Abyssinia (battle honour) facts for kids

This medal was given to soldiers who fought in the Abyssinian Campaign of 1868.

Abyssinia is a special award called a battle honour. It was given to parts of the British Indian Army and the British Army. These units took part in a military mission in 1868. Their goal was to free Europeans who were held hostage in Abyssinia. Today, Abyssinia is known as Ethiopia. The ruler who held the hostages was Emperor Tewodros II. The mission was a big success. Because of this, many units from the Bengal and Bombay Armies received this honour. The Madras Sappers also received it.

The Abyssinian Campaign of 1868

Sometimes, small misunderstandings can lead to big problems. This happened between Britain and Ethiopia. In 1864, Emperor Tewodros II imprisoned several Europeans. Most of them were British and German. This included the British Consul, Charles Duncan Cameron. A special team was sent to get them released in 1866. But they also ended up being captured!

To free the prisoners and show that this was not okay, Britain sent a large army. This army came from the Bombay and Bengal Armies in Bombay. They landed near the Red Sea in 1868. The soldiers then marched about 500 kilometers. They built roads and crossed mountains as high as 2,970 meters. Their final goal was to reach the Emperor's fortress at Magdala.

At Magdala, there was a short fight. The Emperor's loyal soldiers fought bravely. Only two British soldiers were wounded and later died. Other British deaths were from disease. Emperor Tewodros II died during the battle. After the prisoners were freed, the army left.

Who Was in the Expeditionary Force?

The Abyssinian mission in 1868 was led by Lieutenant General Sir Robert Napier. He was an engineer officer. At that time, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Presidency Army.

The army was very large. It had about 14,000 soldiers. This included different types of units:

• Cavalry (soldiers on horseback)
• Artillery (soldiers with cannons)
• British infantry (foot soldiers)
• Indian infantry (foot soldiers)

Engineers were also a very important part of the force. They were called Sappers and Miners. They built roads and helped the army move forward. There were seven companies of Sappers and Miners. Four companies were from the Bombay Sappers and Miners. Three companies were from the Madras Sappers. The 10th Company of the Royal Engineers also joined them.

The Military Journey

The journey began on September 16, 1867. A small group sailed from Bombay to check the area. The 3rd and 4th Companies of Bombay Sappers arrived at Zula on October 21. They immediately started building a pier at the beach. They also set up a camp and dug 20 wells. The Sappers worked hard to improve the path to Senafe.

Once the whole army was ready, they started marching inland. The mountains ahead were very high and difficult to cross. The engineers faced huge challenges. For six weeks, the Sappers built a road 10 feet wide. In some places, they had to build it over giant rocks.

The army reached Senafe on January 29, 1868. On February 26, the main army marched from Adigrat. Thanks to the hard work of the 'Pioneer' force, which included the Bombay Sappers, they reached Antalo in March. The journey continued through very dry and tough land. They climbed to altitudes higher than 2,900 meters. Finally, General Napier arrived at Arogye on April 12. This was a plain at the foot of Magdala. The British saw thousands of armed Abyssinians camped around the hills. They also had about 30 cannons.

The Battle of Magdala

The Emperor ordered his soldiers to attack. Thousands of them, mostly armed with spears, charged forward. The 4th Regiment of Foot quickly got ready. They fired at the charging soldiers. When two Indian infantry regiments also started firing, the attack became even more powerful.

Even with heavy losses, the Abyssinian soldiers kept attacking. They lost over 500 men, and thousands more were wounded. Most of this happened very close to the British lines. During the battle, a group from the 33rd Regiment captured some of the Abyssinian cannons. The remaining Abyssinian soldiers then went back to Magdala.

A sentry post at the gate of Magdala fortress.

The next day, the British army attacked Magdala. The fortress was high on a granite mountain. It had only two gates to enter. On April 13, the Engineers led the way. They followed a path along the side of a steep cliff towards one of the gates. When they reached the gate, they had to stop. The engineers had forgotten their explosives and ladders. They were told to go back and get them.

General Staveley did not want any more delays. He ordered the 33rd Regiment to continue the attack. Several officers and men from the 33rd Regiment, along with an engineer officer, went ahead. They climbed the cliff face. They found their way blocked by a thorny hedge over a wall. Private James Bergin, who was very tall, used his bayonet to cut a hole in the hedge. Drummer Michael Magner climbed onto Bergin's shoulders and through the gap. He then pulled Private Bergin up. Ensign Conner and Corporal Murphy helped push from below. Bergin kept firing quickly while Magner pulled more men through the gap.

As more soldiers came through, they fixed their bayonets and moved forward. The defenders pulled back through the second gate. The British rushed the first gate before it could be fully closed. Then they took the second gate, breaking into the fortress. Ensign Wynter climbed onto the top of the second gate. He put the 33rd Regimental Colours (their flag) there. This showed that the fortress had been captured. Private Bergin and Drummer Magner later received the Victoria Cross. This is a very brave award for their actions.

Emperor Tewodros II was found dead inside the second gate. When his death was announced, all fighting stopped. His body was cremated and buried in the church by the priests. Soldiers from the 33rd Regiment guarded the church. However, according to Henry M. Stanley, the church was looted of "an infinite variety of gold, and silver and brass crosses".

The Battle Honour Award

The "Abyssinia" battle honour was officially awarded in 1869. It is still considered a proud award.

Here are some of the Indian units that received this special award:

• 3rd Bombay Cavalry (now Poona Horse)
• 10th Bengal Cavalry (now 4 Horse)
• 25th (Bombay) Mountain Battery
• Madras Sappers & Miners (now Madras Engineer Group)
• Bombay Sappers & Miners (now Bombay Engineer Group)
• 2nd Bombay Infantry (now 2nd Battalion, The Grenadiers)
• 3rd Bombay Infantry (now 1st Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry)
• 10th Bombay Infantry (now 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment)
• 25th Bombay Infantry (now 5th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles)
• 23rd Bengal Infantry (now Sikh Light Infantry)
• 12th Bengal Cavalry (now 5 Horse in Pakistan)
• 27th Bombay Infantry (now 3rd Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment in Pakistan)
• 21st Bengal Infantry (now 10th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment in Pakistan)
• Some units like the 3rd Scinde Horse and 18th Bombay Infantry were later disbanded.

Fictional Stories

The 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia was also written about in a historical fiction book. It was called Flashman on the March by George MacDonald Fraser. This was the last book in his 'Flashman' series.

See Also

• 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia