Private Miles Gissop c1879

This photo was taken in Mhow, Central India soon after the 17th Lancers moved there from South Africa following their distinguished service in the Zulu War. Gissop wears the full dress tunic with the low collar of that period. The yellow caplines end up round his neck when they would normally attach to his czapka. But he is in walking out order, as indicated by his stick, so would wear a pillbox forage cap. He has a campaign medal for South Africa (see Zulu War Medal) and a yellow good conduct stripe over his right cuff. Miles Gissop was born in 1858 which makes him 21 at the time of his involvement in the action at Ulundi in 1879. He was born in Leeds and became a cloth-dresser but enlisted in the 17th in 1878. He did not serve for very long, because he left the army some time between 1891 and 1895. The 17th came back from India in 1891. On his return to civilian life he found a job as a Co-operative Society teamster.
In November 1899, he was persuaded to give a lecture in the Morley Town Hall describing his experiences in the Zulu War. There is a transcript of that lecture here.

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