| St Leger | Henry Hungerford | | Lieutenant Colonel | ST LEGER, HENRY HUNGERFORD, Lieutenant Colonel, was born 26 April 1833, and entered the Army, 18 August 1854. He served in the Indian Mutiny campaign in 1858, being present with the Flying Column at the engagement on the banks of the Jumna and with the Camel Corps at the Battle of Gowlowlee, and at the capture of Calpee, and received the the Cameron Highlanders as Major, from the 71st Highlanders, and he became Lieutenant Colonel, Cameron Highlanders, 1 July 1881. In the Egyptian Campaign of 1882 he was present at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir (Medal with clasp, and Khedive's Bronze Star). He served throughout the Nile Expedition of 1884-5 (clasp). On 18 August 1884, he became Lieutenant Colonel Commanding. "On the 31st March 1885, to the great regret of all ranks, Colonel J M Leith, CB, left the regiment to take up the appointment of Assistant Adjutant-General to the Suakim Field Force, and he was succeeded in the Command by Lieutenant Colonel H H St Leger, who became Colonel in 1885", and commanded the advanced posts and the Cameron Highlanders in the operations in the Eastern Sudan in 1885-86. Colonel St Leger was present, as Commandant, at the defence of Fort Kosheh, during its investment, and at the action of Ginniss. 'The Records of the Cameron Highlanders' gives the following account of the preparations for the Defence of Kosheh: "On the 19th of November 1885, the headquarters and right half battalion, under Colonel St Leger, moved to Akasheh, being joined at Sarras by D Company. They bivouacked for the night at Akasheh, and proceeded the following day by whale-boats to the Dal Cataract, and from thence to Firket, eight miles-further on. On the 21st, in pursuance of orders, the headquarters and right half battalion moved from Firket to Mograkeh, an old Arab Fort in total ruins, which Colonel St Leger had been directed to place in a state of defence with a view to keeping open the communications between Akasheh and Kosheh. Work was at once commenced, the old towers were loop-holed, the walls cut down and rendered defensible, and a zeriba was made around the most exposed sides. In the meantime Lieutenant Colonel Everett and the left half battalion were working hard at the defences of Kosheh, where the trees were felled, the ground cleared, and a large zeriba constructed on the west bank of the Nile. ... On the 29th of December 1885, Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stephenson attacked and dispersed the Dervishes at Ginniss. ... It was known that the Soudanese Army was approaching rapidly, and might be expected before Kosheh in a few days. The garrison of Kosheh now consisted of one troop of the 20th Hussars, one troop of Mounted Infantry, a few British and Egyptian artillerymen, the Cameron Highlanders, and 100 men of the 9th Soudan Battalion, under Major Archibald Hunter; 150 blacks from the same battalion, under Major Borrow, occupied the zeriba on the west bank. Mograkeh was held by the 3rd Battalion of the Egyptian Army, under Major Besant, and some of the Egyptian Camel Corps. The armed steamers Lotus and Shaban patrolled the river". For his services in this campaign Colonel St Leger was mentioned in Despatches by Sir Frederick Stephenson [London Gazette, 9 February 1886], and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 26 November 1886]: "For action at Ginniss, Henry Hungerford St Leger, Lieutenant Colonel, Cameron Highlanders". He also received the Medal with clasp, and the Khedive's Bronze Star. Colonel St Leger retired on 2 April 1883.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | (Queen's Own) Cameron Highlanders |
