The ‘Delhi Magazine’ Victoria Cross awarded to Captain George Forrest, Bengal Veteran Establishment, Indian Army, one of the ‘Gallant Nine’ who defended the Delhi Magazine for more than four hours on the 11th of May 1857, firing its guns until all ammunition was spent. Although preparations had been made in advance, the desperate order to fire the magazine was given to only once its walls had been scaled and it had become completely overwhelmed. Five of the nine men perished immediately in the vast explosion, but Captain Forrest miraculously survived, escaping to a rallying point at the Kashmir Gate before travelling onwards with his family to Meerut, despite having been shot through the hand, and his wife having been shot clean through the shoulder in her own earlier escape, comprising: Victoria Cross, with original ribbon pins for wear, reverse engraved ‘11th May 1857.’, with suspension bar engraved ‘Captn. George Forrest, Bengal Veteran Estabt.’, with contemporary maroon rosette, itself named to the recipient in ink to reverse; Toned, very light wear to high points, good very fine. V.C.: London Gazette: 18 June, 1858 – ‘For gallant conduct in the defence of the Delhi Magazine, on the 11th May, 1857.’ Captain George Forrest (1800 – 1859) was born in 1800 in St. Michael’s Parish, Dublin. Although very little has been published regarding his early life, research has confirmed that he had a long and successful military career prior to the Indian Mutiny, starting in 1832 or earlier. We know from a surviving marriage certificate that George Forrest married Ann Edwards in Agra on 22 October 1832, with Sergeant E. Donavan (presumably a friend or superior) signing as a witness alongside Robert Edwards, his wife’s father or close relation. Placing him in Agra in 1832, details found in ‘The Bengal Directory and Annual Register for the Year 1838’ confirm that George Forrest was appointed Conductor in the Ordnance Department of the Bengal Army on 28 May 1834, and that he was stationed at Ajmere in 1834 and then in Agra in 1838. This apparently takes our knowledge of the recipient’s career back almost 20 years earlier than had been previously known (and interestingly, Conductor William Raynor is also listed on Ordnance Department roll, based in Cawnpore). In the months before the Indian Mutiny George Forrest had been serving as a Lieutenant in the Bengal Veteran Establishment (by now at the age of 57, and too old to serve in the regular Army), and was working in a familiar role as Assistant Commissary of Ordnance at Delhi, and hence was intimately involved with the everyday workings of the city’s magazine. On 11 May 1857, mutineers from Meerut rushed across the Jumna bridge into Delhi and chaos erupted around the city. This huge store of rifles, guns, cartridges, gunpowder and munitions held at the Delhi Magazine, under the command of Lieutenant Willoughby, was a significant target for the rebels, who intended to capture it and use its supplies of weapons and powder in the subsequent fighting. Forrest’s own first-hand report of the actions of the ‘Gallant Nine’ defenders survives in full, reproduced in the Appendix to Malleson’s ‘The Mutiny of the Bengal Army’, as written by Forrest himself just two weeks after the actual events: “From Lieutenant G. Forrest, Assistant, Commissary of Ordnance, to Colonel A. Abbott, C.B., Inspector-General of Ordnance and Magazines, Fort William.” “Sir, - I have the honour to report for the information of Government, and in the absence of my commanding officer Lieutenant Willoughby, Artillery, supposed to be killed on his retreat from Delhi to this station, the following facts as regards the capture of the Delhi magazine by the mutineers and insurgents on the 11th instant. On the morning of that date, between seven and eight a.m., Sir Theophilus Metcalfe came to my house, and requested that I would accompany him to the magazine for the purpose of having two guns placed on the bridge, so as to prevent the mutineers from passing over. On our arrival at the magazine we found present Lieutenants Willoughby and Raynor, with Conductors Buckley, Shaw, Scully, and Acting Sub-conductor Crow, and Serjeants Edwards and Stewart, with the Native Establishment. On Sir Theophilus Metcalfe alighting from his buggy, Lieutenant Willoughby and I accompanied him to the small bastion on the river face, which commanded a full view of the bridge, from which we could distinctly see the mutineers marching in open column, headed by the cavalry; and the Delhi side of the bridge was already in the possession of a body of Cavalry. On Sir Theophilus Metcalfe observing this, he proceeded with Lieutenant Willoughby to see if the city gate was closed against the mutineers. However, this step was needless, as the mutineers were admitted directly to the Palace, through which they passed cheering. On Lieutenant Willoughby’s return to the magazine, the gates of the magazine were closed and barricaded, and every possible arrangement that could be made was at once commenced on. Inside the gate leading to the Park were placed two six-pounders, double-charged with grape, one under Acting Sub-conductor Crow and Serjeant Stewart, with the lighted matches in their hands, and with orders that if any attempt was made to force that gate, both guns were to be fired at once, and they were to fall back on that part of the magazine in which Lieutenant Willoughby and I were posted. “The principal gate of the magazine was similarly defended by two guns, with the chevaux-de-frise laid down on the inside. For the further defence of this gate and the magazine in its vicinity, there were two six-pounders so placed as either to command the gate and a small bastion in its vicinity. Within sixty yards of the gate and in front of the office, and commanding two cross-roads, were three six-pounders and one twenty-four pounder howitzer, which could be so managed as to act upon any part of the magazine in that neighbourhood. After all these guns and howitzers had been placed in the several positions above-named, they were loaded with double charges of grape. The next step taken was to place arms in the hands of the Native Establishment, which they most reluctantly received, and appeared to be in a state not only of excitement, but also of insubordination, as they refused to obey any orders issued by the