Royal Horse Artillery officers and nco’s at Meerut, 1883

Group of Officers & N.C.O.’s of “G” Battery. “A” Brigade (late “F” Troop at Waterloo) Royal Horse Artillery. Meerut Novr. 1883. An exceptionally good, large and well toned group portrait around a field gun. This 11 x 7¾ ins photograph is on an old card album leaf and has the merit of having all ranks identified. The figures are identified in ink beneath the portrait. It is rather unusual to find all ranks identified in this way and the picture offers fertile material for further research. oct13/1

The commanding officer in the photograph is Lieut. Colonel Henry de Grey Warter, late Bengal Artillery who was commissioned in June 1857 rising to Brevet Lt Colonel in1881. He wears medals for the Indian Mutiny & 2nd Afghan War. Hart’s Army List 1888 records his service: Colonel Warter served in the Indian Mutiny campaign in 1857 – 59 and was present at the capture of Lucknow and at the action of Bareilly (Medal with Clasp). Served in the Afghan war in 1879-80, an was present in the engagement of Ahmed Khel {mentioned in despatches, Brevet of Lt. Colonel (Medal with Clasp). It is rather poignant that this portrait was taken at Meerut where the first uprisings of 1857 took place.

Of the other officers, Lieut. Edward Crichton Hawkshaw was commissioned in 1873 and received his captaincy in August 1883.  Some of the NCOs also wear the Afghan Meda[.