Col. Robert Blackall GRAHAM C.B.E. ²

  General Notes:

Census England 1881: age 7, with his Grand father George N. Wyatt in Cheltenham
Census England 1891: age 17, Boarder, Wellington College in Reading, Berkshire
RMC, Sandhurst.
Colonel Indian Army, C.B.E. 1919

First Commission 07 March 1894
N.W. Frontier of India 1897-1898. Tochi medal with clasp
South African War 1899-1900. Advance on Kimberley, including action at Magersfountain. Severely wounded, Queen's medal with clasp.
Capt., vice A. Sutherland, seconded dated 14th. Febuary, 1900 (London Gaz. March 20,1900)
Seconded for service with the Burma Military Police. 1st September 1902 (London Gaz. December 23d., 1902)
Capt. 93d. Highlanders in 1903, Argyle & Sutherland (Kathleen Mary Graham's birth certificate in our possession)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyll_and_Sutherland_Highlanders
Appointed Indian Army 28 August 1908
Major 33d. Punjabis 7 March 1912 (London Gaz. 23d April, 1912)
Military report on the arrangements for the Coronation Durbar held at Delhi in December 1911. Maj Robert Blackall Graham, 33rd Punjabis. Calcutta: Govt of India, 1913. - ref. IOR/L/MIL/17/5/1813 - date: 1913
Egypt, Nov 1914 to June 1915 and Jan / Feb 1916
France, July 1915 to December 1915
Aden, March 1916 to April 1917
East Africa May 1917 to November 1918
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General in Daressalam, East Africa in 1918
Despatches, Lon Gas. 15 June 1916 & 5 June 1919 Brev. of Lt. Col. C.B.E.
Lt. Col. 16th. Punjab Regiment, 10th Bn.
Col. 16th. Punjab R. 1 Aug 1922, Commdt. dg Multan
Col. 46th Punjab Regt. 19 Feb. 1925
Was retired in 1931 (source: his son Douglas Graham marriage certificate)
Died 12/04/1944 in Assam, North East India, buried at Gauhati War Cemetery, grave reference 3.L.2.
Separated from his wife and had other issues.

Sources: Graham Robert Blackall IOR/L/MIL/9/237/164-71 1952238. The Cadet papers are under reference IOR/L/MIL/9/xxx at the O.I.O. Collection at the British Library in London.

Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912 Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912
Surname: Graham Given Name: Robert Blackall Birth Date: 2 Mar 74 FIRST COMM: 7 Mar 94 DATE RANK: 11 Feb 00 RANK: Captain COMPANY: British Officers of the Indian Army REMARKS: 33 Punjabis Page #: 119

Battle of Magersfontein, South Africa, War: The Boer War. Date: 11th December 1899.
Place: 6 miles north east of the Modder River in the North West of Cape Colony, South Africa.

http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/magersfontein.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Magersfontein

Transcript of an undated newspaper cutting:

