THE PUNJAB CAMPAIGN MEDAL AWARDED TO CAPTAIN (LATER MAJOR) HENRY J. WOODWARD, 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), THE FIRST REGIMENTAL HISTORIAN OF THE 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN FUSILIERS.

THE PUNJAB CAMPAIGN MEDAL AWARDED TO CAPTAIN (LATER MAJOR) HENRY J. WOODWARD, 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN REGIMENT (THE POST 1880 2ND BATTALION ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS), THE FIRST REGIMENTAL HISTORIAN OF THE 1ST BOMBAY EUROPEAN FUSILIERS. Punjab Medal 1848-49, 2 clasps, Mooltan, Goojerat (officially impressed: CAPTN. HENRY J. WOODWARD, 1ST. EUR. FUSILIERS.). Good Very Fine.

Henry Jacob Woodward was appointed a Cadet in the East India Company’s service during the season of 1826, and first commissioned Ensign, 1st Bombay European Regiment, 16th February 1827, and promoted Lieutenant, 10th May 1829, Captain, 16th February 1842, and retired with the rank of Major on 28 November 1854

The regimental history, “Crown and Company”, quotes extensively from the journal of W.G. Mainwaring, who saw service as a Subaltern with the 1st Bombay European Regiment during the Punjab campaign. Woodward being mentioned on a number of occasions in the journal extracts with regard to the operations around Mooltan, September 1848 to January 1849. Mainwaring records that on Sunday 15th October 1848 a wing of the regiment embarked aboard the steamer Meteor and the flatboat Ravee at Tatta Bunder, No. 9 Company and 47 men from No. 10 Company aboard the steamer, with the remaining companies travelling in the flatboat under the command of Woodward. Mainwaring later recorded that, on Monday 23rd October, the wing of the regiment arrived at a wood station, where they were due to pick up fuel and supplies, and that the supplies, which comprised beef and mutton, were not fit to eat. As a result, it appears that the men of the regiment set about obtaining supplies of fresh meat themselves, the head of the local village later complaining that men from the regiment were stealing his chickens. At this point Woodward ordered that “assembly” be sounded, whereupon he formed up the wing of the regiment and began haranguing them about their behaviour, asking the assembled troops “have any of you men bought chickens?”. There was dead silence, whereupon Woodward responded “Then if nobody has bought any chickens, there can be no chickens to cook tomorrow morning. Orderly Sergeants, take care that the men have no chickens tomorrow morning”. Woodward had obviously caught his men out, and the rest of the evening found them men complaining bitterly and making every excuse for the fact that they actually had chickens. Eventually, Woodward relented and countermanded his anti-fowl-cooking order, but placed a guard of 2 sergeants, 2 corporals and 12 sergeants over the village to prevent any further rustling. On Tuesday 28th November Woodward, with two other officers, were tasked with evacuating a body of sick men down-river to Sukkur. On Sunday 24th December the steamer Napier returned with the sick men who had recovered, along with Woodward and five other officers.

The final operations around and assault on Mooltan took place in late December of 1848 and January 1849. Woodward is noted as having played a prominent part in the operations of 27th December, when the Sikh forces attempted to move out of Mooltan and occupy houses and walls on the right flank of the Bombay Europeans, with a view to driving a wedge between them and the 60th Foot, who held positions immediately on the right of the Bombay Europeans. The colonel of the Bombay Europeans ordered that the positions occupied by the Sikhs be cleared immediately, if necessary at the point of the bayonet, and communications be re-established with the 60th Foot. Nos. 9 and 10 Companies of the Bombay Europeans, led by Woodward and five other officers, were selected for the task. As the two companies advanced, they came under fire from the Sikh positions. Once the Bombay Europeans got within 100 yards of their quarry, orders were given that the two companies were to fan out in extended order, and, moving at the double, with orders that no man was to fire, clear the Sikh positions with the bayonet. As they did so, the defending Sikh troops broke and ran, with all but the odd straggler racing to the rear. The Bombay Europeans drove on until they were below the walls of the fortress of Mooltan, and eventually re-established contact with the 60th Foot.

Following the successful conclusion of the Punjab campaign, Woodward was invalided on 30/11/1849, and placed on the Invalid Establishment, retaining the rank of Captain. He retired with the rank of Captain on 11/7/1852, and was promoted Major, 28/11/1854.

Mainwaring and Woodward not only served together in the 1st Bombay European Regiment, they were both regimental historians. Major Woodward was the first regimental historian of the 1st Bombay European Fusiliers, Mainwaring, in his preface to “Crown and Company” noting that the foundation for his work had been a small book published at Devonport in 1875, under the supervision of Lieutenant and Adjutant R.H. Mansell, which itself was based on an unpublished manuscript history written by Captain Woodward, which was at that time (1911) preserved in the officer’s mess of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The present whereabouts of Captain Woodward’s history is unknown.

A Lieutenant-Colonel Henry J. Woodward commanded the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers in Burma during the campaigns of 1885-87. Perhaps a relative (son?) of the recipient.