The interesting Burma 1889 Casualty India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 2 Clasps: Burma 1887-89, Burma 1885-7, awarded to Inspector W.B. Stuart, Kyauksi Military Police Battalion, Burma Police, who saw service during the Third Burmese War of 1885 to 1887, and then in the clear up operations through into 1889. Stuart was serving as an Assistant Superintendent of Police, when he was severely wounded in action during an encounter with dacoit’s under one Boy Lay near Westin in the Chindwin district on 6th May 1889. Stuart and 25 of the military police, attacked this strongly stockaded force of dacoits and severe fighting ensued. Stuart being severely wounded, along with one sepoy dangerously, and another slightly wounded. His force was beaten back, and Stuart was evacuated for treatment at Kendat. The Superintendent of the Police of Kendat then immediately left for the dacoit’s position with 30 men of the mounted infantry of the 10th Bengal Infantry and 16 mounted police, attacked the gang, and burnt their camp, killing ten dacoits. Rare to this unit.
India General Service Medal 1854-1895, 2 Clasps: Burma 1887-89, Burma 1885-7, mounted in that order as issued, engraved naming in italics; (INSPR. W.B. STUART. KYAUKSI MILY POLICE BN:)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
William Burlton Stuart was born on 13th January 1864, the son of Captain Henry Todd Stuart of the Madras Staff Corps. He followed in his fathers footsteps and travelled out to India, and as an Inspector with the Kyauksi Military Police Battalion, Burma Police, then saw service during the Third Burmese War of 1885 to 1887, and then in the clear up operations through into 1889.
From 1886 a number of units were raised specifically for the service in the newly annexed areas of upper Burma which now came under administration from India. At the same time military district police were raised in both upper and lower Burma. The levies and armed police battalions were recruited from a number of classes, including Punjabis, Hindustanis, Assamese, Manipuris, and Gurkhas. The local tribes were not considered suitable for recruitment. The men, although primarily soldiers, had the power of arrest but almost no knowledge of the military machine with it's concepts of teeth-arms, support corps etc. Later on, the recruiting net was spread wider and included Garhwalis, Sikhs, Rajputs, Karens and other Burmese and Indian frontier hill tribes. Most of the Gurkhas would have been domiciled in Assam or Burma or, it is thought, came from the Kiranti tribes of eastern Nepal - Limbus and Rais.
It was during the latter clear up operations on 6th May 1889 that Stuart, then an Assistant Superintendent of Police, was severely wounded in action during an encounter with dacoit. There are a couple of newspaper reports of the wounding, and some known telegrams which cover this incident.
The Englishman's Overland Mail reported on 7th May 1889 with the title of More Dacoits Defeated. ‘A band of 100 dakaits strongly stockaded near Westin in the Chindwin district under Boh Lay, were attacked by Mr. Stuart, Assistant Superintendent of Police, and 25 of the military police. The fighting was severe. Our casualties were Mr. Stuart severely, one sepoy dangerously, and another slightly wounded, and all have been brought into Kendat. The Superintendent of the Police of Kendat immediately left with 30 men of the mounted infantry of the 10th Bengal Infantry and 16 mounted police, attacked the gang, burnt their camp,and killed ten dakoits'.
The Aberdeen Press and Journal for 8th May 1889 reported under the title of Fight with Dacoits in Burma. Calcutta, Friday. ‘A severe encounter with Dacoits is reported from the Chindwin district. A gang of about 100 Dacoits were attacked by Mr Stuart and a party of military police. The fight was severe, and Mr Stuart fell seriously wounded. The police retreated, but being reinforced returned and captured the position, burning the Dacoits’ camp'. Stuart died on 1st March 1944 at Worthing, Sussex.
