Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand, KCSI CB (6 Nov 1812 - 1 Jan 1871) was a British Indian Army officer and colonial administrator.

When the accident happened, Sir Henry Durand was passing through the gateway by the town of Tank, with the Nawab of Tank on the same elephant, and a chuprassie in the kursi or buck seat. The Nawab who was a man of little intelligence, knew the gate was too low to admit elephants. In his deposition he said that in those days when his family kept elephants, the beasts had always to be unloaded to pass the gate. He also said that he did tell the Lieutenant-Governor that the gate was too low, but as Sir Henry took no notice of this, he must be supposed not to have heard it.

It was quite dusk when the party reached the gate, which is a double one with a covered enclosure, the ground rising from the outer to the inner gate. About the middle of the enclosure the hovvdah touched a beam in the roof. The elephant was frightened and rushed forward. The beam of the inner gate caught the front screen of the hovvdah, smashed it in upon the occupants ; Sir Henry, being alarge man, was probably forced out over the back of the hovvdah, on to the elephant, falling, as the gate was cleared, on his face upon a mud wall within.

The injuries he received were not apparent at first. He was taken up insensible and bleeding, and did not recover consciousness for many hours. But his back was broken, he remained completely paralysed, with the exception of almost convulsive movements of the hands, and appeared to have no sensation whatever in any part of his body except the head. The first night he could not swallow, and even a spoonful of nourishment seemed to choke him. But during the night he recovered conciousness, and could swallow, drinking by means of a tube. There was little hope from the first, but Sir Henry did not seem to be aware of the danger of his status, and spoke cheerfully of soon being able to continue his march. But towards afternoon of the 1st January he rapidly sank, remaining conscious, however, almost to the last. He died at 8 p.m.

The Nawab of Tank was crushed between

the beam and the howdah, and it was at first thought that his injuries were fatal. But he has escaped with a broken rib and severe contusions. The chuprassie' behind was struck on the head by the beam, but was not injured, being so much lower than the howdah.