North West Frontier Campaigns

North West Frontier Campaigns
1849-1947
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
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Location:
Combatants:
East India Company and British Army	North West Frontier tribes
Result: Suppression of border incursions
Medals: India General Service medal 1854 India Medal 1895-1902
Links:
Category: Category:North West Frontier Campaigns

From 1849 when the East India Company annexed the Punjab it became necessary to prevent incursion by the frontier Pakhtun tribes. Successive punitive expeditions subdued particular areas until further outrages occurred. Control of the region depended to a large extent on the Punjab Frontier Force recruited from local tribesmen commanded by British officers.

North West Frontier Expeditions

For a list of campaigns in order see

• Chronological list of North West Frontier Campaigns

Medals

• From www.northeastmedals.co.uk
  • The India General Service Medal 1854-1895 with bars
    • North West Frontier 3rd December 1849- 22nd October 1868
    • Individually named campaigns including Umbeyla, Hazara, Waziristan
  • India Medal 1895
  • NWF VCs 1895-1898
  • India General Service Medal 1908 with details of eligibility for the clasps "North West Frontier 1908" to "North West Frontier 1935" (a total of twelve clasps, most for the North West Frontier)
  • India General Service Medal 1936-1939 with details of eligibility for the clasps "North West Frontier 1936-37" and "North West Frontier 1937-1939"
• Also see Medal Rolls

British Library holdings

India Office Records include:

• Collection 391 North West Frontier Operations 1897 IOR/L/MIL/7/15855-15939 1897-1923
• Collection 403 Frontier and Overseas Expeditions IOR/L/MIL/7/16820-16978 1901-1944
• Political and Secret Department Library IOR/L/PS/20 1757-1952 A very large and varied collection of confidential prints, official publications and commercially published works, analogous to the Military Library (see under L/MIL/17), it largely consists of military reports, gazetteers, summaries of correspondence, handbooks etc. dealing with the Indian States, the frontier regions and neighbouring countries. There is a separate index. Includes
  • Political and Secret Department Library: 'B' Books IOR/L/PS/20/B 1834-1944 Covers Afghanistan, Baluchistan, North West Frontier of India, Jammu and Kashmir and Northern Frontier of India

Imperial War Museums holdings

The Imperial War Museums are a source of information about operations in Waziristan. Search the catalogue.

Catalogue entry for the publication Bibliography of sources in the Departments of Documents, Photographs, Printed Books and Sound Records at the Imperial War Museum on military operations in Waziristan on the North West Frontier of India 1917-1937, published c 1979.

Individual accounts

• Francis Stockdale was deployed to Waziristan in 1919. He was a temporary R. E. officer and served late 1919 to Dec 1921. His book Walk Warily in Waziristan is the subject of a BBC News article .

• John Morris served as an officer in the Indian Army with the 3rd Queen Alexandra’s Own Gurkha Rifles from 1918 until 1934 in Palestine, Afghanistan (the Third Afghan War in 1919), Waziristan and the North West Frontier of India. His autobiography Hired to Kill, Some Chapters of Autobiography was published in 1960. (London, Rupert Hart-Davis ).

• John Prendergast was awarded the Military Cross when serving with the Tochi Scouts (North Waziristan Transborder Armed Police) in May 1937. His books include an autobiography Prender’s Progress: a soldier in India, 1931-47.

• John Archibald Hislop was an officer in the Indian Army, 2nd Battalion 9th Jat Regiment from 1933. He had a series of postings on the North West Frontier. Subsequently he was GS02 Waziristan District until c.August 1943. His memoirs A Soldier’s Story-From the Khyber Pass to the Jungles of Burma: The Memoir of a British Officer in the Indian Army 1933-1947 were published by his daughter in 2010 and reviewed in FIBIS Journal 26.

• John Masters was an officer with the 2nd Battalion 4th Gurkha Rifles from 1935. His autobiography Bugles and a Tiger was first published in 1956 and covers the Waziristan Campaign 1936-39.

• Graham F Reed was a junior officer in the Royal Signals Corps in his early twenties who was a Signals Officer with a Mountain Gun Regiment based at Razmak in Waziristan in 1945-47. His book is Walks in Waziristan.

Also see

• Royal Air Force

External Links

• North West Frontier Military History Wikipedia
• Pink’s War 1925 Wikipedia

Maps

• 1893 North West Frontier Map Rootsweb
• 1909 NWF Map Digital South Asia Maps

Histories

• Afghanistan & North West Frontier (pdf) by Michael E. Lambert. The presentation is in three parts: "The History" relates Britain’s involvement in the North West Frontier, "The Medals" discusses the Afghanistan Medal, the Kabul to Kandahar Star, and the India General Service Medal through its multiple issues, "The Album" presents early twentieth century photographs of soldiers and soldiering.

