Gyantsee 11-07-1904

My Dear Bertie,

We have now been here for a fortnight and on the whole I have done a fair amount of work including the taking of the "Tony". We started our fighting at Haini Monastery - 6 miles from Gyantsee - and the same evening came on here. The day after we arrived we had a rest and general look around. The Tony and the Monastery fired upon us most of the day but we had encamped out of range. The next day we moved out of the camp at 3am and began surrounding the villages around Gyantsee - most of which we took very easily. One on the side of a hill gave us a lot of trouble and had to be stormed by the Gurkhas and Pathans from both sides - here Captain Caas of the 40th Pathans and two other officers were wounded, beside some Sepoys. We got back to our new camp, the north side of the Tony at 8.30pm in the dark.

The next morning we had an armistice with the Tibetans as some delegates from Lhassa had arrived - this continued for three days - with no result. We now determined however to make our big attack on the "Tony" so at midnight on the 5th we moved out and took up our positions on the south east side of the Tony at Palla village where I had orders to found a Dressing Station.

At 3.30 all the Tibetans at the front of the Tony discovered us and began firing vigorously. Here the Sappers and Miners were trying to blow up a house - to form our first point of attack. Directly the explosion occurred, our attack began and continued for several hours, we eventually took the village at the foot of the Tony. At 5pm two fresh companies - of Gurkhas and Royal Fusiliers - were ordered to storm the side of the Tony through a breach in the Tony's walls made by the 7th M Battery. Under a tremendous fusillade and the shells of the Battery and Maxim fire! These troups made their way up the side of the Tony, beating back the Tibetans. It was a grand sight to see, our shells bursting only a few yards in front of our men thus clearing the Tibetans out of our way. As they ran out like rabbits from their covered ways and holes and from behind their Sanyars, so they were shot by the Maxim and rifle fire. At 6.46pm we had won the Tony after 16 hours of fighting. We had about 20 casualties including Gurdan of 32nd Pioneers, who was working with the Sappers and Miners. Sheppard as usual had a charmed life.

The next day we had a rest which we were very glad of as I had a lot to do in the hospital. Only one case required an operation - Bowden Smith, Lieutenant R& required a bullet extracted from the back of his neck. The next day I had to go with part of my hospital to Gyantsee - 14 miles from here - where the enemy were supposed to have fled to - but on arriving we found they had again retired. So we went one day and came back the next. During my absence a Company of the Fusiliers had been more or less blown up by gunpowder in the Tony so on my return I had my hands full dressing about a dozen badly burnt men - none luckily were killed.

This is a filthy camp here - clouds of dust all day long and one looks a regular sweep. I have received your letters alright and was delighted to hear of your good Shikar. I hear you are on your way back now - so I think I had better address this to Rao. We are now preparing for our advance to Lhassa. The orders at present are for Thursday the 14th. If you can manage to send me a couple of boxes of cigarettes I shall be glad, We shall probably get a parcel post on from here sometime or other. I hope to pick up some more "loot" curios tomorrow, but except as curios they are of no value.

Hoping you are fit - I am the above but somewhat "tired" - you know what I mean - a little comfort and luxury would be appreciated.

Your affectionate brother

Cecil.

Gyantsee 10-07-1904

Dear Delia,

Since arriving here from Kanyma nearly a fortnight ago the whole force has been so busy that we have been unable to write. I only arrived here from Danytsee 14 miles from here - where we had been despatched to drive away the enemy who had retired there after the taking of the Tony - As a matter of fact the enemy did not wait for us. We were away altogether three days and were recalled as the rumour in the camp goes that we start for Lhassa on Wednesday the 13th inst.

The taking of the Tony - I must shortly describe. I was ordered to take my hospital to Palla village - from whence the attack was meant to start - and form a dressing station there for the wounded there. We left our camp at midnight the night before and arrived at Palla village at 2am. At 3.30 am, the enemy discovered the Sappers and Miners attempting to blow up a wall and immediately a blaze of fire broke out from the Tony and the Monastery. This was a very pretty sight as it was still quite dark.

The bullets were "whizzing" all over the place but except when we came out of our cover to see the show we were quite safe. I had a splendid view of the whole attack - made by three columns working forwards simultaneously who eventually took the village houses at the base of the Tung. The batteries then came in to action and shelled the Tony - for several hours -firing shells at any building which fired up on us. One never saw a Tibetan and anywhere - they moved about in hundreds all over the Tony by "covered" ways - hence our difficulty in locating them except by their fire.

Even when their shelters were blown to pieces by the battery shells - those who were unhurt escaped to another shelter or fort unobserved. Thus the attack went on for 12 hours and it looked as if we should never take the Tony.

At 5pm the General ordered one company each of the Royal Fusiliers and 8th Gurkhas to scale the fort through a break which had been made in to the Tony by repeated shellings of the Battery at one spot. I saw these men start from Palla and skirmish across the open towards the Tony. We all watched them breathlessly as the Tibetans poured a tremendous fire upon them. One Gurkha was hit in the leg after going only 100 yards - he was brought back by the Regimental Stretcher Bearers to me to dress. We saw them reach the base of the Tony and disappear - after about half an hour we saw to our delight a few struggling up the cliff taking advantage of every spot of "cover" to shield them from the enemy's fire.

All this time a tremendous fusillade was kept up on the Tony by every available rifle and gun of the Battery's to distract the attention of the enemy from the Storming Party. It was really wonderful to see a shell bursting only 30 yards in front of our men and our men taking advantage of the bursting of it to rush up to this very spot from which the enemy had up at that very moment fled. As they fled so the Maxim Guns mowed them down. Well as you know from the papers - we reached the summit of the Tony and the enemy were beaten. This Monastery still fired upon us but when the Tony was taken we knew we had won the day.

At 6.30 pm we rode over to the base of the Tony and enquired how many wounded there were for me and found to my relief only three Fusiliers and two officers - Bowden Smith and Nicolas. My cases at the dressing station at Palla had all been Sepoys Natives. I got these men back to camp at 8pm and my night and day was over. How there were so few Casualties I cannot imagine. The next day was a day off except for the C officers few wounded. I only had one small operation - removing a bullet from the back of the neck of Bowden Smith.

The day after I went with the force to see Donytsee bring brings me up to date. This afternoon I received your mail letters from you enclosing Bs from Amy and from No.19 - Grandma. I hope you received the Tibetan scrolls safely - they were all taken from the Monastery of Tsechen which was three days after arriving here. You must patch them up and clean them. Everything is dirty up here. Give any away that you don't want. Have several other things - loot of the sorts - which I will send along when I have time to pack them up. Amy's account of my loot and interview with the "curator" was very amusing. Tell her know - up here - he is a Barts man - he is now back at Kalamatzo back there from here.

Whilst I was away at Donytsee, several Fusiliers were blown up by gunpowder at the Tony and I have now 8 badly burnt in the hospital so I am very busy. Very tired must go to bed - as I have a busy day in hospital tomorrow and have much to arrange if we are off to Lhassa. Much love. Am quite fit though everyone here has a cold and sore throat from the wet ground.

Your Affectionate Brother

Cecil.