty others wounded. The full circumstances of the attack are told in the official Proceedings of the Government of India for the Naga Expedition:

‘On the 1st February the party was at Sanua (or Soonooa as it is pronounced), a village south of the Bansang Nagas village. Lieutenant Holcombe wrote me his last letter from this place and said - “We are amongst the most blood-thirsty murderers I think it is possible to imagine just at present;” they marched that day to Nibang Naga village, reaching their camp a little beyond the village which they passed through on their way. Lieutenant Holcombe desired them to be allowed to come, and they came and presented him with a goat, some chillies and yams, and said they would come and visit him in the morning, bringing other presents from the village.

The following morning, that is on the 2nd February, at about half past six o’clock, a number of the Nagas were seen to come out of the village and collect at a spot about 100 to 150 yards from the camp; two Nagas going up to Lieutenant Holcombe, the others all of them with articles such as fowls, yams, pumpkins, &c., for sale entered the lines, and mixed with the crowd of sepoys, followers and coolies; it was noticed with alarm by some of the men that these Nagas all had their daos in their hands, but it apppears Lieutenant Holcombe would allow no objection on such score to their being permitted to approach. One of the two men who went up to Lieutenant Holcombe asked him to show him the rifle a sentry close by had in his hand, Lieutenant Holcombe took it from the sentry and handed it to the Naga to look at; at that moment the other Naga offered Lieutenant Holcombe a gong which he had brought, which Lieutenant Holcombe took and sounded to try it; at this time the other Nagas had dispersed themselves among the crowd in camp. As Lieutenant Holcombe sounded the gong he was struck a blow on the neck by one of the two Nagas who had accosted him, another blow felled him to the ground, simultaneously every Naga seems to have dealt some selected victim a death blow, the camp instantly became a scene of entire confusion. Captain Badgley was fortunately only wounded, and he and all who could do so, seized their arms and opened a fire on the Nagas, who, however, had taken a number of arms and other spoil, and retreated immediately after having accomplished their purpose, which seems to have been to kill as many persons as possible and to cause a panic. No less than 76 persons lay dead on the ground. Lieutenant Holcombe’s head being nearly severed from his body, the Native officer in command of the guard was killed, the Nagas were kept off by fire, the guard rallied, and all who were unhurt set to work to get together the wounded, some portion of the baggage, and it is said all the ammunition which they feared would otherwise fall into the hands of the Nagas.

Captain Badgley brought away poor young Lieutenant Holcombe’s head to prevent its falling into the hands of the Nagas and being paraded in their village, and buried it, as he did also the bodies of two men who died of their wounds in the forest on their way down.’

In consequence of the treacherous attack and massacre of Lieutenant Holcombe’s Survey Party at Ninu on the 2nd February, at the end of the same month a punitive expedition was despatched into the hills. It consisted of detachments of the 42nd and 44th Native Infantry, numbering 308 in all, and was commanded by Colonel J. M. Nuttall. This force subsequently became entitled to the clasp ‘Naga 1879-80’, instituted for the expedition of that date but later extended to include the 1875 expedition. Holcombe, however, was not eligible for the clasp to his medal. Sold with full research.