Soldier's tale reminder of earlier conflict (From Cotswold Journal)

Soldier's tale reminder of earlier conflict

AS British soldiers continue to fight - and die - in 21st Century Afghanistan, local writer and historian Michael Boyes has published a timely reminder of an earlier conflict in that troubled country.

And although the scale may be different, it is impossible to avoid noticing some similarities between the conditions experienced today and those which pertained during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Three British Armies invaded Afghanistan in November 1878 and within a month had overcome resistance and opened the way to Kabul.

The early fighting was already over when the 67th Foot regiment, which included a young subaltern, Edward Henry Le Marchant, second son of Robert Le Marchant, Rector of Little Rissington in the Cotswolds, began their 2,700-mile train journey to the North West Frontier.

For two weeks, they travelled by day and spent most nights in rest camps. Refreshments were not available on the train and at stations along the way Edward bought food at his own expense. He also had to purchase his own tent, at a cost of £30.

Officers were impatient to see some action and so qualify for a campaign medal.

"I fear we shall not share in much of the war," wrote Edward. Nevertheless they continued to prepare for action. "We all had our swords sharpened today," he commented, "and feel very warlike in consequence."

Kandahar had been taken without a blow but there were rumours that several officers had been assassinated in the streets.

"If I were George Stewart," Edward wrote, "I would hang up half a dozen of their head chaps and bring them to their senses . . . a good example is needed to settle it. These fanatics don't care a bit about what they do."

Almost 130 years later, these words seem to contain a strange prescience.

Edward was one of six sons of Robert and his wife Eliza, who also had nine daughters. With the exception of the eldest, John, the five boys, whose early lives seems to show a preference for sport over education, all sought careers in the service of their country - four in the army and the other - Evelyn - in the navy. A common strand runs through each one's service career - being an officer in the British forces was an expensive business. So much so, that the most promotion-friendly assignment given to Evelyn - serving on a world tour with two of the Royal Princes, including the future King George V - was regarded with some trepidation because of the amount of money he would be expected to spend during the voyage.

But the five survived, due in no small measure to the generosity of wealthier relatives and friends.

Although there was no direct connection with his service in Afghanistan, there was a certain irony in Edward's death.

Two weeks after his battalion left Afghanistan for Peshawar in March 1899, Edward Le Marchant was shot and killed by a ghazi - a Muslim fighter dedicated to killing the enemies of Islam - whilst attending the District Assault at Arms. An eye-witness noted that: "A foul assassin sprang out from behind a tree and shot our poor colonel, Lt-Col Le Marchant, in the back with a pistol. The bullet penetrated through the lungs and the poor man died in ten minutes, where he lay, to the inexpressible grief of the whole regiment.

"Everyone in the regiment loses in him a personal friend. Never was their a kinder, more generous, more considerate, and thorough English gentleman as a commanding officer than the late Lt-Colonel E H Marchant. May he rest in peace."

That same theme on humanity and concern for their welfare of the men who served under them extended to all five brothers.

In addition to the fascinating portrait of life in the forces, the book, entitled Dying for Glory, also provides an insight into village life in England during that period when the rector was seen as a father-figure by villagers and the sons were regarded as heroes.

Michael Boyes began writing by accident. Born in Sri Lanka, where his father worked for a tea and shipping agency, he read economics and history at Trinity College, Dublin, before embarking on a career in personnel management.

After taking early retirement, he became a governor of Great Rissington and Cotswold schools. As the apparent centenary of Great Rissington School approaches, he was tasked with producing a pamphlet outlining its history. That pamphlet became his first book.

From then he went on to write a first book about the Le Marchant family, entitled A Victorian Rector and Nine Old Maids, which looked at the lives of Robert and Eliza's nine daughters.

This latest book completes the story of this remarkable family. Carefully researched, it provides a fascinating insight into service and family life in Victorian times but, for all the detail, remains a terrific read. Dying for Glory, The Adventurous Lives of Five Cotswold Brothers by Michael Boyes, published by Phillimore & Co at £20.