“With the Tongboo Field Force, Burma-Somerset Light Infantry Crossing the Twsa River,” from a Sketch by a Military Officer in “The Graphic” (16 January 1886)

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With the Tongboo Field Force, Burma-Somerset Light Infantry Crossing the Twsa River, from a Sketch by a Military Officer

16 January 1886

wood-engraving

32 cm high by 22.3 cm wide — 11 ⅞ inches by 8 ⅞ inches

Illustration for The Graphic, p. 53.

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Commentary: The Third British Burma War Illustrated

The Anglo-Burmese Wars between two expanding empires, the British Empire and the Konbaung dynasty, had three stages: the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26); the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-53); and the Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-86). The British finally succeeded in annexing the last part of Burma's once-extensive empire, Upper Burma, on 1 January 1886. The Konbaung dynasty had been brought down, and King Thibaw deposed, in British India's most expensive and longest oconflict, costing £400 million and spanning six decades.

The Graphic's caption here indicates that the British regiment from Somerset had been renamed and repurposed for the final stage of the war. The camaraderie of the young British soldiers wading manfully through waist-high water carrying their tropical kit seems designed to elicit the unqualified support of a patriotic British public.

When the proclamation of imperial annexation was formally delivered by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Lord Dufferin (1844-1910), the once independent country was reduced to a mere province of British India. However, "resistance continued for several years" (Aung-Thwin). A few months later, the periodical would run more illustrations of fighting in Burma:

A follow-up Article — "The Fighting in Burma" (3 July 1886)

Our engravings are from sketches by an officer now serving in Burma, and show some of the skirmishes which have taken place between our troops and the rebels during the campaign. The first depicts some Dacoits being shelled by our guns from the top of the cliff at Popa Pass, on March 19th, our force consisting of the 8th King's Regiment, 2nd Queen's Own Bengal Light Infantry, 11th Bengal Infantry, a mountain battery of two guns, and a detachment of Sappers and Miners. The whole force was commanded by Colonel Ommaney, 11th Bengal Infantry. The enemy held a strong position, but, after some sharp fighting, were defeated, and retired with loss. One gunner was wounded. ["The Late Rebellion in Lower Burma," Vol. 34, p. 5]

Link to Related Material

The Fighting with the Dacoits in Burma, and The Elephant Hunt and the Rebel Leader

Bibliography

Aung-Thwin, Michael Arthur. "The British in Burma, 1885—1948." The Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com/topic/history-of-Myanmar/The-British-in-Burma-1885-1948 (Accessed 27 March 2025).

“With the Tongboo Field Force, Burma-Somerset Light Infantry Crossing the Twsa River,” from a Sketch by a Military Officer. The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper, No. 842, Vol. 33 (16 January 1886): 53.

Created 26 March 2025