BRITISH GRAVEYARD AT ALOR GAJAH

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One Man & his Dog & Horse

– British Graveyard at ALOR GAJAH

One of the ‘Places of Interest’ marked on map of Melaka State is the British Graveyard in the small town of Alor Gajah.

Tucked away in the grounds of a Primary School, it’s a very small graveyard, a fenced enclosure containing just three graves belonging to an English soldier, his horse and his dog.

The dog’s grave is the one in front, the soldier in the middle and the horse behind.

The soldier’s name was George Holford Walker. He was only 18 years old when he was killed serving as a Junior Officer with the 5th Madras Native Infantry, a regiment of the Madras Army of the (British) Honourable East India Company.

The inscription on the tombstone reads:

To The Memory Of Ensign George Holford Walker Doing Duty With The 5th Regiment M.N.I Who Fell While Gallantly Leading On His Division To Storm A Stockade At Allegaza On The 3rd May 1832.

This Tablet Was Erected By His Brother Officers As A Mark Of Their Esteem For One So Universally Beloved.

A plaque (in Bahasa) at the graveyard explains the context of his death. In 1829 the British administration running Malacca attempted to impose taxes on the district of Naning at the rate of 10% of the total harvest.

Naning’s leader, Datuk Dol Said, refused to pay, arguing that Naning was outside Malacca’s jurisdiction and had not been taxed by the earlier Dutch and Portuguese colonizers.

Britain sent in troops in 1831 but they were repulsed by Dol Said’s men. In 1832, a stronger British force was sent to Naning and they overcame Dol Said who was bought off with a pension of $100 per month until his death in 1849.

Walker was one of the British casualties in this scrap. A fatal shot to the heart killed him instantly. Locals said his horse and dog stood loyally beside his dead body until they too died of thirst and grief. As a tribute to Walker’s youthful bravery and the devotion of his animal companions, the dog and horse were buried alongside their master.

# Text & photo credit :

The Thirfty Traveller

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30 October 2023 > 15 Rabiulakhir 1445H: 11.10 am