In 1884 volunteers from the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) joined the British expedition to rescue Major-General Charles Gordon's garrison, which was besieged by the Mahdist rebels in the Sudanese city of Khartoum. Under the command of Captain William Hippisley, the Greys formed a contingent of the Heavy Camel Regiment.
En route to Khartoum, the British encountered a large Sudanese army protecting the wells at Abu Klea. On 17 January 1885 the Camel Corps formed a square to meet the Sudanese attack. The Mahdists broke into the square, inflicting heavy losses on the British before they were forced to retreat. After the expedition reached Khartoum later that month to find Gordon dead, the Scots Greys sailed for home.
