WW1 AFGHANISTAN 1919 MEDAL GROUP TO PTE H BROWN. ROYAL WEST KENT CYCLIST BATTALION

Offered is a British War & Victory medal pair & India General Service 1908-35 Medal, with clasp Afghanistan N.W.F 1919 to Private H.A.Brown 2/1/Kent Cyclist Battalion, who served India & Afghanistan 1916 -1919, seeing action in the Third Afghan War.

British War & Victory Medal, impressed named 1794 PTE.H.A. BROWN. KENT CYC.BN.; India General Service Medal 1908-35, 1 clasp, AFGHANISTAN N.W.F. 1919 impressed named 265930 PTE. H.A. BROWN. R.W.KENT R.; Kent Cyclist Battalions Old Comrades Association lapel badge; Army Cyclist Corps tunic button; copies of Medal Index Card, medal rolls, service records & research.

Harry A Brown was born in 1896 and was living in Harrow on the Hill when he enlisted 10/2/1915 to the 2/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion at Canterbury on 15 February 1915, being given the regimental number of 1794. His occupation was given as a ‘Clerk”.

He served in England from 15/2/1915 – 7/2/1916. India 8/2/1916 – 9/12/1919. Home 10/12/1919 – 7/1/1920. Twice hospitalised at Bangalore. 1917 he was given a new regimental number 265930. During WW2 he served with the R.A.F as a leading Air Crewman service number 1270962.

The R.W.Kent battalion served on the North West Frontier against the Mahsuds at Tank and Jatta in March 1917. March & April 1918 in action against the Marri and Khetran Tribes at Fort Monro & Barkhan.

In the Afghanistan theatre, it was referred to as simply 'The Kent Battalion'. In May 1919, Brown and his comrades fought their way through the Khyber Pass, before advancing on Kabul. With his capital threatened, the Amir of Afghanistan sued for peace and an Armistice was signed at Peshawar on 8 August. 'The Kents' provided a Guard of Honour for Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India, when he arrived at the Peace Talks. The Battalion's effective strength was then just 15 officers and 274 other ranks.