Beschreibung:

Three: Colonel H. O. Woodhouse, 9th Gurkha Rifles, of which unit he was the first Commandant Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Cap. H. O. Woodhouse, 9th Bengal N.I.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Lushai 1889-92 (Major H. O. Woodhouse 9th Bl. Infy.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (Colonel H. O. Woodhouse, 9th Bl. Infy.) small erasure after surname, mounted for display, toned, good very fine (3) £1,200-£1,500 Footnote Henry Opie Woodhouse was born on 1 May 1847, son of Lieutenant-Colonel J. R. Woodhouse and Margaret Charlotte (née Smith) of Castletown, Isle of Man. His father, Lieutenant-Colonel J. Robert Woodhouse served with distinction in the 3rd Bombay European Infantry and was wounded in the Persian War in 1819. In 1834 he was appointed Deputy Judge Advocate and served under Sir Charles Napier. He was also mentioned in despatches by Sir R. England. He died in England while on personal leave in May 1849. Henry Opie Woodhouse was educated at King William’s College, Isle of Man (1858-1864) and passed into RMC Sandhurst the following year, afterwards being commissioned as Ensign into the 15th (East Yorkshire) Regiment. On 10 April 1866, he was posted to the 105th Mahratta Light Infantry at Dinapore. Promoted on a probationary basis to Lieutenant on 22 August 1868, he was appointed to the Bengal Staff Corps as a Wing Officer to the 9th Bengal Native Infantry on 18 May 1869, stationed at Jhansi. The 9th B.N.I. movements at this period were frequent, being posted to Lucknow on 1 February 1870, Norah on 8 January 1871 and Mian Mir, Peshawar, on 16 February 1872. Woodehouse was appointed regimental Quartermaster on 3 March 1873, 1st Wing Officer on 22 December 1874, and Adjutant on 12 April 1875. He was promoted to Captain on 10 April 1878, and appointed officiating Brigade Major at Mian Mir the following month. Captain Woodhouse’s first campaign was the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. The 9th B.N.I. was in the 2nd Brigade, Kabul forces, Northern Afghanistan Field Force. Whilst the regiment was not called upon to take an active part in the operations they suffered severely from sickness during their time spent in Afghanistan, particularly from fever and pneumonia. While posted at Ali Masjid deaths due to sickness were averaging at least one per day (Medal). On May 13 1880, he was attached to the Commissariat Department in Lawrencepore. Later that year the 9th B.N.I. marched to Gorakhpore where it remained for the next three-and-a-half years and Woodhouse resumed his duties as a Wing Officer. In 1885, a change of designation in all Native corps was authorised with the elimination of the word “Native”; the Regiment thus became the 9th Bengal Infantry. In June of that year Woodhouse took a temporary two-year assignment as Adjutant to the Oudh Volunteer Rifle Corp. During this time he was promoted to Major, 10 April 1886, and appointed to Senior Wing Commander. In the latter half of 1888 trouble brewed in the newly acquired Province of Upper Burma, the constant raids and depredations at length forcing Government to take action. Two columns, forming the Lushai Expeditionary Force, were dispatched into the Chin country, and to the Chittagong hill tracts, to exact reprisals and to subdue the tribes. Major Woodhouse was appointed second-in-command of the 9th Bengal Infantry and was in charge of the Left-Half Battalion which accompanied the northern column into the Lushai country, enforced the surrender of prisoners, exacted satisfaction for raids in past years, and opened up the country by the construction of roads, etc. By the middle of 1891 the rainy season was approaching, and as the object had been achieved the troops were withdrawn and the field force broken up (Medal with Clasp). Woodhouse was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 10 April 1892. The following year the 9th Bengal Infantry, stationed at Lucknow, was ordered to be converted into a ‘Khas’ or Gurkha unit. The Regiment h