Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second Afghan War C.B. group of three awarded to Major-General J. H. P. Malcolmson, Sind Horse, late Bombay Horse Artillery; he commanded the Sind Horse at the battle of Maiwand and was twice wounded during the War, firstly at Khushk-i-Nakhud (slightly) and secondly at Deh Khoja outside Kandahar (severely)

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1859, maker’s mark ‘WN’ for William Neale, complete with swivel-ring bar suspension and replacement gold ribbon buckle; Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Central India (Lt. J. H. P. Malcolmson, 2nd Tp. H. Bde. Bombay Arty.) fitted with replacement suspension rod; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Col. J. H. P. Malcolmson. C.B. 3rd Sind Horse) minor enamel damage to centres of the first, otherwise better than very fine (3) £5,000-£7,000

Provenance: Baldwin 1964; Dix Noonan Webb, December 2013.

John Henry Porter Malcolmson was born at Ahmedabad, Bombay, on 20 October 1832, son of John Porter Malcolmson, Assistant Surgeon, Bombay Establishment, and Wilmot, his wife. He was nominated to the E.I.C. Military Seminary at Addiscombe by Lieutenant-Colonel Sykes, and joined Addiscombe on 2 August 1847. He passed the Public Examination on 8 June 1849, and was admitted to the service and gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant. He proceeded ‘overland’, via Suez, to Bombay on 20 August and arrived there on 29 September. On 20 October 1849, he was appointed to 2nd Company, 1st Battalion Foot Artillery. From 8 February 1850, he was with 4th Light Field Battery at Ahmednuggur and in 1832 he was appointed to 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion, which was a Golundauze, or Native Battalion. In 1853 he transferred to 3rd Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery, and was promoted to Lieutenant on 29 August 1854. In 1856 he transferred to the 4th Battalion, also a Golundauze Battalion. In May of that year he was sent to Europe on a Sick Certificate, and on returning to India in 1857, he was appointed to 2nd Troop, Bombay Horse Artillery.

During the Mutiny campaign in Central India he served with 2nd Troop and as Acting Brigade Major of Artillery and Adjutant of Bombay Artillery with the Rajputana Field Division under Major-General Sir H. G. Roberts, K.C.B. He was present at the siege and capture of Kotah, 24-30 March 1858, and the pursuit of the garrison under Colonel Owen. On 14 August he was present at the battle of the Bunnass River, where Tantia Topi was defeated, and in the pursuit of the rebels which ended in the cavalry affair at the Khooshani. During this time he acted as Orderly Officer to Brigadier-General Honner, C.B., who, in his despatch, stated that Malcolmson was conspicuous by his forward gallantry and had his charger wounded by sabre cuts. He was promoted to 2nd Captain on 27 August 1858, and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 5 May 1859).

In 1860 Malcolmson was sent to Europe on a Sick Certificate with discharged soldiers. Upon his return he was appointed to 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion. When the E.I.C. Artillery regiments were absorbed into the Royal Artillery in 1863, he was commanding 2/2nd Battalion, now designated 3rd Battery, 21st Brigade R.A. at Belgaum. On 1 September 1863, he transferred to 18th Brigade R.A. (also ex-Bombay Artillery), and on 7 October was admitted to the Bombay Staff Corps. In November 1864 he was appointed Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department, Belgaum. After returning to Europe again on a Medical Certificate in 1868, he was promoted Major and appointed to the P.W.D. at Kulludghee in June 1869. On 19 August 1871, he transferred to the Poona Horse as Officiating Squadron Officer, and on 12 April 1873, he took command of 3rd Sind Horse. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 8 June 1875.

In September 1878, the 3rd Sind Horse was at Jacobabad and was warned for service in Afghanistan, as part of the Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier-General Palliser in the Quetta (or 2nd) Division under Major-General Biddulph. War was declared on 22 November, and the force moved through Pishin to Kandahar, where it arrived on 8 January 1879. On 16 January the 2nd Division was sent to carry out a reconnaissance towards Girisk and the Helmand, which it reached on 2 February. It began to retire on 23 February and Malcolmson was placed in charge of a small force to cover the fords over the river, and then became Divisional rearguard.

On 26 February he was encamped at Khushk-i-Nakhud with his force - detachments of 3rd Sind Horse, 266 sabres, and 29th Bombay N.I., 118 rifles - when the enemy were reported to be advancing to attack his camp. An action developed in which the enemy lost 200 killed out of 1500, and the force lost Major Reynolds (commanding the detachment of 3rd Sind Horse) and 4 men killed, and Malcolmson and 23 men wounded. The following day the general and his staff arrived, and the withdrawal continued until Kandahar was reached on 2 March.

