James Patrick Daly

Coming up for sale at Dix, Noonan & Webb on 11/12 December:

The South Africa 1877-79 medal to Lieutenant James Daly, 1st Battalion, 24th Foot, who was killed at Isandhlwana ‘in the last desperate rally made by three companies of the battalion to the east of the camp’

South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8-9 (Lieut. J. P. Daly. 1-24th Foot.) a few very fine hairlines, otherwise mint state £20,000-£26,000

James Patrick Daly, who was killed at Isandhlwana on the 22nd January, 1879, was born in March, 1855. He was educated at Oscott, and at the Rev. E. Barney’s establishment, at Gosport. After leaving school he served for two successive years with the Galway Militia. On the 28th of February, 1874, he was gazetted to a lieutenancy in the 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment; and, having joined that Corps at Gibraltar, embarked with it at the latter end of the year for the Cape.

Lieutenant Daly served with his battalion through the Gaika and Galeka campaign of 1877, performing many arduous duties. In November, 1878, he proceeded with the regiment to Natal, to join the force then being prepared to act against the Zulus in the event of their refusing to comply with the terms of Sir Bartle Frere’s ultimatum. On the 9th of January, 1879, Captain Mostyn’s company, to which he was attached, marched from Pietermaritzburg to join the headquarters, which, six weeks earlier, had left the capital, and formed part of Glyn’s column at Helpmakaar. The company reached Isandhlwana on the 21st. In the disastrous encounter with the enemy which ensued at that position on the 22nd, Daly was engaged, under Captain Mostyn, at the commencement of the engagement, on the hills to the left of the camp. No accurate record of his death exists, but it is believed that he fell towards the latter end of the engagement, in the last desperate rally made by the three companies of his battalion to the east of the camp.

Lieutenant Daly was a most promising young officer. His genial disposition had endeared him to all who knew him. (The South African Campaign of 1879, by J. P. Mackinnon & S. H. Shadbolt, refers).

Lieutenant Daly has proven to be a bit of a headache! Jackson's Hill of the Sphinx says a Colonial Officer saw him jauntily waving as the former made his escape... unfortunately the primary source doesn't appear to exist!