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Albrow Website: William Dobbs (398) 2nd Battalion, The Rifle
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that you may have on our William. He served
in the 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigad and served at the time of
The Indian (Sepoy*) Mutiny. |
William
Dobbs The Rifle Brigade In Aug 1857, The Battalion was sent to India to assist in dealing with The Indian Mutiny, also known as TheSepoy Mutiny. They arrived at Calcutta and served under Windham at Cawnpore and at the second relief of Lucknow and the siege and capture of the city, under Sir Colin Campbell. The battalion was employed in the subsequent operations in Oude and the Trans-Gogra. The battalion returned to England in 1867. The
Indian Mutiny Medal Roll (British Forces) 1857-1859 The Rifle Brigade wore distinctive green uniforms which afforded them protection as an early form of camoflage as they served in a forward location on the battlefield. Their hats were forage caps with a green, horsehair tuft at the front. Each man was armed with a precision rifle - by the mid 19th century this was the short Enfield rifle - and a flat-bladed sword, in lieu of a bayonet.. The members were all marksmen and were graded into three levels of skill. The regiment
operated in somewhat different ways to the Army in general In 1862 the Brigade was granted the title "The Prince Consort's Own" in honour of HRH Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, the Rifle Brigade's former Colonel-in-Chief. It is now part of The Royal Greenjackets. |
Soldiers of the Rifle Brigade (1856, from Cope's History of the Rifle Brigade)
Click this link to see the very informative entry in Wikipedia - The Rifle Brigade |
Campaign: Indian Mutiny 1857-58. Date Instituted: 1858. Also known as The Sepoy Mutiny Description: The obverse (top image) bears the diademed head of Queen Victoria with the inscription ‘VICTORIA REGINA’. The reverse (lower image) depicts Britannia holding a shield covered with a Union Jack over her left arm while holding a wreath in her outstretched right hand. Behind her is a lion with the word ‘INDIA’ above and the dates ‘1857-1858’ in the exergue below. The designer’s name L. C. Wyon can be seen next to Britannia’s left foot. The ribbon is attached by an ornate horn shaped swivelling suspender sweated to the medal. Metal: Silver. Size: 36mm. Clasps: ‘DELHI’, ‘DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW’, ‘RELIEF OF LUCKNOW’, ‘LUCKNOW’ and ‘CENTRAL INDIA’. Naming: Naming is generally impressed in the style of the Military General Service Medal, however engraved running script or irregularly aligned impressed letters are encountered for native troops. Privates often have their rank omitted with just their name and regiment. Comments: This was the last of the Honourable East India Company's medals issued on behalf of the British Government |
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Audio link - origins of The Indian Mutiny - William Dalrymple on Bahadur Shah II of India * Sepoy: A sepoy (from Persian Sipâhi meaning "soldier") was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power, usually the United Kingdom. Specifically, it was the term used in the British Indian Army, and earlier in the Honourable East India Company, for an infantry private (a cavalry trooper was a Sowar), and is still so used in the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army. Close to 300,000 sepoys were crucial in securing the subcontinent for the British East India Company, and played a prominent role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 after it was alleged that the new rifles being issued to them used animal fat to grease the casing. |
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