Kandahar Bronze Star
The Kandahar Bronze Star tells a fascinating tale of valour in Afghanistan during the Victorian era.
This free audio tour is brought to you thanks to the generous support of Pando. Visit pando.ai to learn more about them.
This is the Kandahar Bronze Star, also called the Kabul to Kandahar Star. And it tells a fascinating tale of valour during the Victorian era. Afghanistan is a beautiful country on a strategic transcontinental route, and naturally it was coveted by many big powers. From the early 19th century, Afghanistan was caught in the bloody crossfire between the British and Russian Empires. In a span of 80 years, Britain conducted 3 major wars in Afghanistan. They won them all but at a tremendous human cost.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was the worst. The British lost nearly 2000 soldiers in action - mostly Indians. And nearly 8000 more died of disease and cold!
The war started well for the British and they captured Kabul in 1879. Subsequently however, a rebel governor, Ayub Khan, defeated the British forces 70 kms from Kandahar. The badly mauled British withdrew to Kandahar. Ayub Khan promptly laid siege to the town and cut off all supplies. Desperate, the British sought help from their nearest garrison in Kabul, nearly 500 kms away.
At Kabul, General Frederick Roberts put together an expedition of 10,000 soldiers and 8000 support staff. The plan was to march 500 Kms through the tough terrain to reach Kandahar in about 20 days. Every day the troops would wake up at 1:00 am in the morning in the biting cold and quickly start marching. By midday, the temperatures would soar to an unbearable 40-45 deg. C under the harsh sun. Many died of exhaustion, and a few soldiers even shot themselves, unable to bear the agony. It was a remarkable feat of endurance and they finally made it to Kandahar. But the fatigued troops had no time to rest, because Ayub Khan had a larger army. They quickly launched an attack and Ayub Khan was defeated. This was the battle of Kandahar that ended the siege.
When the news reached England a month later, General Roberts instantly became a national hero to the adoring public. Queen Victoria authorised a special medal in 1881 - the Kabul to Kandahar Star or Kandahar Bronze Star, also called the Roberts Star. It was awarded to all the 11,000 soldiers of the expedition- mostly from the Sikh and Gurkha regiments. Bobby, a faithful army dog of the besieged troops, was also an awardee! The five pointed star medal was made from recycled bronze of the weapons captured at the Battle of Kandahar, giving it a legendary touch.