• 'Military Operations in Waziristan: From a Historical Perspective (1849-1947)" by Col. (Retd.) Muhammad Yahya Effendi Issue 62, [2008?] Central Asia Research Journal of the Area Study Center, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
• The British Factor and Asia in the Twentieth Century. Chapter V: "British India’s North West Tribal Territories" by Maj (Retd) Raja Muhammad Sarwar Dhuddy. The Defence Journal January 2001 (Karachi, Pakistan)
• The limits of power by 'Richard' 20 October 2009. Surveys the policies to subdue the warring tribes on the North West Frontier. Defenceofthe realm.blogspot.com.
• "Why was the North-West frontier of India the scene of so much conflict in the period 1849-1901?" by R.A. Johnson from Soldiers of the Queen issue 97, Victorian Military Society
• "The 1897 Revolt and Tirah Valley Operations from the Pashtun Perspective" by Robert A Johnson November 2009 Tribal Analysis Center html version Original pdf

• Harry’s Sideshows by Harry Fecitt (kaiserscross.com) detail many NWF campaigns.

• The Life and Death of Lieutenant Neville Rudd Thompson of the 21st (Empress of India’s) Lancers, by Ross Dix-Peek. Lieutenant Thompson and the 21st Lancers, and their part in the Battle at Shabkadar on the 5 September 1915 on the North West Frontier.
• Capt George Theodore Gill and the 2/6th Gurkha Rifles on the North West Frontier 1915 from David Gill’s gillww1
• War in the Switzerland of Asia: Swat Valley. Online papers from part of the collection of General Sir Frederick Campbell charting two key campaigns in Swat 1915. King’s College London Collections: The Serving Soldier.

• Colonial Control On A Shoestring — The RAF Experience by Maj Michael J. Petersen includes a section "The Third Afghan War and the Northwest Frontier, 1919-1920"
• House of Lords Debate 31 May 1921: Defence of North-West Frontier An overview of the then current situation. hansard.millbanksystems.com
• The Bombing of Waziristan (c 1924-1939) by Graham Chandler Air & Space magazine, July 2011
• "“Good God, Sir, Are You Hurt?” The Realities and Perils of Operating over India’s Troublesome North-West Frontier" by Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Roe Air Power Review Volume 14 Number 3 Autumn/Winter 2011 Centre for Air Power Studies, Royal Air Force, pages 61-82 (computer file pages 72-93) pdf, html version

• "Air/Ground Cooperation between the RAF and the Indian Army in Waziristan 1936-1937" by Simon Coningham, British Commission for Military History, Summer Conference 2012–Indian Armies pdf

• A Story of War blog recording the diaries kept by Colin Diarmid Campbell Dunford Wood (of the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment) from early 1939. Waziristan Campaign.

• The kidnapping of Mollie Ellis from Kohat cantonment by Afridi tribesmen from the Khyber Pass region 14 April 1923 and the rescue expedition which included Mrs Lilian Starr matron at the Peshawar Mission Hospital. Photographs from the Illustrated London News (26 May 1923) on Flickr. An account of her rescue mission Tales of Tirah and Lesser Tibet by Lilian A Starr was published 1924.

• "Waziristan's last soldier" by Zubeida Malik BBC 8 November 2008 with a slideshow of photographs. Frank Leeson spent two years commanding 1,000 Khassadars- Waziri soldiers- between 1946 and 1948, the last surviving British officer to have served in North Waziristan.

• Waziristan 1894 britishbattles.com

Pictures

• Gordon Gibbon’s photographs, taken during his tour of duty in the Northwest Frontier of India, with the RAF from 1937 to 1940.
• Photograph of camels carrying wounded men to safety on the North West Frontier of India 1917 Imperial War Museum
• emmyeustace's Northwest Frontier Photograph Collection flickr.com Contains 105 photographs taken from 1888 to c 1933
• reddin68's photostream on flickr.com taken by a member of the RFC [Royal Flying Corps] 31 Squadron in the NWFP during and after WW1.
• Randolph Bezzant Holmes Photographs, 1910-1919. Northern India and the North-West Frontier Province Duke University Libraries

Historical books online

• My service in the Indian Army – and after by General Sir John Luther Vaughan 1904 Archive.org. In 1850 he was appointed to the 2nd Punjab Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force He was subsequently appointed to the command of the 5th Punjab Infantry. He had to retire c 1870 as there was no position for him. At the start of the 2nd Afghan War he became special military correspondent for the war for The Times
• Nine Years on the North-West Frontier of India from 1854 to 1863 by Sir Sydney Cotton 1868 Google Books
  