AN ESCAPE AT MAGERSFONTEIN. Colonel Graham of Cheltenham has received a letter from his son, Lieutenant R.B. Graham from the 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who was wounded at Magersfontain. Writing from the hospital in Capetown on December 19th Lieutenant Graham says:
"I must say we had a most fearful experience, and I never wish to be in a ' show ' like that one again. We advanced towards Magersfontein) about 12.30 on Monday morning, the 11th, and marched till about 3.30. It was simply pelting, and the night was as black as ink. The Boers let us get up to within 100 yards of their entrenchments, and then opened a most murderous fire on us. The Seaforths and ourselves were leading the attack; we fixed bayonets and charged right on to their position in 'extended' order; when they fired at us we were in 'close' formation, but we did not remain like that long.
The guides who were leading us had made a mistake as to the distance, which cost us a great many men.
Well, I, with the Colonel, a few of our men and a few of the Seaforths and Black Watch, got right on to the nearest kopje, when we had to retire as the Boers were firing at us from in front in great numbers and our own men were firing from behind us at the Boers, so of course could not help hitting some of us. I do not know what regiment they belonged to, but it made it too hot for us. I do not think there is the least doubt we should have taken fire position if it had not been for this, as also two wire fences we had to get over during our charge. We lost a great many poor fellows during our retirement especially at these wire fences. I managed to get through however, and we joined the others, and lay down and fired at the Boers on the kopjes (when we could catch sight of them). It was while lying there, on the right of the line, that I was hit. The bullet went in at my left side above the hip and came out at the right side a little lower down. Luckily, it was a Mauser bullet, for had it been a Martini or an explosive one, I would not be here now. As it is, the doctors cannot make it out at all and say my escape is miraculous. It must have touched my spine, as that is where I suffer pain; it cannot, however, have done me any permanent injury, as I can move my legs all right. We had a very bad time of it, as I was hit about 5.30 a.m. on Monday, 11th, and we had to lie out there till after mid-day on Tuesday (31 hours) before we were picked up by our ambulances, which the Boers allowed to come out. There we lay in the broiling sun all day, and it took all the skin off my legs. I tried once to pull my hose up, but there was such a hail of bullets from the Boers, directly a finger was moved, I gave it up. How we were not hit again is more than I can say. While I was lying there with my rifle across my front-the thick butt in front of my head as a sort of protection-a bullet or a shell came and carried away quite four inches off the top of my rifle. That was a bit of a shave, was it not? The night on Monday was even more trying, as it was bitterly cold, and we had no covering of any sort except one very small waterproof sheet between two of us, which someone left behind.
A great many poor fellows died from the cold, I am afraid. The firing only stopped at 7.30 p.m. on Monday, up till which time there were shells bursting and bullets fizzing all round us. Our loss was very great; about 1000 killed and wounded, and 55 officers in the Highland Brigade alone. I believe when General Wauchope was hit, he said, 'Don't blame me, my lads; it was not my fault.' Our poor Colonel (Colonel Goff) is gone; Also Major Robinson, and poor young King. He, poor fellow, was shot by a man who got up 25 yards in front of his company and dropped him. The men charged, and he threw down his arms and begged for mercy; but they bayoneted him. It is a way they have; they think they can shoot you down till you get within five yards of them and then that they have only to throw down their arms to be quite safe. I am quite out of danger, I am sure. I sent you a telegram as I thought it would relieve your anxiety as I had been reported 'missing'. All the regiment thought I was dead, as several men had come in and said they had seen me shot through the stomach, and that I had died at once; so, as you may imagine, they were not a little surprised at seeing me turn up."

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census, 1881, Cheltenham, Gloucester, England with Gd. father Wyatt.

2. Census, 1891, Wellington College, Reading, Berkshire, England.

3. Military Service: First commission, 7 Mar 1894, England, United Kingdom.

4. Military Service: N.W. Frontier, 1897-1898, India.

5. Military Service: Boer War, 1899-1900, South Africa.

6. Military Service: Seriously wounded, 11 Dec 1899, Magersfontein. South Africa.

7. Military Service: Seconded Burma Military Police, 1 Sep 1902, Burma, India.

8. Military Service: Captain Argyle & Suntherland, 93d Highlanders, 14 Feb 1900, South Africa.

9. Military Service: Appointed Indian Army, 28 Aug 1908, India.

10. Military Service: Major 33d Punjabis, 7 Mar 1912, India.

11. Military Service: WW I, Nov 1914-Jun 1915, Egypt.

12. Military Service: WW I, Jul 1915-Dec 1915, France.

13. Military Service: WW I, Jan-Feb 1916, Egypt.

14. Military Service, Mar 1916-Apr 1917, Aden, Yemen.

15. Military Service, May 1917-Nov 1918, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania.

16. Military Service: Brev. of Lt. Col., CBE, 5 Jun 1919, India.

17. Military Service: Col. 16th Punjab, 1 Aug 1922, Multan, Bengal, India.

18. Military Service: col. 46th. Punjab, 19 Feb 1925, India.

19. Military Discharge, Abt 1931, India.

Robert married Margaret Grace RATHBORNE, daughter of Col. William Hans RATHBORNE R.E. and Bella Grace McNEALE, on 5 Sep 1900 in Cheltenham, Gloucester, England.¹ (Margaret Grace RATHBORNE was born on 4 May 1880 in Cheltenham, Gloucester, England and died on 12 Dec 1971 in Harrow, Middlesex, England ³.)

Robert had a relationship with Eileen Elenor BLYTHE, daughter of Unknown and Mary Anne Frances BLYTHE, about 1918. (Eileen Elenor BLYTHE was born on 5 Feb 1885 in Norwich, Norfolk, England ⁴, christened on 19 Apr 1885 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England and died on 20 May 1971 in Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire, England ⁵.)