IGS 95 To The Dorset Regt, Sev Wounded
IGS 2 bars Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 3251 PTE W TAPPER 1ST BN DORSET REGT
Walter Tapper a 19 year old labourer from Winterbourn Abbas, Dorchester enlisted into the Dorset Regiment in 1891, he served for 12 years and was discharged in 1903 . He is listed in the casualty roll for the Tirah Campaign as severely wounded , contusions, on the 16th of November 1897 at Waran ( Tseri Kandoa) . The regiment had 2 Officers and 9 men KIA and 9 men wounded at this action
Tseri Kandao 16th November 1897
But there had, unhappily, been serious misfortune
in another direction. When the 36th Sikhs had
been sent back to help the 15th, two companies of
the Dorset Regiment had been at the same time
detached to support the 36th. One and a half of
these companies were ordered by the senior officer,
Captain Hammond, to take post in a house on the
line on which the Sikhs were presumably falling
back. The other half-company, with Captain Hammond and Lieutenant Cowie, went on and, as we
have seen, joined, some Colonel Haughton, and some
Major Des Voeux. These men thus got through
the night safely. But the others were shortly after- wards attacked, and, considering their position
untenable, they, unfortunately for themselves, left
their post and attempted to retreat to camp. In
the gathering darkness they missed the road, got
entangled in ravines, very much as the Northamptons did on that fatal 9th, and, assailed on all sides
by the Afridis, were soon broken up into little
knots and groups, which defended themselves indeed
with courage and desperation against their savage
assailants, but, as may be imagined, with small chance
of success. On such ground, and in such circumstances, the Pathan is probably a better man than the
Britisher ; and the result of this deadly struggle in the
dark was that in twos or threes during the night a poor remnant of these Dorsets struggled wounded and
weary into camp, their blood-stained bayonets and
battered gun-stocks attesting the desperate nature of
the conflict in which they had been engaged. But
eleven of them, including their two officers, Lieutenants Crooke and Hales, were left behind dead, and the
rifles of these men fell, of course, into the hands of the
Afridis, who by this time have got quite a good stock
of our Lee-Metfords, and plenty of ammunition.
It is only fair to say, when speaking oi companies
being detached, that I am informed on the best
authority that the party with Lieutenants Crooke
and Hales consisted of only twenty-eight men all
told.The actual casualties on this i6th November
were :
—
Dorsets.—Killed, Lieutenant Crooke (attached
from Suffolk Regiment), Lieutenant Hales (attached
from East York Regiment), and nine rank and file
;
wounded, ten rank and file.
15th Sikhs.—Killed, Captain Lewarne, and seven men ; wounded. Colonel Abbott, three native officers,
and fifteen men.
36th Sikhs.—Killed, six men ; wounded, Captain
Custance, Lieutenant Munn, and seven men. 2nd Gurkhas.—Killed, Lieutenant Wylie, and
three men ; wounded, five men.
This his only medal entitlement
Medal is in GVF condition
