ISANDLWANA SURVIVIORS

Horsefixer
There were no suvivors from G company.

Regards

Hi Horsefixer,
You are in a bit of a quandary, the main regiments that took part in the First Boer War were 3/60th Kings Royal Rifles Corps, the 58th Northamptonshire Regiment, 94th Connaught Rangers, and 2/21st Scottish Rifles. none of these were at Isandhlwana all arriving in South Africa to take place in the second invasion in april 1879.
However N battery 5th brigade Royal Artillery were at both, Isandhlwana and fought during the 1st Boer war, also a number of Staff Officers served in both, including the so called Edward 'Lucky' Essex 75th Regiment, a survivour of Isandhlwana, and Laings Nek, being the only officer who was not wounded in the battle.
Hope this gives you some ideas?
Rai
Keynshamlighthorse.

Thanks Rai, sorry I should have been more specific and stated the 2nd Boer War. Being South African when I say Boer War I mean the second one. The first Boer war being little more than a scrap in my eyes!!

Hi Again, Horsefixer,
A large amount of Officers served in both the Zulu and 2nd Boer War but not many served at Isandhlwana, in fact i can only think of Lt H Smith-Dorrien 95th, but a number served in the isandhlwana Campaign but were out with Lord Chelmsford, including, R A P Clements, Willian Penn-Symons [died of wounds in 1899], 24th, John Dartnell Natal Volunteers, many others served iboth n the Zulu war and 2nd Boer War, but not in the Isandhlwana Campaign these include, Redvers Buller, Twentyman, Gawne, Strong, Williams, Lukin, Gunning, Warren, to name a few?
Rai
Keynshamlighthorse

Whooaaa, what a jolly good job of coloring Trooper Materson, really super great. Don't know which one I like best, the b/w or colored.....and how fortunate to have FOUND a picture of him. My family and I are still researching our ancestor, Trooper Robert Kincade, I've not given up hope that SOME picture will surface of him.

Have a pleasant day/evening,

Kris

[

Hi.. Have just found this site and am looking to locate a complete list of survivors for Isandlwana? Does one exist? Have reason to think my great grandfather saw active service and survived but would like to confirm? Many thanks






quote="joe"]Hi everyone
im sure some of the members on this site have always wanted a full list of the survivors at isandlwana
Im sure with the combined knowledge of the members on this forum we can come up with a list of those survivors!

feel free to add any names to the list that you know!

im sure we can do it!

ill start ...

LT Henry Curling R.A

anyone please add names to that list !

thanks joe[/quote]

It'd be a slightly easier task for those who might be able to help by you supplying your Great Grandfather's name and unit details.

Many thanks.
My great grandfather was Robert Winton and he was a sgt major 2nd Battalion The Grenadier Guards. Have documents which suggest he was at Isandlwana and then at Rourkes Drift but no evidence to back this up! Any help to find such information would be much appreciated.

Trooper,

I hate to be the one to disappoint you but I can find no trace of anyone by that name on the Medal Roll.

I also have a list of Grenadier Guards who joined the draft of the 1st/24th as replacements, I regret to say his name is not on that list either.

His name, as you have given it, does not appear as a survivor of Isandlwana, or a defender of Rorke's Drift. Is it possible he used an assumed name?

What are the documents that you have that suggest that he was?

kwaJimu1879

Hi - I have diaries of his son (my grandfather) written in the 1930s giving an account of actions for his father's (Robert Winton) obituary.

Trooper,

Might well be worth your while contacting the Guards Museum, unlike other museums the Guards have kept - where available - the service-papers of their former members. They should be able to assist you with your forebear's military service.

Was the obituary published in any local newspaper?

kwaJimu1879

Many thanks. I haven't explored the local paper theory yet! That's a line to definately go down though as I have the date of death etc. Many thanks.

Hi Trooper.
This is the most definitive work regarding survivors & Casualties of Isandlwana & R.Drift .

http://www.rrw.org.uk/shop/shop.php?action=view&prodid=203

cheers 90th.

Quote :

This is the most definitive work regarding survivors & Casualties of Isandlwana & R.Drift .

More so that the Noble 24th

Hi MrG.
I have ' The Noble 24th ' and it basically only deals with the 24th . Englands Son's has lists of ALL known personal that
were there. Julian now that he is a member may post a page or two so you can see what I mean . Julian's book will also tell
you where the / his information can be found . Once again I hope this makes sense . I had best clarify that Englands Son's
is not a book but more a book of Lists and the whereabouts of where information can be found from those who survived Isandlwana.
Julian I'm sure will be able to describe it far better than me .
cheers 90th.

Suem and Trooper
You have both written on this forum that ancestors, John James White and Robert Winton, claimed to have survived Isandhlwana. Neither name appears in any list of survivors. It is possible they enlisted under aliases. It is also possible they could spin a line for a free drink! It is also possible that there has been confusion over the battles of Isandhlwana and Inyezane which occurred on the same day. I am perfectly willing to help you find out if their claims are genuine. Perhaps you could contact me by private message with any information you have about them - regiment, rank, year of birth, subsequent career - and I'll see what I can find.

