British officers and Sikh soldiers of the 45th Sikhs, pose for a photograph after the relief of Chakdara Fort. Circa 1897. Defence of Chakdara Fort by six British officers and 240 Indian soldiers of the 45th Sikhs and 11th Bengal Lancers against 14,000 Pathan tribesmen, must rank as one of the greatest feats of arms in military history.
For six days and seven nights, these men drove off all attacks upon the fort and covered themselves and their regiment with glory. The officer on the extreme left is Haldane Rattray, who received a neck wound after leading a charge to retake the hospital in Chakdara Fort for which he was awarded the DSO. He later commanded the 45th Sikhs during World War I and was tragically killed in Kut, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) after it was lost to Turks, during a long siege. The 45th Sikhs was decimated in this battle.
For six days and seven nights, these men drove off all attacks upon the fort and covered themselves and their regiment with glory. The officer on the extreme left is Haldane Rattray, who received a neck wound after leading a charge to retake the hospital in Chakdara Fort for which he was awarded the DSO. He later commanded the 45th Sikhs during World War I and was tragically killed in Kut, Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) after it was lost to Turks, during a long siege. The 45th Sikhs was decimated in this battle.