• Sir Robert G. Sandeman K.C.S.I., peaceful conqueror of Baluchistan by A.L.P. Tucker 1921 Archive.org. Born 1835, he joined the Bengal Army in 1856 and the Civil Service in 1859, working in the North West from 1861 until his death in 1892.
• Indian frontier policy: an historical sketch by General Sir John Adye 1897 Archive.org
• The Pathan Revolt in North-West India by H. Woosnam Mills 1897 Archive.org
  
• "Despatches: The operations of the Malakand and Mohmand Field Forces" London Gazette Supplement January 11, 1898.
• The Risings on the North-west Frontier being a complete narrative, with specially prepared maps of the various risings of the frontier tribes in the Tochi Valley, the Swat Valley, the country of the Mohmands and Mamunds, and the country of the Afridis and Orakzai... from the middle of June, 1897 to the end of January, 1898 Special War Correspondence of the "Pioneer" 1898 (archive.org)
  
• Indian Frontier Warfare by Captain and Brevet- Major G J Younghusband 1898 Archive.org
• A Dictionary of the Pathan Tribes on the North-west Frontier of India Asstistant QMG Intelligence Branch 1899 (archive.org)
  
• The Story of the Malakand Field Force: an Episode of Frontier War by Winston L. Spencer Churchill 1916 First published 1898 Archive.org
  
• The Indian Frontier War being an account of the Mohmund and Tirah expeditions, 1897 by Lionel James 1898 Archive.org
  
• Sketches on service during the Indian frontier campaigns of 1897 by Major E.A.P. Hobday. Containing fifty-seven full page engravings from original drawings, and fourteen photographic portraits of the commanding officers and their staffs. 1898 Archive.org
• "Summary of Operations on the North-West Frontier of India, from 19th June 1897 to 6th April 1898" by Surgeon General AA Gore MD page 446 Army Medical Department Report for the Year 1897 Volume 39 1898 Archive.org
• Eighteen years in the Khyber, 1879-1898 by Colonel Sir Robert Warburton KCIE CSI 1900 Archive.org
• The Indian Borderland, 1880-1900 by Colonel Sir T. Hungerford Holdich, late of the Indian Survey Department 1901 Archive.org
• Frontier Warfare 1901 Official publication Simla. "Notes... written for the assistance of commanders when operating in broken and mountainous ground and are based on the experience gained in late frontier campaigns". Archive.org
• "Despatch on the recent operations on the Mohmand border, in the Khyber, and the country of the Mohmands" London Gazette Supplement August 14, 1908.
• Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India: Volume 1 Tribes north of the Kabul River by Intelligence Branch Army Headquarters India 1907 Archive.org. There is a supplement Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Volume 1, supplement A: Operations against the Mohmands (including operations in the Khaiber, 1st-7th May) which is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, under the title Operations against the Mohmands. Unfortunately the file is somewhat unsatisfactory. There is no Contents page and many pages are duplicated. For Chapter 2, go to computer page 21, and for Chapter 3, cp 29. At least the following pages appear to be missing in addition to the Contents: (actual) p 34-35 and Appendix page i. This book is available at the British Library and through Amazon.co.uk from the FIBIS Shop as a reprint. Look Inside the Book(amazon.co.uk) Includes Contents pages.
  
• Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Volume 2. North-West Frontier Tribes between the Kabul and Gumal Rivers by Intelligence Branch Army Headquarters India 1908 is available partially online to page 97 on the Digital Library of India website. It is catalogued without volume number simply as Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India 1908 and has barcode 99999990229429. It is also available as Snippet view Google Books which viewers in some countries may be able to access as full view. It is available at the British Library and through Amazon.co.uk from the FIBIS Shop as a reprint of 461 pages. There is a supplement Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India Volume 2 Supplement A ,Operations against the Zakka Khel Afridis Intelligence Branch Army Headquarters India 1908 Archive.org. (Requires a Djvu plug in). This book is also available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, catalogued as "Frontier And Overseas Expeditions From India(Vol Ii)" 1908 with barcode 2990110009084
  
• Some Principles of Frontier Mountain Warfare by Brevet-Major W. D. Bird 1909 Archive.org
• Campaigns on the North-West Frontier by Capt H.L.Nevill DSO 1912 (archive.org)
  
• From the Black Mountain to Waziristan being an account of the border countries and the more turbulent of the tribes controlled by the North-west frontier province, and of our military relations with them in the past by H. C. Wylly 1912 Archive.org
  
• The Problem Of The North-West Frontier 1890-1908 by Collin C Davies 1932 is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. Alternatively, it may be downloaded as a pdf from OUDL Osmania University Digital Library. May only be available Indian office hours (IST 10 am to 6 pm), (IST = GMT+5:30).
  
