On 20th October the enemy were again in force on the heights, and in
much greater numbers, and a second attack became necessary. The troops
upon whom this duty fell were the 2nd Ghurkhas, the 1st Dorset and the
Derbyshire, with the Gordon Highlanders in reserve. The first to cross
were the gallant Ghurkhas, led by Colonel Travers, Captains McIntyre,
Bower, and Norie, and Lieutenant Tillard; these succeeded in crossing
unhurt, but with the loss of 30 men, and Major Judge and Captain
Robinson. The bullets now swept the ridge, and in attempting to follow
many a brave Dorset and Derby was killed, officers and men, and but few
reached the Ghurkhas. To quote from the despatch of Sir William
Lockhart--
"By 11:30 the force was in formation under cover in readiness to capture
the heights, but when the 2nd Ghurkas, accompanied by the Ghurka scouts
of the first battalion 3rd Ghurkas, made their first rush across the
open, they were met by such a hot and well-aimed fire that all they
could do was to hold on to the position they had reached without being
able to advance farther. At 2 p.m. the Dorsetshire Regiment was ordered
to storm the enemy's intrenchments, but though a few men were able to
get across the fire-swept zone, an advance beyond the line held by the
2nd Ghurkas was reported by the commanding officer to be impracticable
owing to the large number of tribesmen lining the edge of the Dargai
plateau, and the steepness of the slope leading up to it. The General
officer commanding the second division accordingly ordered
Brigadier-General Kempster to move up the Gordon Highlanders and the 3rd
Sikhs, the former regiment being replaced on the lower spur which it had
hitherto occupied by the Jhind Imperial Service Infantry.
"The Gordon Highlanders went straight up the hill without check or
hesitation. Headed by their pipers, and led by Lieutenant-Colonel
Mathias, C.B., with Major Macbean on his right and Lieutenant A.F.
Gordon on his left, this splendid battalion marched across the open. It
dashed through a murderous fire, and in forty minutes had won the
heights, leaving 3 officers and 30 men killed or wounded on its way.
The first rush of the Gordon Highlanders was deserving of the highest
praise, for they had just undergone a very severe climb and had reached
a point beyond which other troops had been unable to advance for over
three hours.
"The first rush was followed at short intervals by a second and a third,
each led by officers, and as the leading companies went up the path for
the final assault the remainder of the troops, among whom the 3rd Sikhs
were conspicuous, streamed on in support. But few of the enemy waited
for the bayonet, many of them being shot down as they fled in confusion.
The position was won at 3:15."