Captain William Innes, The First British Soldier To Fall In The Perak War
Many of us are familiar with the story of the massive British military attack brought from Hong Kong and India against Pasir Salak as an attempt to avenge the fate of the first British Resident of Perak, J.W.W. Birch.
The war, known as the Perak War, left a significant impact on the state of Perak and saw nearly 500 Malays killed and dozens of villages burned. However, not many know that the first attack launched by the British against the Malay fighters' fort in Bandar Tua, near Pasir Salak, failed. Malay fighters led by Dato Maharaja Lela successfully repelled the attack. As a result, a British military officer, a sepoy, and a Malay guide were killed in this assault. In this article, Orang Perak will touch upon the life story of Captain Innes, a British military officer from the Royal Engineers who was the first British soldier to be killed in the Perak War. Captain William Innes was born in 1841 and was the eldest son of Colonel Thomas Innes, who was the commanding officer of the Royal Aberdeenshire Highlanders Militia in Learney, Aberdeenshire.
In 1853, at the age of 12, he was placed at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (Carshalton). He later successfully continued his studies at the British Royal Military Academy after passing the entrance exam. After three years of study, he graduated from the Military Academy, successfully being named the First Cadet of that year and was selected to join the Royal Engineers in the British Army. He later attained the rank of Lieutenant on June 22, 1858. From the beginning, he showed impressive performance throughout his time at the British Military Academy, which led to him being constantly selected for various activities, subsequently shaping his character during his time in the military.
In 1859, he was chosen to work on strengthening the defensive fortifications in Dover, especially Burgoyne Fort, under the command of Colonel Du Cane. He remained there until January 1862, when the threat of war against the United States arose following the 'Trent' affair, which saw United States troops sent to Canada.
William Innes was later sent to serve in Halifax and subsequently Portland. When Sir William Gordon was appointed as the "Inspector General of Engineers," he appointed Lieutenant Innes as his personal assistant, fulfilling his dream of having a capable officer, especially in critical situations within the Royal Engineers corps. His service as personal assistant to Sir William Gordon ended after Sir William's death. He was then stationed at Shoeburyness, and while there, he found a lack of work that could stimulate his mind and no better prospects. Because of that, he later accepted an offer as an Assistant Colonial Engineer in the Straits Settlements. The offer came from the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir William Jervois, who had heard of his abilities while serving in fortification reinforcement works in England, leading Sir William Jervois to believe that William Innes was the right person to serve in the colony, even though the duties here were more civil than military. After news of J.W.W. Birch's end reached Penang, Captain Innes and 60 soldiers from the 10th Foot Regiment were sent to Bandar Baharu to defend the British Residency there, which was said to have been surrounded by Malay fighters.
On Sunday, the contingent led by Captain Innes moved towards Pasir Salak to track down those responsible. Upon arriving at Bandar Tua, they discovered a fully armed fort, and the British troops immediately attacked the fort fiercely. The attack was successfully repelled by the Malay fighters, and as a result, Captain William Innes was killed by bullets hitting his chest and liver. Lieutenants Booth, Elliot, and 8 soldiers from the 10th Foot Regiment were injured. A guide named Nakhoda Orlong was also killed in this battle. Captain William Innes's body was taken to Bandar Baharu, and the deceased was later buried next to J.W.W. Birch's fort with full military honors.
