War in Burma

After the Third Burma war there were further expeditions in the main conducted to control the hill tribesmen, the expeditions concerning this paper being the Kachin Hills Expedition of 1893. KACHIN HILLS EXPEDITION WAR IN BURMA The Kachin Hills form a mountainous The Victoria Cross to Ferdinand district of Upper Burma inhabited by Simeon LeQuesne the Kachin people who had been raiding columns and settlements for Britain had been engaged in fighting in some years. Numerous small actions Burma on a small scale since the late and two large expeditions were 18th century but this fighting intensified mounted against the Kachins to bring in the 19th century into what became the major troubles to a halt, which known as the First, Second and Third happened in March 1893. There re- Burmese Wars. After the Third Burma occurred some minor troubles for War, Upper Burma was annexed by some years after, necessitating a the British on 1st January 1886. The strong police force remaining in the Third Burma War had taken a heavy area for some years. toll on the combined British and Indian force, mainly from sickness with One such expedition was sent to epidemics of malaria, dysentery and destroy the village of Tartan which had typhoid fever resulted in heavy been rebuilt by the rebels after its wastage. destruction in February 1889. The force consisted of 2nd Norfolk The terrain dictated that the method of Regiment and sixty men of the 42nd evacuation of the casualties would be Ghurkha Light Infantry. The whole initially by hand but later by pony and force was commanded by Captain elephant. Where possible rivers were Otway Mayne, 2nd Norfolks with 25 used and large steamers were year old Surgeon Captain Ferdinand employed as floating hospitals. (1) LeQuesne as the medical officer. (3) The rate of admission for disease in 1888, per 1000 strength was 2367.45 FERDINAND SIMEON LeQUESNE and deaths 48.49. In 1889 they were 2144.55 per 1000 and deaths 30.19, a LeQuesne was born in Jersey on the slight reduction. (2) 25th December 1863, the third son of Lieutenant Colonel Giffard N Mayne’s side and commenced LeQuesne, a retired Royal Jersey dressing his wounds at which point he Artillery officer and Augusta W himself was wounded. Mayne’s own LeQuesne, née Simeon. statement testifies to the bravery of LeQuesne He was initially educated in the Channel Islands and later underwent ….the splendid coolness and gallantry medical training at Kings College displayed by Surgeon LeQuesne in Hospital. He qualified as a licentiate of attending to the wounded, he himself the Society of Apothecaries in 1885; being exposed during the whole time MRCS in 1886 and a Licentiate of the to a very hot fire, under which several Royal College of Physicians, also in men dropped; this was more especially 1886. Commissioned as a Surgeon the case while attending to 2nd Captain on 28th July 1886 he was Lieutenant Michel, owing to his attached to the 2nd Norfolk’s and extremely exposed position. I consider proceeded with them to Burma. (4) that Surgeon LeQuesne’s conduct is deserving of the highest possible LeQuesne’s presence on the return to recognition (6) Tartan on the 4th May was regarded more a morale booster than a By now some eleven officers and men necessity. The Chins were not had been killed and with only two expected to fight but to follow their doolies, Captain Westmoreland, on practice of abandoning their village on whom command now rested, decided the approach of the column. By that withdrawal was the only option. (7) 0930am the column was above what This, the force did, leaving Tartan looked like the abandoned village and burning once again. Some days later a Captain Mayne deployed his forces force returned again to the scene of and the final advance into the village the action and destroyed the now began. When almost at the bottom of unoccupied stockades. the hill the troops discovered two fortified stockades which immediately On 29th October 1889 LeQuesne’s came to life as heavy fire poured from name appeared in the London Gazette them. One of the first to fall was 2nd with notification of the award of the Lieutenant Michel, leading the main Victoria Cross party forward. Forced to withdraw, the troops pulled back with Michel’s body ‘Displayed conspicuous bravery and but he still remained exposed to the devotion to duty during the attack on Chin fire. A Private Charles Crampion the village of Tartan, by a column of went and fetched LeQuesne to treat the Chin Field Force, on 4th May 1889, Michel’s wounds. (5) Here he dressed in having remained for the space of the wounds aided by Crampion and about ten minutes in a very exposed two Gurkhas, all the time under position (within