The historically important Afghan medal to Lieutenant Richard Trevor Chute, 66th (Berkshire) Regiment who was killed in the last stand at the battle of Maiwand

AFGHANISTAN 1878-80, no clasp (Lieut. R.T. Chute, 66th Foot) sometime cleaned and polished, therefore nearly very fine

Richard Trevor Chute, who was killed in action at Maiwand on the 27th July, 1880, was the youngest son of the late Richard Chute, Esq., DL., of Chute Hall, Co. Kerry and the Honourable Mrs. Chute, daughter of the late Lord Ventry; and was a nephew of General Sir Trevor Chute K.C.B. (see lot 235). He was born in Kerry on the 17th September, 1856, was educated at Wimbledon School, and in 1875 joined the Cavan Militia, from which, in October, 1877, he received his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the 66th Regiment. He embarked, shortly afterwards, for India to join the Headquarters, and after serving for a period at Kolaba, Haidarabad, and Karachi, he received, in June, 1879, his lieutenancy. He was subsequently appointed Acting Quartermaster to the regiment, in which capacity he served till the day of his death. On the 66th being ordered to the front, in February, 1880, Chute proceeded with it in its march through the Bolan, and shared with it at Kandahar the duties which fell to its lot. He took part, in the first week of July, in the advance of Burrows' Brigade to the Halmand, and during the action in the neighbourhood of Kirishk on the 14th of the month his company was one of those detailed to guard the camp on the left bank of the river. In the disastrous battle of Maiwand on the 27th, he fell fighting gallantly against the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, being one of the little band who sold their lives so dearly in the garden where the last desperate stand was made.

The following extract is taken from 'My God-Maiwand' by Leigh Maxwell:'At last only Lieutenant Chute, Hinde and nine men lived, and they preferred to fight to the death in the open rather than boxed in by walls of mud-brick. The Kizilbash artillery colonel was forward with his guns, and gave an eye-witness account of their last stand. 'Surrounded by the whole of the Afghan army, they fought on until only eleven men were left, inflicting enormous loss on their enemy. These men charged out of the garden, and died with their faces to the foe, fighting to the death. Such was the nature of their charge, and the grandeur of their bearing, that although the whole of the ghazis were assembled around them, no one dared to approach to cut them down. Thus, standing in the open, back to back, firing steadily and truly, every shot telling, surrounded by thousands, these officers and men died; and it was not until the last man was shot down that the ghazis dared advance upon them. The conduct of these men was the admiration of all that witnessed it.' The end came just before sunset-officers and soldiers, privates of the 66th and sepoys of the Bombay Army, they died together, taunting their foes and daring them to come on and fight! This Afghan colonel's evidence was confirmed by the number of dead horses, once mounts of the tribal cavalry, lying in a circle around a spot in the field outside the last garden's retaining wall.'