In May 1879, Malcolmson was placed in command of the Pishin Moveable Column, consisting of 3 troops, 3rd Sind Horse, half of No. 2 Mountain Battery, 2nd Sikhs and one company 19th Punjab N.I. The duties of the Column were to guard the lines of communication to India. He was awarded the C.B. on 19 July, and on 7 November was mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette. In January 1880, 3rd Sind Horse was relieved of these duties and in May was at Kandahar with a strength of 5 officers and 391 sabres. On 8 June 1880, Malcolmson was promoted to Colonel.

The 3rd Sind Horse was detailed as part of the force to march under Major-General Burrows to Girishk to try to prevent the mutiny of the troops of Sher Ali Khan, Wali of Kandahar. Brigadier-General Nuttall commanded the cavalry, which moved from Kandahar on 4 July and reached the Helmand River on the 10th, where it was found that the Wali’s troops had joined the army of Ayub Khan. There was an action at Girishk on 15 July, where the mutineers guns were recaptured, and the force then retired on Khushk-i-Nakhud.

On 27 July the disastrous battle of Maiwand was fought, where Ayub’s army of 25,000 overwhelmed Burrows’ force of about 2,500. The cavalry, 3rd Sind Horse and 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry, were divided into small detachments and left exposed to heavy artillery fire, which caused many casualties, particularly among the horses. When finally ordered to charge the enemy, neither regiment went straight, but reared off to the right and retired.

An eyewitness describes the action as follows: ‘Whatever men were still available were in a somewhat irregular formation. There was no time, however, to wait for a well-dressed line and General Nuttall ordered the cavalry to advance and charge, placing himself with his staff in front of the line. The men, instead of advancing straight to their front, inclined to the right and fell on the Ghazis who were attacking the Grenadiers, who were undoubtedly saved by the cavalry charge from heavy loss. After doing this much, the cavalry, retreating and the guns all gone, wheeled about and retired, to the best of my belief without orders. I certainly heard no orders. After wheeling about the cavalry retired steadily’.

In spite of attempts by the officers to rally their men, the troopers would not turn and charge again. The casualties of 3rd Sind Horse were 14 killed and 5 wounded, out of a strength of 4 officers and 207 sabres. 56 horses were also lost. Burrows had given orders that the cavalry was to remain with the guns, but despite Nuttall’s efforts to check them, they pushed on without halting to Ashakan. Colonel Malcolmson, commanding 3rd Sind Horse and Major Currie, commanding 3rd Bombay Light Cavalry, were afterwards placed under arrest on charges of misbehaviour and cowardice on this occasion. Both officers were tried by Court Martial on 21 March 1881, but were found not guilty of all charges and honourably acquitted.

Meanwhile, the various parts of the force made their way to Kandahar and were stationed in defence of the town. On 16 August 1880, the defenders of Kandahar made a sortie against Ayub at Deh Khoja. Malcolmson commanded 100 sabres of the Sind Horse and, when close to General Nuttall, was severely wounded by a gun shot wound to his thigh. The relieving column under Major-General Roberts arrived from Kabul on 31 August and on 9 September a column, which included 3rd Sind Horse, revisited the Maiwand Valley to bury the bodies from the battle. The regiment left Kandahar on 30 October and returned to India, proceeding to Jacobabad after two years in Afghanistan. Malcolmson was mentioned in despatches in the London Gazettes of 15 October, 10 November and 3 December, 1880. Late in the year he took command of the Sind Horse Brigade. Malcolmson continued in his command until he retired on 30 September 1882. On the following day he was granted the honorary rank of Major-General.

Full transcripts of both courts martial accompany the lot and total 100 pages. It was a very acrimonious affair with several witnesses for the defence stating that Nuttall and Burrows were suffering from confusion and anxiety at Maiwand and appeared nonplussed during the retreat to Kandahar. At Deh Khoja, Burrows mistook his own cavalry for that of the enemy and ordered a 40-pounder shrapnel shell to be fired at them.

During the prosecution’s submissions Malcolmson, who defended himself, asked each officer if they had witnessed any of his alleged cowardice in the field, to which each replied in the negative. Malcolmson ended his lengthy opening scathing submission to the court with these words: “I can only say that the future of our soldiers, when under the command of General Burrows, will not be a bright one.”

He married in 1860 at Mortlake Ada Jessie daughter of E. B. Meyer, of East Sheen. They had issue one son, Edward, born in 1862 at Belgaum, and a daughter, Ada, born in 1863 who died shortly after birth. His marriage was dissolved in 1892 due to his wife’s adultery with the respondent Lieut-Colonel H. M. Jackson of H.M. Army.

He was author of “Hints on the working and duties of cavalry when in the Brigade and Division,” Karachi 1873. He lived in retirement for many years and died at Dawlish in Devon on 30 June 1920, in his 88th year. His obituary notice in The Times of 3 July described him as an enthusiastic athlete and sportsman.

Sold with a copied portrait from the collection of the R.A. Institute, Woolwich, and a small water colour portrait.