Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

The important campaign group to Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Durand Baker, K.C.B., 18th Royal Irish Regiment, commanding 2nd Infantry Brigade of the Kandahar Field Force, later Adjutant-General in India

(a) Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Lieut. T. D. Baker, 18th Royal Irish Regt.) contemporary engraved naming

(b) New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated ‘1863 to 1865’ (Capt. & Bt. Mjr. T. D. Baker, 2nd Bn. 18th Rl. Irish Regt.)

(c) Ashantee 1873-74, 1 clasp, Coomassie (Lt. Col. T. D. Baker, C.B. 18th Rl. Irish)

(d) Afghanistan 1878-80, 3 clasps, Charasia, Kabul, Kandahar (Br. General Sir T. D. Baker, K.C.B. 2nd Inftry. Bde.)

(e) Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880 (Brigadier General T. D. Baker)

(f) India General Service 1854-94, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-87 (Major Genl. Sir. T. D. Baker, Adjt. Genl. in India)

(g) Turkish Crimea, Sardinian issue, unnamed contemporary tailor’s copy

(h) Al Valore Militare, Spedizione D’Oriente 1855 1856, mint mark FG (Lieutt. Thomas Durand Baker, 18th Regt.) the silver medals cleaned and lacquered, contact marks but generally nearly very fine or better and an outstanding combination of medals (8) £6000-8000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Ritchie Collection of H.E.I.C. and British India Medals.

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Collection

Ex Glendining, April 1971, when sold with K.C.B. set and a second Ashantee medal named as ‘Capt. Commander of Armed Police, Cape Coast Castle’.

Thomas Durand Baker, the second son of Reverend John Durand Baker, vicar of Bishop’s Tawton, North Devon, was born at Court of Hill, Shropshire, on 23 March 1837, and was educated at Cheltenham. He was commissioned Ensign by purchase in H.M’s 18th Royal Irish Regiment on 18 August 1854 and joined his regiment in the Crimea, being present at the siege of Sebastopol, where for zeal in the trenches he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Sardinian medal for ‘gallantry displayed at the attack of the cemetery and suburbs of Sebastopol on the 18th of June 1855’.

Following the fall of the fortress on 8 September 1855, he returned with the the Royal Irish to the Curragh as Lieutenant. In November 1857 he embarked with the Royal Irish for service in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny, and took part in the pursuit of Tantia Tope in Central India with the Field Force under Colonel Beatson, though this service did not qualify for a medal. Promoted Captain on 26 October 1858, he attended the Staff College and passed out in 1862. The following year he accompanied the newly raised 2nd Battalion to New Zealand where he served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General to the forces from March 1864 to March 1866.

During the Maori War of 1864-66, he took part in the Waikato and Wanganui campaigns. He served as Assistant Military Secretary to Lieutenant-General Sir Duncan Cameron at the action of Rangiawhia on 20 November 1863, receiving on this occasion one of his many mentions in despatches. Indeed so numerous were Baker’s mentions in New Zealand that the author of The Campaigns and History of the Royal Irish Regiment summed them up by saying he was so constantly mentioned in despatches throughout the war that it is unneccessary to record the fact after each affair in which he was engaged. However, special note might be made of his mention for his conduct at the unsuccessful attack on Orakau on 31 March 1864, when he led one of three assaulting columns - ‘On Captain Ring’s falling, Captain Baker, 18th Royal Irish, Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General, galloped up, dismounted and calling for volunteers, again endeavoured to carry the place by assault’ (London Gazette 14 June1864). For services in New Zealand Baker was promoted Brevet Major.

On 2 October 1873, Baker became Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the expedition to Ashanti and accompanied Sir Garnet Wolseley to the Gold Coast. He served throughout the campaign and was present at the action of Essaman on 14 October, the relief of Abrakrampa in early November, and in the battles of Amoaful on 31 January 1874 and Ordahsu on 4 February. Baker, who performed the additional duties of Chief of Staff, was mentioned in despatches by Wolseley who referred to him as possessing ‘every quality of what is valuable to the staff officer’. He was rewarded for services in West Africa with a C.B. and promotion to the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. On his return to England, he was appointed a Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General on the Staff in London in May 1874, and in November 1875, an Assistant Adjutant-General. In 1877 he was promoted Colonel in the army and was appointed an Aide-de-Camp to the Queen and, later the same year, he was attached to the Russian army then engaged in the Russo-Turkish War.

