NAM.1956-02-625-1

2nd Battalion 5th Gurkha Rifles at Ahnai Tangi, North-West Frontier, India, 14 January 1920. Oil on canvas, signed lower left ‘Fred Roe’, by Frederick Roe (1864-1947), 1920 (c). The painting depicts the intense fighting to capture high ground held by Mahsud tribesmen during a period of unrest after the 3rd Afghan War (1919). Securing the Ahnai Tangi in the Tank Zam Valley was one of the toughest actions fought by the British during the revolt in Waziristan (1919-1920). They lost nine officers and over 300 other ranks killed and wounded. Mahsud losses were estimated at over 400. A report on the action by Major-General Sir Skipton Hill Climo, British commander in Waziristan, later stated that the ‘Mahsuds had not only fought with reckless courage, but had also taken full advantage of the difficult, broken country whence accurate fire was skillfully employed to cover the assaults by special parties of swordsmen. The tribesmen again showed appreciable tactical ability in combining fire and shock action. Nevertheless, in hand-to-hand fighting the Indian troops, particularly the Gurkhas...had shown a gratifying increasing superiority’. It is very unlikely that the artist was present at the battle. However, we can presume that the scene is relatively accurate since the painting was donated to the Museum by 3 officers, who all served with the 5th Gurkha Rifles in 1920.

3rd Afghan War (1919)

Ahnai Tangi, Battle of, 1920 (India, North West Frontier, Waziristan 1919-1920)