3-052-453 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The late Lieutenant C. A. Montanaro, R.A., 1880. 'This promising young officer died on Dec. 20 last from the effect of wounds received on the 19th before Cabul [ie Kabul, Afghanistan]. Charles Alfred Montanaro was horn on June 20, 1855, was educated at the Southampton College, from which he passed direct into the Royal Military Academy (at his first attempt), in February, 1872, and got his commission in August, 1874, having been in the same term with the ill-fated Prince Imperial. He proceeded to India with his battery in January, 1876, and served at Allahabad and Morar until the beginning of 1878, when he was appointed to No. 2 Deragat Mountain Battery (Major Swinley's), at Abbotabad. He was amongst the first to cross the frontier, and was in all the skirmishes in the Kurum and Khost Valleys with General Sir F. Roberts's force. He was subsequently at the battle of Charasiab, and at the taking of Cabul. He invented a rack for carrying intrenching tools on mules, which was adopted by No. 2 Mountain Battery throughout the campaign, and he also invented an improved fuse, a few of which were in course of manufacture at the Dum Dum factory at the time of his untimely death'. From "Illustrated London News", 1880.