Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) gun, Elephant Battery, Royal Artillery, 1890 (c)

Photograph, India, 1890 (c).

40-pounder artillery piece with a two elephant team harnessed in tandem with mahouts and artillery crew.

Elephant batteries were used by the British in a number of campaigns including the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), Abyssinia (1867-1868) and the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880). Elephants were regarded as efficient and intelligent draught animals but less reliable under fire.

From an album containing 73 photographs collected by Captain (later Honorary Major) Charles James Fox of the Bedfordshire Regiment, 1886-1894 (c).