Sam Browne
Encyclopedia
General Sir Samuel James Browne VC
GCB
KCSI
(3 October 1824 – 14 March 1901) was a British Indian Army
cavalry
officer in India
and the Afghanistan
, best known today as the namesake of the Sam Browne belt
. He was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
forces.
, India, the son of Dr. John Browne, a surgeon in the Bengal
Medical Service and his wife Charlotte (née Swinton). Browne joined the 46th Bengal Native Infantry as a subaltern, participating in action at Ramnuggar
, Sadoolapore, Chillianwalla
and Gujarat
. In 1849 he was made a lieutenant and tasked with raising a cavalry force, to be designated the 2nd Punjab
Irregular
Cavalry and later incorporated into the regular force. He would command this unit for the next five years. Later (1904) the unit would be re-designated as the 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) in his honour.
Browne won the Victoria Cross
on 31 August 1858 at Seerporah, India. His citation reads:
would be adopted by other officers who knew Browne in India, but it was not to come into common use in the British Army
until after his retirement.
Browne's original belt is now on public display in the Indian Army Memorial Room of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
Browne brought 16,000 troops and 48 guns to the Khyber Pass
, capturing the key fortress of Ali Masjid, which commanded its entry, and afterward proceeding through the pass and capturing Jalalabad. Browne was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
for this action.
Browne was promoted to general in 1878, and awarded the Order of the Bath's Grand Cross in 1891.
on the Isle of Wight
, England and died there at the age of 76. His remains were cremated but there is a memorial marker dedicated to Browne in the Ryde Town Cemetery, as well as plaques at St Paul's Cathedral
and Lahore Cathedral.
(Chelsea, England).
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KCSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(3 October 1824 – 14 March 1901) was a British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, best known today as the namesake of the Sam Browne belt
Sam Browne belt
The Sam Browne belt is a wide belt, usually leather, which is supported by a strap going diagonally over the right shoulder. It is most often seen as part of a military or police uniform.-Origins:...
. He was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Early life
He was born in BarrackporeBarrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
, India, the son of Dr. John Browne, a surgeon in the Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
Medical Service and his wife Charlotte (née Swinton). Browne joined the 46th Bengal Native Infantry as a subaltern, participating in action at Ramnuggar
Battle of Ramnagar
The Battle of Ramnagar was fought on 22 November 1848 between British and Sikh forces during the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The British were led by Sir Hugh Gough, while the Sikhs were led by Sher Singh Attariwalla.-Background:...
, Sadoolapore, Chillianwalla
Battle of Chillianwala
The Battle of Chillianwala was fought during the Second Anglo-Sikh War in the Chillianwala region of Punjab, now part of modern-day Pakistan. The battle was one of the bloodiest fought by the British East India Company. Both armies held their positions at the end of the battle and both sides...
and Gujarat
Battle of Gujarat
The Battle of Gujrat was a decisive battle in the Second Anglo-Sikh War, fought on 21 February 1849, between the forces of the British East India Company, and a Sikh army in rebellion against the Company's control of the Sikh Kingdom, represented by the child Maharaja Duleep Singh who was in...
. In 1849 he was made a lieutenant and tasked with raising a cavalry force, to be designated the 2nd Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
Irregular
Irregular military
Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is significant variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
Cavalry and later incorporated into the regular force. He would command this unit for the next five years. Later (1904) the unit would be re-designated as the 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) in his honour.
Indian Mutiny
Browne led the 2nd Punjab in several engagements, and was decorated for action during the Bozdar Expedition in 1857, being promoted to captain.Browne won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
on 31 August 1858 at Seerporah, India. His citation reads:
Sam Browne belt
Sometime after this incident he began to wear the accoutrement which bears his name, as compensation for the difficulty his disability caused with wearing his officer's sword. Later the wearing of the Sam Browne beltSam Browne belt
The Sam Browne belt is a wide belt, usually leather, which is supported by a strap going diagonally over the right shoulder. It is most often seen as part of a military or police uniform.-Origins:...
would be adopted by other officers who knew Browne in India, but it was not to come into common use in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
until after his retirement.
Browne's original belt is now on public display in the Indian Army Memorial Room of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
Second Anglo-Afghanistan War
In 1878, as commander of the Peshawar Field Force during the Second Afghan WarSecond Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
Browne brought 16,000 troops and 48 guns to the Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....
, capturing the key fortress of Ali Masjid, which commanded its entry, and afterward proceeding through the pass and capturing Jalalabad. Browne was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
for this action.
Browne was promoted to general in 1878, and awarded the Order of the Bath's Grand Cross in 1891.
Later life
He retired from the army in 1898, relocated to RydeRyde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, England and died there at the age of 76. His remains were cremated but there is a memorial marker dedicated to Browne in the Ryde Town Cemetery, as well as plaques at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and Lahore Cathedral.
The Medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army MuseumNational Army Museum
The National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
(Chelsea, England).
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Isle of Wight)