Hi everyone

Of the 8 Buffalo Border Guard present at Isandhlwana during the fight, 5 survived:-

Quartermaster Dugald McPhail
Quartermaster Sergeant William M Adams
Trooper Charles Lennox Stretch
Trooper ? Lennox
Trooper John Adams (William M Adams son)

QMS Adams and his son John did not know whether the other had survived until they got to Helpmakaar, QMS Adams had another son, Charles Adams age 16 on Garrison Duty at Fort Pine during the fight at Isandhlwana. All three survived the Zulu war. William to fight in the 1st & 2nd Boer War, and Charles to fight in the South African War and Bambata Rebellion.

Thanks Dhragonheart. And welcome to the forum.

Have just gone through my database of 1879 participants of the Zulu War and compiled this list of Isandhlwana Survivors (any errors are mine, as the database is far from complete)

Induna Jacob NNC
Scout Uhlowani NNC
Wagon Driver Umgohluhlu NNC
Wagon Driver Umpande NNC
Scout Untabeni NNC

Capt D M Smythe 1st/1st NNC
Capt C R A Nourse D Coy 1st/1st NNC
Sgt Maj T Sharp D Coy 1st/1st NNC
Capt W H Stafford E Coy 1st/1st NNC
Lt W B Erskine 1st/1st NNC

Lt G W Adendorff No 6 Coy 1st/3rd NNC
Lt W C R Higginson No 6 Coy 1st/3rd NNC
Pte Malindi No 9 Coy 1st/3rd NNC
Lt T Vaines No 9 Coy 1st/3rd NNC
Headman Mvubi 1st/3rd NNC
Sgt Maj J Williams 1st/3rd NNC
Sikhota 2nd/3rd NNC

Pte E Wilson B Coy 1st/24th
Pte H Grant C Coy 1st/24th (Rocket Batt No 2 Column)
Pte W Johnson C Coy 1st/24th (Rocket Batt No 2 Column)
Pte J Trainer C Coy 1st/24th (Rocket Batt No 2 Column)
(Glyn’s Groom) Pte J Williams D Coy 1st/24th
Cpl J Bickley F Coy 1st/24th

Pte J Power B Coy 1st/24th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte H Davis D Coy 1st/24th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Cpl W Parry D Coy 1st/24th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Cpl J McCann E Coy 1st/24th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte S Wassall 80th ( No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte T Westwood 80th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte D Whelan 13th (No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte E Evans 3rd (No 1 Sqd MI)
Pte J Gascoigne 3rd (No 1 Sqd MI)
Sgt P Naughton 3rd (No 1 Sqd MI)

QMS W M Adams BBG
Trp J Adams BBG
Trp Lennox BBG
QM D McPhail BBG
Trp C L Stretch BBG

Wagon Driver Abraham C&T Dept
Leader Black C&T Dept
Mule Driver H Boer C&T Dept
Asst Comm R A Chermside C&T Dept
Conductor M Foley C&T Dept
Wagon Driver Gamalulu C&T Dept
Conductor R J Hall C&T Dept
Acting Control Officer J N Hamer C&T Dept
Leader Kadupe C&T Dept
Leader Mango C&T Dept
Leader N’Ishepeni C&T Dept
(Doherty’s) Servant Udhlowane C&T Dept
Wagon Driver Umhlusane C&T Dept
Wagon Driver Umtobe C&T Dept
Leader Umtshate C&T Dept
Wagon Driver Umzana C&T Dept

Driver J Baggely N Batt. 5th Bde RFA
Driver J Burchell N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Sgt J Costellow N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Lt H T Curling N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Gnr W Green N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Gnr T Hallaghan N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Trptr N H Martin N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Driver E Price N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Shoeing Smith J Steen N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Shoeing Smith G Townsend N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Driver E Tucker N Batt 5th Bde RFA
Act Bmbr G Gough N Batt 5th Bde RFA (Rocket Batt No 2 Column)

Capt W Barton (Zikhali Horse No 1 Troop NNH)
Lt C H Raw (Zikhali Horse No 1 Troop NNH)
Lt R W Vause (Zikhali Horse No 3 Troop NNH)
Lt A F Henderson (No 4 Troop NNH)
Trp J Molife (No 4 Troop NNH)
Nyanda (No 4 Troop NNH)
Lt W F D Cochrane 32nd (No 5 Troop NNH)
Lt H D Davies (No 5 Troop NNH)
Sgt Maj S Kambula (No 5 Troop NNH)
P Gulu (No 5 Troop NNH)

Trp W W Barker NC
Trp W W Edwards NC
Trp C Fletcher NC
Trp W Grainger NC
Trp W Sibthorpe NC
Trp W Tarbaton NC

Trp G Collier NMP
Trp D Doig NMP
Trp W V Dorehill NMP
L/Cpl R N Eaton NMP
Trp W Hayes NMP
Trp R J M Kincade NMP
Trp R Shannon NMP
Trp C M F Sparks NMP
Trptr R V Stevens NMP

Trp J Berning NMR
Trp T Brown NMR
Trp Burne NMR
Trptr J J Horne NMR
Trp D Moodie NMR
Trp H Parsons NMR
Trp Walsh NMR

Trp A Muirhead VMR (Possibly NC)

Lt G F Andrews (No 1 Coy NNP)

Capt E Essex 75th
Lt H L Smith-Dorrien 95th
Interpreter P Brickhill
Capt A C Gardner 14th Hussars

I could be wrong, but I think this is the first list we have seen on this forum with reference to the survivors.

