Afghanistan, 1879-80
This battle honour was granted to all regiments which took part in any of the operations during the course of the war in Afghanistan between the years 1878 and 1880.
The Honour is borne on the Guidon of the 8th Hussars.
Detail
The 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars were ordered to India, and thence to the North-West Frontier, on the declaration of war which resulted from Russian interference in the affairs of the Amir Shere Ali and his refusal to receive a British envoy in Kabul.
The expeditions sent into Afghanistan were successful in removing Shere Ali from the throne but the ensuing treachery of his successor and the general unrest of the tribesmen kept the British busy in their flying columns.
The Regiment had their squadrons each attached to different columns and spent most of their time on punitive missions, but the left-wing fought on 17 May 1880 at Shershai against the Shinwarries and in their defeat managed to quieten down that area.
