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 Posted by plbramham » Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:56 am
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 General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
| Regimental crests carved into the rocks in the Cherat Hills (Border Regt on extreme left above soldiers).
Cherat was a hill station (4,500 feet elevation ) and sanatorium for British troops above the village of Saleh Khana commanding a view over the whole of the Peshwar valley, part of the Khwarra valley and the Kohat district. It is in the Nowshera District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 34 miles south east from Peshawar. The British authorities built a hospital, church, and a few bungalows. During summer it was the headquarters of the Peshawar Division command, and of one of the two British regiments stationed at Peshawar. In the March 1901 census there were 376 inhabitants , but this rose to a garrison of sometimes 1,000 men in the hot season. |
| Posted by kerchi » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:49 am
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 Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| Is the black and white photo above from the same area as this photo below posted by forum member westmorland in this topic: Border Badge in the Khyber Pass
I thought the Cherat Rd and the Khyber Pass were the same thing or at least in the same area between Cherat and Peshawar. I am probably way off and getting muddled somewhere but how many of thee amazing carvings are there in these hills? The craftsmanship to carve such detailed work into the rock is simply eye-popping. I had a try at carving wood in my college days in the early 90's (yes, I even had a ponytail and wore baggy jumpers) and it was considerably difficult to get it right so I continued doing what I was better at....drawing. |
| Posted by plbramham » Sat Oct 20, 2012 11:27 am
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General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
| Yes Cherat & Khyber are the same area.
I wonder if the two sets of carvings (they are not the same) are at the opposite ends of the pass. They are not the same, because the one on the previous colour photo is on a flat rectangular background and at the top of the rock formation, while the black and white one named as Cherat is on the left of a group of carvings. It is carved into its surrounding rock with no flat background and it is in the style of a territorial (2/4th?) crest i.e. no battle honours and also with TWO scrolls beneath the crest. I think the one on the colour photo, and the other regimental crests on that one, look like they are from cast concrete moulds, whereas the Cherat ones were carved into the actual rock. |
| Posted by kerchi » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:54 pm
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Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| Thanks for the clarification.
I thought they were the same. This is something I would like to see with my own eyes but it would be a costly trip so I guess I will have to put it on the long list of things still to do (somewhere near the bottom probably). |
| Posted by plbramham » Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:54 pm
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General Global moderator Posts: 1369 |
| I’m now attaching another photo (which I’ve had to enlarge a lot and it’s pixelating), where you can see that the crest is set into the rock and is for 2/4th Btn. 1917-1918.
Paul |
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