The Khyber Rifles

[Jonathan]

I have been doing some light research on the Khyber Rifles and I have few items to discuss. The first is that I quickly became confused about the leadership of the Khyber Rifles. Wikipedia (I know, I know... ) is very vague about the origins of the regiment, but it states that Robert Warburton was the first commandant and held the position until 1899 when Aslam Khan took his place (and became the first Muslim commandant). Other sites, including the FIBIS wiki, stated that the regiment was raised by one "Captain Gais Ford" and that he was commandant until 1881 when Aslam Khan took over. These sites do not even mention Warburton. I have not taken the time to read through Warburton's Eighteen Years in the Khyber to verify his time or relationship with the regiment, but a bit of research has led to a few conclusions. The first is that there was no "Gais Ford". There was, however, a Gilbert Gaisford of the 5th Punjab Infantry who served as the first commandant of the Khyber Jezailchis (later, the Khyber Rifles). He is listed as commandant in the Hart's Annual Army List for 1880, but not in the 1881 list. Presumably when Khan or Warburton took over(?). If anyone can straighten me out on Warburton's relationship with the Khyber Jezailchis/Rifles I would be most grateful.

My second item is a question. I have seen photos and video of Khyber Rifles bagpipers. What relationship did the regiment have with the Scottish Highlands that would influence the use of pipers? Or would these have been common instruments in other regiments?

Thank you in advance!

Jonathan

[Jonathan]

According to The India List and India Office List for 1902, Khan did succeed Gilbert Gaisford as commandant:

[Jonathan]

The officers of the Khyber rifles carried basket hilts with curved blades--another mixing of Scottish and local style.

[Jonathan]

I may give The Khyber Rifles: From British Raj to Al Qaeda a try and report back. In the mean time, if anyone can help explain the Highland influence on the Khyber Rifles I am all ears.

[Maureene]

Page 78 of “Eighteen years in the Khyber, 1879-1898" by Colonel Sir Robert Warburton, (published 1900 (Archive.org))
advises that the Author was appointed to the post of Political Officer Khyber in 1879.
http://archive.org/stream/cu31924020369 ... 1/mode/2up

This would have been an appointment in the Civil Service, not the Military, but he would have had complete authority in the region, at least in relation to "British Indian" matters. (The term Political can indicate the area was not under complete "British Indian" control) I think he would have had de facto control over the Khyber Rifles, stationed in his area, but probably would not have been officially the commandant.

Cheers
Maureen

[Jonathan]

Maureene,
Thanks for that. Based on what I have read I assumed as much but it is nice to hear it from someone else! I know you are active with the FIBIS wiki, and you may want to update the name of the first commandant of the Khyber Rifles.

[Maureene]

Hi Jonathan

I passed your initial comments on to the person who wrote the Fibiwiki page, and he has updated the page.

Cheers
Maureen

[Jonathan]

Thank you, Maureene!

[jf42]

In the mean time, if anyone can help explain the Highland influence on the Khyber Rifles I am all ears.

This isn't an answer to your question but it might be worth extending the query to how the bag pipes- including tartan trappings for the pipers- came to be a part of Indian (and later, Pakistani) military music, not least in the Gurkha Rifles. Clearly Scottish, and especially Highland regiments serving in India during the C19th made an impact but it would be interesting to trace the process.

[GrantRCanada]

On a somewhat different note, my Mark IV Martini-Henry rifle is marked (.... apparently "branded" rather than "stamped" ....) with "7KR". I have always wondered if that designated the Khyber Rifles.



If so, I am unclear whether that unit had at least seven battalions (which actually seems unlikely) or whether the Khyber Rifles (being one of eight original "Frontier Corps", I understand) was perhaps designated within that Force as something like "7th Battalion, Khyber Rifles" .....

As I recall, the rifle also sports the roundel marking of one of the arsenals on the Indian subcontinent, but would have to dig it out of the safe to see what it is ......

[acanthus]

Just to side-step for a moment and return to the subject of the swords carried by the officers of the Khyber Rifles, I can see one particular term coming to the front as a possible area of confusion, and that is the term "Basket" in reference to the hilts of the swords.

It is a fact that the British Army dress regulations refer to the !821 Heavy Cavalry Undress sword as having a basket type guard or hilt, the same in 1857 for the Engineers guard, then going on to define the pattern.

