A photograph of the NNC

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

This original photo of a contingent of the NNC has no indication of where it was taken. If you look closely you can see a range of hills in the background which may help. A similar photo appears in IK's book "Zulu War Then and Now" which is identified as being between RD and Isandhlwana -is this the same place?
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I have made a large blow up of the picture which looses definition but nevertheless gives a very good feel for how they looked - pretty indistinguishable from the Zulu army I would think.
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Both pictures are my copyright.

Steve Reinstadtler

Subject: Re: A photograph of the NNC Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:15 am

Steve,

Any chance of close-ups of the Europeans? Two of them look familiar from other photographs.

JY

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Europeans.

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Steve

Subject: Re: A photograph of the NNC Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:58 pm

There is a tendency to 'do down' the NNC, but individually they would have been as good a warriors as Zulus - mainly because they basicaly were from Zulu stock, just living across a bit of water. Just the way they were expected to fight was wrong. Interesting to note the lack of European cast off clothes, so liked by writers (& figure manufacturers) - not many woolly hats, nor blanket rolls in evidence. Surprisingly enough, none of that most standard African attire - the ex Yankee greatcoat ( with or without buttons) - my poor eyesight accepted.

Subject: Re: A photograph of the NNC Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:38 pm

Steve,

Rather than Natal Native Contingent - according to The Buffalo Border by Laband & Thompson, the photograph facing page 62 - they are actually Native Border Guard.

The officer with his brim turned up is identified in another photograph on the same page as J. L. Knight and the bearded officer appears to be J. Frankish. The officer in the topee could be T. H. Reynolds.

JY

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Thanks John, I like that. Who is Laband's photo attributed to, Killie Campbell?

Steve

Subject: Re: A photograph of the NNC Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:18 pm

Steve,

The attribution is to the Natal Archives Depot.

When I visited the depot back in 1991 its buildings back on to the Commercial Street Cemetery, I don’t if that is still the case though.

JY

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

I have tracked down a reasonably priced copy of the Laband monograph.

Steve

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