Recovered weapons from Gingindhlovu and Kambula

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Evening Mail - Monday 19 May 1879

Interesting statistics.
Bearing in mind there are three 24th Regiment Martini's probably taken from iSandlwana, I wonder if the Martini marked '32nd' was Cochrane's?
I appreciate it was unusual for an officer to have a rifle but he may have taken from the regimental armoury before leaving for SA. Only one private on the 32nd medal rolls 1697 W King 1879 clasp.
Those 4 Martini's from the 80th at Kambula must have been taken from the dead at Meyer's Drift.

Another report about captured weapons from Kambula
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Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 18 June 1879

Kate

Kate,

Don’t forget that the 32nd Light Infantry had been previously stationed in Natal, and elements of 32nd were still in the Cape Colony until just prior to the outbreak of the 9th Cape Frontier War in 1877. It is feasible that weapon might have been issued from storage.

JY

Posts : 182 Join date : 2012-02-16 Location : northeast usa

interesting. thanks for posting.

I always find history fascinating - particularly probability.... Of all the MHs captured by the Zulus at Isandlwana and the 80 odd captured from the 80th, one stamped with 32nd is recovered from a battlefield, when the number of MHs marked with 32nd must have been very very low.

Its almost reminiscent of Gary's US greatcoat buttons....

Not that it matters because it has not been recorded by the 'finders' but were MHs marked with a soldiers serial number or other marks that tied it in to an individual soldier? I have MK2 one (albeit one that was sold to Nepal) that has all manner of stamps....

Ta

Sime

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