Looking at the odd Wilkinson proof docket, we can find swords made for officers of the Indian Army, and these swords also have basket type guards however, in one particular case the hilt is defined as a "Claymore" type (Scottish Basket Hilt).

I for one use the term basket to describe guards which are not neccessarily of the Scottish type, and on that account it might be helpful to give hilts a more precise description for the benifit of collectors without specific knowledge of sword hilts.

EG. 'Scottish Basket Hilt' or even follow the Wilkinson example and define them as a 'Çlaymore Hilt', as apposed to the British Army and Indian Army Cavalry patterns which were not of the Scottish type.

These Khyber Rifles swords are indeed a classic type, which combines the Scottish Basket hilt with the curved slashing blade which was so popular in India and Afghanistan.

[Jonathan]

Thank you for your perspective, Gordon. I do not use the term in the same way you use it but I can see where confusion could possibly arise.

[FROGSMILE]

It seems that Gilbert Gaisford died as he lived:

Gaisford - Lieutenant-Colonel Gilbert - I.S.C. - killed 15th March 1898.
Grave at Quetta - "In loving memory of Gilbert Gaisford. Lieutenant Colonel ISC. Political Agent, Thal Chotiali. Killed by a fanatic at Smallan 15 March 1898. Aged 48 years."

Gilbert Gaisford, whose father was a Major in the Bombay Artillery, was born 7 Nov 1849 and was commissioned as an 18 year old into the 96th Foot (later 2nd Bn Manchester Regiment)in February 1868, and transferred to the Bengal (Presidency) Staff Corps in December 1871. Aged 29 he saw war service in the Jowaki Expedition (1877-78) where he was Mentioned in Dispatches. A year later he took part in the 2nd Afghan War seeing action at Kam Dakka again receiving a Mention in Despatches - it was presumably in this period that he raised and began his association with the Khyber Jezailchis (later 'Rifles').

On 22 Feb 1880 he was promoted to Captain in the Bengal Staff Corps, becoming a Major 8 years later (aged 38) . In 1890 he took part in operations with the Zhob Field Force where he served as a political agent (and received his 3rd MiD). On 22 Feb 1894 he was promoted to Lt Col in the Indian Staff Corps (the Staff Corps of Bengal, Madras and Bombay having by this time been amalgamated into one Staff Corps). The last reference to him on the active list in the Army List was March 1898. He married in 1887, to Laura Felicite Lewis Hutchinson (born 1865 Simla-Calcutta, West Bengal, India), who after being widowed died with her mother in a tragic drowning accident in Dinard France in 1905. She left 3 children, 2 sons and a daughter.

His eldest son, Lionel, served with the Indian Corps (58th Vaughan Rifles (FF)) on the Western Front and was killed during the Defence of Festubert in 1914. He is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery. The second son, Philip, also served with the Indian Army (in Mesopotamia and Salonika) and survived the Great War eventually transferring to the Indian Civil Service where he achieved great distinction. Lt Col Sir Philip Gaisford KCIE died 11 Feb 1973.

The Gaisfords were very much a military family. Lt Col Walter Thomas Gaisford died at the Battle of Loos commanding 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders (72nd Foot being the Gaisford family regiment - a Gaisford commanded the 72nd in the Crimea, and another was killed whilst serving with the 72nd in Kabul in Dec 1879). Robert Sandeman Gaisford RFA att RFC, from another branch of the family, also died in the Great War after being shot down and killed in Italy in 1918.

It seems very unfair that the man who actually raised the Khyber Jezailchis in 1878, should have been so much eclipsed by the more romantic figure of Sir Robert Warburton due to the latter's longer association with the unit and, perhaps, his Afghan 'Princess' mother.

[acanthus]

Really wonderful information; the associated information that comes to the surface as a result of many of these posting s never ceases to amaze me. Great work!

[FROGSMILE]

I have not been able to find any reference to the 5th Punjab Infantry in relation to Gilbert Gainsford and wondered where Jonathan found that information? From 1871 Gainsford had been a member of the Bengal Staff Corps (later Indian Staff Corps), but I suppose he might well have been attached for a time to the Punjabis as its battalion political officer.