Afghanistan, 1839-42

Between 1839 and 1842, British imperial forces fought a bitter war in Afghanistan. Initially successful, the campaign ended with Britain withdrawing from the country having suffered one of the worst military disasters of the 19th century.

The Honour is borne on the Guidon of the 4th Hussars.

Detail

In 1839 the Regiment joined the ill-fated Army of the Indus raised for the First Afghan War. “The soldiers traversed sterile plains, desert regions and lofty mountains, suffering from a scarcity of water and exposed to the attacks of the predatory tribes of Beloochea.” They crossed the Bolan Pass into Afghanistan and, after a brief engagement at Ghuznee, entered Kabul in July 1839.

The Regiment returned to India in September of that year, thereby avoiding the disastrous retreat of 1842.