A Connection to The Guides’ Church – Mardan, Pakistan

Bishop Humphrey Peters, a Protestant Bishop in Pakistan wrote the following:

‘There is a small connection between The Guides’ chapel and St Luke’s Chelsea in London. The Guides’ Chapel is situated in an Army area but is part of our Diocese. It serves a small congregation of Christian soldiers and their families who come to worship here. The situation on the border with Afghanistan is challenging, and most of the men are stationed there. The local priest in charge asked me to spend time with the Christian Soldiers’ families before Christmas, so we visited, which was somewhat encouraging for them.’

Outside the church is a board that says:

‘The Guides’ Church, dedicated to St Alban is unique in two respects; it is the only church in Pakistan which has graves in the churchyard, and the beautiful avenues of trees leading up to it make it resemble many English country churches. And no other regiment of the British army has its own free-standing church.

After the death of Lieutenant Colonel Rober Hutchinson near Rustam in 1886 in action, funds were raised to build this chapel as part of his memorial. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Hutchinson on 24^th March 1887. After independence in 1947, the Guides’ Church was bequeathed to the National Church.

On entering the church, one is impressed by the craftsmanship in both stone and wood. The font is built of exquisite marble. Its wooden cover, carved and presented by Lt. Gen Sir Harry Lumsden, was removed after partition and can now be seen at St Luke’s Church in Chelsea. The stained-glass windows are also notable: the eastern window is a memorial to three of the ten Battye brothers, namely Quentine, Wigram and Fred Battye, who served in the Indian Army and were killed in action with the corps.

The old graveyard, just outside the gate of the Commandant’s house, contains the graves of two Battye brothers, Wigram and Fred. Lieutenant Colonel Hutchinson is also buried there. There is also the unmarked grave of Colonel Spotsswoode of the 55^th Bengal Native Infantry. His regiment came to relieve the Guides in 1857.