All Comments on 'The Tides Of War Pt. 06'

This chapter is very easily worth 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your latest addition to a truly marvellous story. I hope the next chapter is not far away. Thankyou for sharing your story with us.

Very well written...very interesting...love and war at the same time...a welcome difference. Thanks! Keep 'em coming...please!

Excellent, but seems we are missing some chapters

as the scene changed from a bedroom romp to defending the pass in one word.

Otherwise, a gripping chapter.

last together, but in war the term is endure and last. TK U MLJ LV NV

Thanks for sharing.

I continue to greatly enjoy this story but it seems like chapter 5.5 might have been misplaced...

The missing part contains chapters 22 to 25.

This would explain these points.

The further strengthening of defences in the pass.

The development of the illumination rockets and the grenades.

Intelligence about the Afghans movements and actions.

Why Dr. Fletcher decides to set up the aid station at the pass entrance.

I hate starting a good story that the author can't, or doesn't bother to finish. I've read too many that just quit in the middle. I've enjoyed the story so far, but it takes you so long to submit the next segment that I always have to go back and read the last page or so of the previous chapter so I can follow the new part.

I wish Literotica would insist that every author submit at least one chapter each day until it's finished. Sheeeeeeesh!!!!! Get on with it!

I'm so sorry for the delay in submitting, but unfortunately my proof reader has had family problems.

There will be a Part 5.5 that should clarify Part 6, with Part 7 arriving soon.

RobinLane

EXELLENT story.

5.5 really did precede 6, sorry but it worked pretty much before or after, grin, but I do see the need for the General's visit for whatever it is you have in mind for later. I think it was such a long gap that I had mislaid details about 6.

look forward to chap 7,8,9,10& 11, these people that complain that you take to long in bringing out chapters should do what i does, enjoy other authors to compensate for the long wait, myself i'm reading 8 stories . look forward to the next installment

Lit. should eliminate "Anonymous" ? (or allow $0.50 per anonymous comment...) simply referring to: Are you going to finish this thing??????

You get what you get on a free site or move on. To the author "Write On"

our "Thanks for sharing your hard work on Lit."

x

good read! Yes the spelling/grammar was not perfect but it did lend an air of authenticity to the tale and for myself, I found I quite enjoyed this quality.

Here's hoping for another 10+ chapters of this intriguing/amazing man in a time when "men were men" and women were rising as cream does to the top.

The Battle of Omdurman was in 1898. David and Susan celebrated the New Year (1888-1889) on board ship in Part 5. Where did the 9 years disappear? The Boer War was in 1905.

Playing fast and loose with historical facts weakens the story.

The following is an account of a real life action which took place about the same time as the events in this story. However, the troops involved were Sikhs not Gurkhas.

Saragarhi, the story of 21 men of the 36th Sikh Regiment (now 4th Bn The Sikh Regiment).

This is a heroic battle fought by a small isolated Signaling Relay Post (using heliograph) against heavy odds on 12 September 1897 in the Tirah region of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), now in Pakistan. Saragarhi was a small picket perched on a rocky rib cropping up transversely across a mountain range between a Battalion and its Coy HQs.

An estimate of 10 – 12,000 tribesmen attacked the post in hordes as a part of their plan to isolate the company from its Battalion HQ and prevent it from signaling for reinforcements (relay through the Saragarhi Post). They were met with aggressive resistance from the post commanded by Hav Ishar Singh who displayed extraordinary fighting spirit and junior leadership.

Surprised by the determination of these 21 fearless soldiers, the enemy made several tempting promises to secure their surrender which were rejected with choicest abuses.

During the day, the enemy suffered heavy casualties, the ranks and ammunition of the defenders too kept dwindling. Unmindful of his safety, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, the duty signaler kept signaling a minute-to-minute account of the battle to the Battalion HQs.

One of the messages sent by Hav Ishar Singh during the battle was "Down to half strength, but now each man has two rifles”. The walls of the post were breached after many attempts and only six defenders remained alive, they fixed bayonets on their rifles and charged the surprised attackers.

Finally, only Gurmukh Singh, remained in the signaling tower. Cool and collected he signaled "The enemy are inside now, request permission to stop signaling so I can join the fight". Battle accounts tell us that he carefully packed the heliograph in its case (signalmanship), fixed his bayonet and from his vantage point in the tower wrought havoc on the intruders in the post (bravado). He died fighting, but took 20 of the enemy with him, giving a good account of signalmanship and bravado.

The tribals admitted to 180 dead and many more wounded and dying, finally over 600 are reported to have died.

All the 21 valiant men were awarded the Indian Order of Merit which then was highest gallantry award given to Indian troops. If they had been white soldiers, they would have been given Victoria Crosses (VCs) like the defenders of Rorke's drift.