Europeans, particularly the Mussulman portion of the establishment. After the above arrangements had been made, a train was laid by Conductors Buckley, Scully, and Serjeant Stewart, ready to be fired by a preconcerted signal, which was that of Conductor Buckley raising his hat from his head, on the order being given by Lieutenant Willoughby. The train was fired by Conductor Scully, but not until such time as the last round from the howitzers had been fired. So soon as the above arrangements had been made, guards from the Palace came and demanded the possession of the magazine in the name of the King of Delhi, to which no reply was given.” “Immediately after this the subadar of the guard on duty at the magazine informed Lieutenant Willoughby and me, that the King of Delhi had sent down word to the mutineers that he would without delay send scaling-ladders from the Palace for the purpose of scaling the walls, and which shortly after arrived. On the ladders being erected against the wall, the whole of our Native Establishment deserted us by climbing up the sloped sheds on the inside of the magazine, and descending the ladders on the outside, after which the enemy appeared in great number on the top of the walls, and on whom we kept up an incessant fire of grape, every round of which told well, as long as a single round remained. Previous to the natives deserting us they hid the priming pouches; and one man in particular-, Kurreembuksh, a durwan, appeared to keep up a constant communication with the enemy on the outside, and to keep them informed of our situation. Lieutenant Willoughby was so annoyed at this man’s conduct, that he gave me an order to shoot him, should he again approach the gate.” “Lieutenant Raynor, with the other Europeans, did everything that possibly could be done for the defence of the magazine; and where all have behaved so bravely, it is almost impossible for me to point out any particular individual. However, I am in duty bound to bring to the notice or Government the gallantry of Conductors Buckley and Scully on this trying occasion. The former, assisted only by myself, loaded and fired in rapid succession the several guns above detailed, firing at least four rounds from each gun, and with the same steadiness as if standing on parade, although the enemy were then some hundreds in number, and kept up a continual fire of musketry on us, within forty or fifty yards. After firing the last round, Conductor Buckley received a musket-ball in his arm, above the elbow, which has since been extracted here. I, at the same time, was struck in the left hand by two musket-balls, which disabled me for the time. It was at this critical moment that Lieutenant Willoughby gave the order for firing the magazine, which was at once responded to by Conductor Scully firing the several trains. Indeed, from the very commencement, he evinced his gallantry by volunteering his services for blowing up the magazine, and remained true to his trust to the last moment. As soon as the explosion took place, such as escaped from beneath the ruins, and none escaped unhurt, retreated through the sallyport on the river face. Lieutenant Willoughby and I succeeded in reaching the Cashmere Gate. What became of the other parties it is impossible for me to say. Lieutenant Raynor and Conductor Buckley have escaped to this station. Severe indisposition prevented my sending in this Report sooner.” “(Signed) G. Forrest, Lieut., Asst. Commy. of Ordnance, Meerut, May 27th, 1857.” “N. B.—After crossing the river, on the night of the 11th, I observed the whole of the magazine to be on fire, so that I am in hopes that little of the property fell into the hands of the enemy. Park Serjeant Hoyle was shot about 11 A.M by the mutineers, in attempting to reach the magazine to aid in its defence. “ In this explosion, which was heard some 40 miles away in Meerut, five of the nine defenders were immediately killed (along with a reported 1500 rebels), however four of the men – Lieutenants Willoughby, Forrest and Buckley, and Deputy Assistant Commissary Raynor - somehow survived the blast, despite being smoke-blackened and utterly shaken by the impact. The four escaped toward the Kashmir Gate, which Europeans had been using as a rallying point before fleeing to the city of Meerut and elsewhere. Lieutenant Forrest, who had been shot through the hand and was in shock, was able to meet his wife and daughters at the gate, although according to ‘The Kashmir Gate’ by Rogers, Mrs Forrest herself had already been shot though the shoulder in her own initial escape. Coincidentally, this party of refugees also included a Lieutenant Philip Salkeld (later V.C., see next lot), who travelled with them to Meerut in the coming weeks. Willoughby was killed soon after by angry villagers near Koomhera, and while the remaining officers and refugees did eventually reach Meerut, it was a harrowing experience, during which time they were alternatively robbed, fed, or given aid along the way. At one village, Mrs Forrest had her wound treated by a local barber who poured boiling butter through the bullet-hole in her shoulder, which subsequently healed perfectly. At the end of the ordeal they arrived at Meerut, although ‘The Kashmir Gate’ states that the party remained in relatively good spirits, apart from ‘the elderly Lieutenant Forrest, who seems to have been mentally unhinged by the experience’. Some histories suggest that the 3 surviving officers were subsequently captured after this initial escape, being held until the end of the Mutiny in 1858 (except for Buckley who was able to escape). Forrest, Buckley and Raynor were awarded the Victoria Cross on 18 June 1858, and were also given promotions back dated to 11 May. Captain Forrest was presented with his Victoria Cross by Major Troup in Landour, India, on 2 November 1858, but he died of dysentery soon after on 3 November 1859 at Dehra Dun, India. His son, Sir George William Forrest C.I.E., went on to publish an important history of these events in India, titled: ‘A History of the Indian Mutiny, reviewed and illustrated from original documents’, which included his father’s account. Ex Glendining, 20 March 1997, lot 281; formerly on display at the National Army Museum. A Miniature V.C. to the same recipient was offered for sale by auction at Spink on 6 April 2011, lot 289
Estimate: £80000-£100000