• The Pathan borderland: a consecutive account of the country and people on and beyond the Indian frontier from Chitral to Dera Ismail Khan by C.M. Enriquez 2nd edition 1921 (First published 1909) Archive.org
• Gun-running and the Indian north-west frontier by the Hon. Arnold Keppel 1911 Archive.org
• "The Defence of India" by F. A. McKenzie, from The Great War: the standard history of the all-Europe conflict, edited by H.W. Wilson, volume 7, chapter 128. (13 volumes in the series) Reprinted in 1999 as Volume 4: Carnage (6 volumes in the series) Look inside the book. The North West Frontier during World War 1. greatwardifferent.com
• "Punishing the Bunerwals" [1915] , page 217 Under ten viceroys the reminiscences of a Gurkha by Major-General Nigel Woodyatt 1922 Archive.org
• "Despatches on the operations against the Mahsuds, March-August, 1917" London Gazette Supplement 12 April 1918
• Despatches on military operations in the Indian Empire since the outbreak of the First World War. Includes the North West Frontier London Gazette Supplements.
  • To 9th March 1916 LGS 4 July 1916; To 31st March 1917 LGS 31 October 1917; To 31st May 1918 LGS 17 March 1919; To 30 April 1919 LGS 5 August 1920
• "A report on the operations in Waziristan during the period 3rd November 1919 to 7th May 1920". London Gazette 8 December 1920.
• Operations in Waziristan, 1919-1920 Compiled by the General Staff Army Headquarters, India 1921 Archive.org
  
• Waziristan 1919-1920 by H De Watteville 1925 (one of eight in the series Campaigns and Their Lessons) is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website
  
• "N.W. Frontier 1919-1920" page 273 The Post Office of India in the Great War edited by H.A. Sams Published 1922 Archive.org
• "A report on the operations of the Waziristan Force for the period 1st April to 31st December, 1921" London Gazette Supplement 1 December 1922.
• "A report on the operations in Waziristan for the period 1st January, 1922 to the 20th April, 1923" London Gazette Supplement 27 February 1924
• "Final despatch on the operations of Waziristan Force covering the period 21st April, 1923, to 31st March, 1924" London Gazette Supplement 18 November 1924
• Tales of Tirah and Lesser Tibet by Lilian A Starr, published 1924 is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. Includes general comments about the Pathans, based on the author's experience in the Mission Hospital at Peshawar.
• "An account of the recent operations by the Royal Air Force against certain recalcitrant sections of the Mahsuds in March, April and May, 1925". London Gazette Supplement 20 November 1925.
• "The North West Frontier", page 9 India in 1930-1931 A statement prepared for presentation to Parliament. Government Of India Central Publication Branch 1932
• Passing It On: Short Talks on Tribal fighting on the North-West Frontier of India by General Sir Andrew Skeen , 3rd edition 1934 (originally published 1932) is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. A 2010 reprint edition with annotations published by the Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworh Kansas. Note: some of the text appears to be missing, at least one probable whole page has been noted. html version, pdf
• Waziristan 1936- 1937: The problems of the North-West Frontiers of India and their Solutions by Lieut Colonel C. E. Bruce 1938 Archive.org. Missing the "Bibliography" at the end of the book, page 80 onwards.
  
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 25th November 1936 to 16th January 1937 (1st Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 2 November 1937
• "Report on Operations In Waziristan, 16th January 1937 to 15th September 1937 (Second Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 18 February 1938
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 16th September 1937 to 15th December 1937 (Final Phase)" London Gazette Supplement 14 June 1938
• "Report on Operations in Waziristan, 16th December, 1937 to the 31st December, 1938" London Gazette Supplement 18 August 1939
• Bugles and a Tiger by John Masters is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. The original edition Bugles and a Tiger; a Volume of Autobiography published in 1956 is available to read online through the Internet Archive (Archive.org) Lending Library. The main restriction is that only one person can see a particular book at one time (so the book may be ‘checked out’). For more details see Online books-Archive.org
• Actions in Waziristan continued during WW2, although details are not known. Awards appearing in the London Gazette Supplements indicate some of the regiments involved. There were also awards to RAF personnel.1939 LGS 25 October 1940, 1940 LGS 20 June 1941, 1942 LGS 15 December 1942, 1943 LGS 25 November 1943
• The History of the Indian Mountain Artillery by Brigadier-General C A L Graham 1957 Archive.org. This book is also available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, where the print quality is better.

Recommended Reading

Campaigns on the North-West Frontier by Capt H.L.Nevill DSO 1916
Reprinted by The Naval & Military Press Ltd 2005
ISBN 1-845741-87-0
Imperial Frontier: Tribe & State in Waziristan by Dr Hugh Beattie
Routledge 2001
ISBN 0700713093 and ISBN 978-0700713097