A Great War ‘Mesopotamia’ C.M.G. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel E. V. Hugo, Indian Medical Service, who distinguished himself throughout the defence of Chakdara Fort, Malakand, in 1897, recognised by some as the ‘Rorke’s Drift’ of the North West Frontier

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s breast badge converted for neck wear, silver-gilt and enamels; India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1894-5 (Surgn. Lieut: E. V. Hugo, I.M.S.); India General Service 1895-1902, 3 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Malakand 1897 (Surgn. Captn. E. V. Hugo, I.M.S., 31st Bl. Infy.) official correction to ‘31st’; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Col. E. V. Hugo, I.M.S.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Col. E. V. Hugo); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Lt-Col. E. V. Hugo, I.M.S.) officially re-impressed naming, the last six mounted as worn, the first with minor enamel chips to both centres and several arms, otherwise good very fine or better (7) £2000-2500

C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1917: ‘For services rendered in connection with military operations in the field in Mesopotamia.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 11 January 1898: Despatch of Major-General Sir Bindon Blood, K.C.B., ‘... I now have great pleasure in stating that Surgeon Captain E. V. Hugo served with distinction throughout the defence [of Chakdara Fort] and in recommending him for favourable consideration accordingly.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 15 August 1917, and 12 January 1920 (Mesopotamia).

Edward Victor Hugo was born on 5 January 1865, at 6 Popes Road, Cork, the son of James Henry Hugo and his wife Marianne. His father was a revenue officer. He qualified as a medical doctor with the degree of M.B. (Honours) from the University of London (1892), a licence to practise medicine from the Royal College of Physicians (1889), a Diploma in Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons (1889) and a licence to practise surgery.

In January 1892 he applied for employment as a Surgeon in the Indian Medical Service, and was duly commissioned as a Surgeon-Lieutenant on 27 July 1892. He first saw active service in the winter of 1894-95 when the Mahsuds attacked the Waziristan Delimitation Commission. Appointed to the 31st Bengal Infantry, he served throughout the Relief of Chitral campaign, attached to one of the several field hospitals.

In 1897 Hugo was serving as Medical Officer to the 31st Bengal Infantry which, in July of that year, formed part of the garrison at Malakand. He was assisted at this time by his younger brother, James Henry Hugo, a Surgeon Lieutenant also attached to the 31st Bengal Infantry who was awarded the D.S.O. for his gallantry at Malakand.

The Malakand position consisted of a small fort, guarding the Malakand Pass; from the pass, the road ran down to a Crater, where were located the camps of the 24th Punjabis, the 45th Sikhs, the Engineer Park and the Commissariat stores. At the crater, the road forked; one branch ran north-west to the North Camp, some 1,300 yards away, the camp of the 31st Punjabis, a cavalry squadron and a mountain battery. The other branch of the road ran north-east to Chakdara and then Chitral. Chakdara, 10 miles north of the Malakand, was the site of the suspension bridge over the Swat River. To guard the bridge there was a small fort, garrisoned by 180 men from the 45th (Rattray’s Sikhs) and four officers, including Surgeon Captain E. V. Hugo.

On the afternoon of 26 July 1897, officers from both the Malakand and Chakdara posts attended a polo match at Khar, a village approximately half way between the two. The villagers were friendly but, as the native grooms attended to the ponies, they were warned to leave quickly as a massive attack was imminent. A local religious leader, the Mulla Mastan (or ‘Mad Mullah’) had assembled a great number of tribesmen from Swat and nearby areas to attack the two posts. At 9.45 pm Lieut. Rattray, commanding the fort at Chakdara, sent a telegram to Malakand to report that huge numbers of tribesmen were advancing on the latter post; the telegraph wire was then cut. Just as the officers at Malakand were discussing this news, a bugle sounded ‘General Alarm’ and the camp came under fire.

Of the ensuing defence of the fort, Michael Barthrop wrote in The Frontier Ablaze: ‘The defence of Chakdura by six British officers and 240 Indian soldiers against up to 14,000 Pathan tribesmen must rank with that other, yet far more famous Victorian military epic, the defence of Rorke’s Drift … Certainly its defenders fought from behind stone walls, with a gun and two Maxims, rather than mealie bags and biscuit boxes. On the other hand, their assailants had far more firearms and were much better shots than the Zulus. Furthermore, Chakdara had to hold out for ten times as long as Rorke’s Drift before relief and, at least towards the end, was outnumbered by certainly twice the numbers facing B Company, 2/24 Foot … Then again, the officers at Rorke’s Drift were supported by their own countrymen whereas those at Chakdara relied upon men of a different race and religion …’

Two officers received the D.S.O. for Chakdara, whilst seven Indians received the Order of Merit; the remaining officer, including Hugo, were mentioned in despatches. Hugo remained with the 31st Bengal Infantry, attached to the Malakand Frontier Force, until the successful conclusion of the campaign.

Promoted to the rank of Major in July 1904, and admitted as a Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in 1906, Hugo was also appointed Professor of Surgery at King Edward’s Medical College, Lahore, and a Member of the Medical Board, India Office. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in July 1912.

During the Great War Hugo served with the Indian Contingent, joining the Meerut and Lahore Divisions in France on 12 January 1915, and witnessed the subsequent attack at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. He was then appointed to the Hospital Ship Gascon for service in the Gallipoli campaign, one of 22 vessels so employed, all painted with large red crosses on their sides. The Gascon was employed off Anzac Cove and from April 1915 to January 1916, she carried more than 8000 sick and wounded from the Gallipoli peninsula.

Hugo then went on to serve in Mesopotamia, where he distinguished himself in difficult conditions, being promoted to acting Colonel, twice mentioned in the despatches of the Commander in Chief, General Marshall, and awarded the Order of St Michael and St George in 1917.

In 1919 Hugo saw service in the Afghanistan campaign, his last active service before his retirement in 1922. Returning to England, he lived at Richmond, Surrey, and died on Christmas Eve, 1951.

Sold with a fine original portrait photograph of the recipient by Elliott and Fry, a postcard photograph of the Hospital Ship Gascon and a comprehensive file of research.