Ali Masjid fort, visible on the hilltop in the middle distance, with a temporary British camp in the foreground, 1919 (c)

Photograph by Randolph Bezzant Holmes (1888-1973), 3rd Afghan War, 1919 (c).

The fort sat upon steep cliffs and was located at the centre of the Khyber Pass, protecting its narrowest point. During the 3rd Afghan War (1919) Afridi tribesmen attacked British convoys in the pass as they advanced to relieve Landi Kotal. In response, units from the 2nd Division were stationed at Ali Masjid to guard the lines of communication in the Khyber.

From an album of 49 photographs compiled by E F E Armstrong, King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners, 1919-1920.