In November 1878 Baker was posted to India as Military Secretary to the Viceroy, Lord Lytton, and was at Simla when news of the murder of Sir Louis Cavagnari at Kabul was received in September 1879. Sir Frederick Roberts was also at Simla on leave from his division in the Kurram Valley, and before hastening back to Afghanistan, he went to see the Commander-in-Chief and asked him for several ‘tried men’ to fill the higher posts of his command. Lytton’s other Military Secretary, Macpherson, was selected for the command of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the Kabul Field Force, while Baker was given command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the Kabul F.F., comprising, 72nd Highlanders, 5th Gurkhas, 5th Punjab Infantry, 3rd Sikhs and the 23rd Pioneers. On 5 October Roberts reached the village of Charasia, about twelve miles from Kabul, in the Logar Valley with Baker’s brigade. In the afternoon intelligence was brought to him by an escaped native servant of Cavagnari’s. The servant told him that the citizens of Kabul were arming themselves; that Afghan regulars were drawing supplies of ammunition from the city arsenal; and that troops were moving out in his direction. Towards evening groups of men appeared on the skyline above the British camp, indicating that the tribes were also gathering in strength.

Next morning British cavalry patrols advanced into the Sang-i-Nawishta (Carved in Stone) Gorge through which flowed the Logar River, and reported regular Afhgan troops placing guns on the surrounding heights. Macpherson’s brigade was still a march behind, but Roberts realised that ‘the numbers of the enemy were momentarily increasing, so delay would assuredly make matters worse’. Roberts then sent a message to the cavalry to dismount and engage the enemy with carbine fire, and sent them a small reinforcement of three horse artillery guns, a wing of the Gordon Highlanders, 100 Native Infantry, and a squadron of Native cavalry, giving the impression that the main attack was to be delivered in this direction. However, the Afghan position and natural defences were so strong here on the enemy’s left, that Roberts had decided to make the real attack on their right.

Roberts wrote: ‘The men having made a hasty breakfast, I despatched General Baker in this direction, and placing at his disposal two guns, No. 2 Mountain Battery, two Gatling guns, detachment 12th Bengal Cavalry, 72nd Highlanders, 5th Gurkhas (300 rifles), 5th Punjab Infantry (200 rifles), No. 7 Company Sappers and Miners. I entrusted to him the difficult task of dislodging the enemy, while I continued to distract their attention towards the gorge by making a feint to their left. Baker’s little force advanced to the left, the party near the Sang-i-Nawishta Gorge, commanded by Major White, of the 92nd Highlanders, was ordered to threaten the pass and prevent the enemy occupying any portion of the Charasia village, to advance within Artillery range of the enemy’s main position above the gorge, and when the outflanking movement had been thoroughly developed and the enemy were in full retreat, but not before, to push the Cavalry through the gorge and pursue.’

‘At about 11.30 a.m. Baker’s leading troops emerged into the open, and were immediately engaged with a crowd of armed Afghans, supported by a considerable body of Regular troops. The General now sent one company of 72nd, under Captain Hunt, to turn the Afghans off a succession of peaks situated at right angles to the ridge they were occupying on their extreme right. Running along this ridge, and stretching across the Indiki road to the sandhills, the Afghan right wing held a line considerably in advance of their left on the hill above the Sang-i- Nawishta gorge, and one which could not easily be turned, for the peaks the 72nd were sent to occupy were almost inaccessible, and the fire from them swept the slopes up which our troops must advance. These peaks, therefore, formed the key of the position, and their defenders had to be dislodged from them at all hazards before abything else could be attempted. The company of the 72nd with much difficulty fought their way up, and gained a footing on the first peak, where they were obliged to pause, until reinforced by two companies of the 5th Gurkhas under Captain Cook, V.C. [Ritchie 1-112]; when they advanced all together, clearing the enemy from each successive point, while the remainder of the 72nd breasted the hill, and, under cover of the Mountain guns, attacked the position in front. But the enemy were obstinate, and the extremely difficult nature of the ground somewhat checked the gallant Highlanders. Seeing their dilemma Baker despatched two companies of the 5th Gurkhas, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fitzhugh, and 200 men of the 5th Punjab Infantry, under Captain Hall, to their assistance; while the 23rd Pioneers were brought up on the right, in support, and a detachment of the 5th Punjab Infantry, on the left of the line.’

