PRE WW1 BRITISH ARMY AFGHANISTAN MEDAL AHMED KHEL 1035 PRIVATE WOODMAN 59TH FOOT EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT

Offered is an Afghanistan Medal (1878 – 80), 1 clasp AHMED KHEL, period engraved 1035. P^TE W. WOODMAN. 59^TH FOOT. Comes with copies service records.

William Woodman was born in 1848 at Maidstone Kent. A shoemaker by trade he enlisted with the 59^th Foot for 10 years on the 13^th March 1867 at Westminster with a 1 pound bounty. He re-engaged to complete 21 years on the 28/11/1873, but deserted on the 29^th March 1874. Re-joining on the 10/12/1875 and imprisoned 17/12/1875 – 10/2/1876 for his crime. He served Home 14/3/1867 – 6/9/67. Ceylon 7/9/67 – 22/3/69. India 23/3/69 – 6/12/72. Home 7/12/72 – 14/1/79. India 15/1/79 – 8/12/79. Afghanistan 9/12/79 – 1/9/80. India 2/9/8 – 25/11/80. Home 26/11/80 – 23/1/1883 and discharged medically unfit for further service due to “general debility aggravated by military service”.

At the action on the 19^th April 1880 during the advance on Kabul the British army fought a battle with a strong force of Afghans who attacked the column. There were 2 British Infantry Battalions present being the 59^th Foot (East Lancashire Regiment) and the 2^nd/60^th Rifles.

During the battle a mass of Afghan tribesmen rushed over the hill and attacked the infantry line, a large force of mounted Afghans charging forward on the 19th Bengal Lancers on the left flank. The Bengal Lancers were driven back onto the 3rd Gurkhas, throwing that regiment into confusion and the 59th Regiment was caught changing formation and without bayonets fixed and was severely handled and there was a danger that the force would be overwhelmed. However the infantry regiments established a solid pattern of volley firing that drove back the tribesmen.

British and Indian casualties were 115. Afghan casualties were estimated to be around 3,000.