five yards of the constant Chin fire. After about ten loopholed stockade from which the minutes LeQuesne and his helpers enemy was firing), dressing with brought Michel’s body under cover. perfect coolness and self-possession Observing this brave act, from a the wounds from which Second Lieut. position about thirty yards away, was Michel, Norfolk Regiment, shortly Captain Mayne, who himself was afterwards died. Surgeon LeQuesne wounded. LeQuesne now dashed was himself severely wounded later on across the fire swept hillside to whilst attending to the wounds of the war until 1918, when he retired. On another officer’. retirement he took up the post, amongst others, of Honorary Surgeon The Victoria Cross was presented to to the Metropolitan Hospital London. him by General BL Gordon at His recreations were shooting, Rangoon in December 1889. racquets and lawn tennis; presumably he developed his love for the former whilst in India. He remained a bachelor throughout his life. (8) Ferdinand Simeon LeQuesne died on 14th April 1950, aged 86 at 6 Victoria Square, Clifton, Bristol. He was buried at Canford Cemetery, Westbury-on- Trym, Bristol, on 19th April 1950. References 1. Cantlie, Sir Neil. A History of the LeQuesne recovered from his wounds Army Medical Department (London: and took part in further actions in Churchill Livingstone, 1974) Burma including with the Chin Lushai 2. Cantlie, A History of the Army Field Force in 1890, the Wuntho Field Medical Department Force in 1891 and the Kaukwee 3. Snelling, Stephen, The First Chin Expedition. He was awarded the Hills Expedition 1888-89 (Coin & Indian General Service Medal 1854-95 Medal News, July 1988. with three clasps and was further 4. Drew, Robert (Ed) Commissioned ‘Mentioned in Despatches’. Officers in the Medical Services of the British Army 1660-1960 Vol I (London: After a year in England from 1893 to The Wellcome Historical Medical 1894 India beckoned again and Library, 1968 service in Bengal until 1900 and then 5. Private Crampion was the Punjab until 1901, during which recommended for the Victoria Cross time he was promoted to the rank of for his actions but was awarded the Major, in May 1898. In November Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). 1901, with the Anglo Boer War almost He was awarded a bar to the DCM three years old LeQuesne found during the Anglo Boer War. himself in South Africa, where he 6. Statement by Captain O Mayne 2nd served until 1902 and was awarded Norfolk Regiment regarding operations the Queens South Africa Medal with on 4th May 1889. The National clasps for Cape Colony, 1901 and Archives, WO32/7404 1902 and was once again ‘Mentioned 7. Copy of the report by Captain CH in Despatches’. Westmoreland, 42nd Goorkha Light Infantry, Fort White, dated 5 May 1889 After a further two years in England he to District Staff Officer Chin Field returned to Bengal until 1909, being Force. The National Archives, promoted Lieutenant Colonel in 1906. WO32/7404 With the outbreak of war in 1914 8. LeQuesne VC File, Army Medical LeQuesne joined the BEF, serving in Services Museum MY TIME IN THE ARMY The principle is simple: lay it on thick, (CONTINUED) fast and often, with firmness, fairness and consistency. The end result is, THE BRITISH SOLDIER. John Silkstone’s story continues. A SENSE OF HUMOUR JUST A TRIM ROUND THE EDGES, PLEASE! A sense of humour enables us to think the unthinkable, accept the On the morning following our arrival, unacceptable, discover new the squad marched to the camp relationships, adjust better and barber. Having had a haircut before maintain our mental health. Without it leaving home was no excuse for not we would probably be dull and dim having one now; the old saying about witted, trapped in a world that’s too what’s under your beret is yours didn’t harsh and serious to bear. apply. My hair was cut so short I thought I was auditioning for the lead ENOUGH WAR SURPLUS STOCK role in ‘The King and I’. The trip to the TO FIGHT WORLD WAR III. barber became a Wednesday morning ritual. I think that this is a good point at which to pass some comment on the kit I had PART ONE ORDERS been issued with. I will start with the world famous World War II jungle Part One Orders is the word! God put green ‘drawers Dracula’ (boxer shorts his table of laws on stone. Our Battery type underpants). One size fits Sergeant Major put the Commanding everyone. Officer’s every ultimatum upon his They had four rubber buttons on the daily paper Part One Orders tabloid. front to fasten them up, and two cords Part One Orders are like a page in a at the back to adjust them. What more diary, giving all the main daily events.

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