The Afghan commander now began to realise the real point of the attack, and started to reinforce his right, but the 72nd Highlanders, supported by the Gurkhas, could no longer be resisted and with the arrival of Major White and two companies of the 92nd on the enemy’s left, they were driven back to a position 600 yards in their rear. Here they put up a stubborn resistance but were again forced to retreat by Baker’s brigade and a flank attack by two companies of the 92nd under Captain Oxley.

‘Baker now paused to allow of the Infantry’s ammunition being replenished, and then advanced along the righ towards the pass, which he reached in time to help the Cavalry who were engaged with the enemy’s rear guard at the river; the latter were driven off and forced to retreat; but by this time the growing darkness made further pursuit impossible’. That night Baker’s brigade held both ends of the Sang-i-Nawishta defile, and bivouacked there for the night. British casualties at Charasia were remarkably few - eighteen killed and seventy wounded. The Afghans suffered 400 killed and many more wounded, besides the loss of twenty guns.

Following the occupation of Kabul, Baker was sent in November to Maidan on the Kabul Ghazni road where he repulse an attack before returning to the capital. On 8 December he commanded another force between Arhgandeh and Maidan, which co-operating with other columns under Macpherson and Massy tried to entrap the enemy and break up the powerful tribal ‘combination’. The attempt ended in disaster on the 11th with the failure of Massy, and Baker and his column returned to Kabul, where, on 13 December, he was joined by Colonel Noel Money (see Lot 103) in a two pronged attack against the Afghans on the precipitous Takht-i-Shah hill. Next day he attacked the enemy on the Asmai heights, but in the face of superior numbers, was forced with all other British troops into the defensive position at Sherpur. On the 23rd the Afghans attacked, but were completely defeated. Shortly afterwards, Baker led an expedition into Kohistan and destroyed a fortified post.

With the news of the defeat at Maiwand in July 1880, Baker was appointed to the command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade which, as part of Ross’s Infantry Division, made the celebrated Kabul to Kandahar march. On 1 September, Baker’s brigade played a prominent part in the defeat of Ayub Khan at the battle of Kandahar. For services in Afghanistan, Baker was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 16 January, 4 May & 3 December, 1880) and was promoted to a Knight Commander of the Bath.

In March 1881, he was appointed to the command of the base and line of communications in the projected campaign against the Boers in South Africa, but the Government having decided to conclude an armistice, he returned to England in September. On 1 April 1882, he was appointed Deputy Quartermaster-General in Ireland, and on 3 September Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland.

He returned to India as a Major-General in 1884, and two years later served in the Burmese expedition, again being mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 2 September 1887). The command of a division in Bengal followed, and in 1890 he was recalled to fill the post of Quartermaster-General to the Forces at the Horse Guards. After seven months in that important appointment he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant-General, and in June of the following year he received a good service pension.

In 1893 he took leave of absence from the War Office and after a brief illness, was visiting Pau in the south west of France, when he died of dropsy on 9 February. Next day his obituary in the London Times stated: ‘As a soldier Sir Thomas combined the qualities of a dashing, yet prudent, commanding officer with those required in the higher posts of military administration. Whether he had the capacities required for the supreme command of an army in the field is a question on which there may be some difference of opinion, but it must at least be admitted that few Englishmen of the present generation have seen so much active service, and that in all the campaigns in which he took part he acquitted himself with distinction. His name may not be associated with distinction. His name may not be associated with any great military reforms, and may not suggest any great originality or powerful initiation, but he at least performed ably and conscientously the administrative duties intrusted to him. In private life he was a general favourite, though in recent years his naturally genial and hospitable disposition was sometimes overclouded by prolonged fits of depression.’

Refs: Modern English Biography (Boase); Dictionary of National Biography; The Times; Hart’s Army List; The Campaigns and History of the Royal Irish Regiment; WO 25/831/2; WO 25/846/2.