This Day in History: 1897-08-31

The First Battalion reached Kohat on the Punjab Frontier after a gruelling march with several cases of sunstroke. They were part of a force sent to suppress a general insurrection among the Waziri, Mohmand, Swat, Afridi and Orakzaie tribes who were unhappy with the new frontier recently demarcated by the Durand Line. The Column reached Kohat at 1800hrs on 31 August 1897. The men were exhausted because of the heat: 13 Goorkhas were admitted to hospital, there were 5 cases of severe heat stroke and the armourer havildar (sergeant) died. The 1st Battalion remained in the Samana Hills until the actions at Dargai in October, defending locations such as Dhar Fort, Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart.  Click here to read an account of the campaign.

Fort Lockhart, built in 1891 and shown here in 1915