koket-bir

Updated: May 18, 2025

Part of the British army now took possession of the heights of Islamgye, while a party of the 33rd Regiment, the 10th company of Royal Engineers, and a company of Madras sappers were ordered to assault the Koket-bir gate of the fortress. The guns from Islamgye and the Fala saddle opened fire, and continued it during the afternoon.

William Henry Giles Kingston - Our Soldiers: Gallant Deeds of the British Army during Victoria's Reign

The ascent to the fortress, or amba, as it is called, was by an excessively steep and narrow path, amidst large boulders, with perpendicular black cliffs on the right. The Koket-bir gate consisted of a rough stone gateway 15 feet deep, with folding wooden doors. On either side the approach was defended by a thick hedge with stakes.

William Henry Giles Kingston - Our Soldiers: Gallant Deeds of the British Army during Victoria's Reign