Hi Dave .
I think there is at least 2 other lists somewhere on here !. :lol:
Cheers 90th.

dhragonheart
De Burgh, Cooke, Bettington, Thomas, Edwards were neither survivors nor casualties of Isandhlwana - they simply were not there. (As a matter of fact David Edwards was also not in the MI.) You also have some of the initials/names wrong, but as you say, your database is far from complete.

Thanks Julian

Left out a couple of components on the database search query which is why the extra names were pick up. Names and Initials have come from a variety of sources, all of which do not agree, and the medal rolls which can be difficult to read sometimes.

1877-78-79 Imperial & Colonial Database is still an ongoing project (about 8 years so far, and over 29,000 names, and 125 fields for each entry) it is inevitable that errors will creep in over time, or the wrong entry/or entry updated when new evidence or info is found.

Still.............keeps me out of trouble :lol:

Regards

Steve

P.S. above list amended

Dragonheart
You will find a complete list of survivors against which you can check your list in England's Sons. Against each name you will find the primary source which records that person, any accounts he left, etc, etc.

Interesting announcement!! Wonder to whom there referring too.

""Any survivors from the Isandlwana disaster are urgently requested to supply infor... mation respecting A - - B - - , whose name appears among the killed. Will some of his comrades please say,-I. How and where was he 1 2. \Vhether he escaped from the carnage to the river, or was hemmed in with those who had no ammunition to use and were killed by the Zulus 1 3. Who saw him last, and under what circumstances ~ 4. Was he recognised after death, and was he buried~ 5. Was he much mutilated, and what was the manner of his death 1" Thus, as always, what was in the heart as the most important question of all was put off to the last."

John
I think you'll find this pertains to Trooper Adrian Blaikie.

Thanks Julian.. Would this announcement have been advertised by his familey.

I believe it was from his family.

Thanks again Julian. They certainly wanted done details. Just out of interest was hs body ever recovered.

Yes it was found and buried at Isandhlwana. There is a named marker over the grave.

Thanks, good for the familey in one respect, that they got closure.

John
Unless Im mistaken Blakeys body was identyfied because of the size of his head, larger than normal. I think one of his hats was taken to the battlefield and tried on the corpse. I would need to check but I think he has at least two monuments on the battlefield where his name is mentioned, could be three.

Regards

It seems his family got most of their questions answered, but what about the final question?
Springy, Julian, what else is known about the circumstances of Tpr Adrian Blaike/Blakey's final moments?

Springbok

In Knights Zulu Rising it says that his brother placed his hat on the corpse to make sure.

Tasker

I think he was found at Durnfords stand, so Melokazulu's account would be the best to describe.


Cheers

Thanks DB. I'll dig that out and re-read it today.
Some consolation for the family (though they would not have appreciated it at the time of learning) to know he died so bravely.

Tasker
His body was found at, and is buried on, the site of Durnford's last stand.

Springbok your correct about Blaikie , this from Zulu Rising page 579 . '' Nineteen year old James Adrian Blaikie was recognized
by the size of his particular large skull - his brother had brought one of his hats along and gently placed it over his head to be sure ''.
Cheers 90th.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

His Grave.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60956647@N02/5559307351/

"The Volunteers were called up in the Zulu War and Jim Blaikie lost his life at Islandhlwana in January, 1879. He was nineteen years old. This short biography comes from A Story of an African City by J. Forsyth Ingram, chapter sixteen and we know too that while in Scotland Jim was looked after by his uncle and aunt, the William Garden Blaikies [William Garden Blaikie 1820 - 1899]. Before going to the Zulu War, Jim had bought himself a narrow silver band which he wore on his wrist. Whether it was the fashion or his own idea I am not sure. His younger brother, Harry [Henry Blaikie 1869 - 1931], had one too. After their victory at Islandhlwana the Zulus disembowelled the dead and left them where they had fallen and in most cases they took nothing from their persons. It was the sad task of relatives, after the war, to find their dead and bury them. Kenneth Hathorn [Kenneth Howard Hathorn 1849 - 1933] who had married Agnes Blaikie [Agnes Elizabeth Blaikiey Blaikie 1853 - 1894] [and thereby in 1890 produced, as their fifth child, the writer from whom I am quoting, Amy Hathorn / Young] went to bury Jim. The Natal Carbineers had fallen next to each other round their leader Colonel A W Durnford. KH identified Jim's body by the silver bracelet and by the size of his head. He had a big head and so had KH who tried his own hat on the poor dead head and found it a firm fit. Kenneth Hathorn went twice to the battle field and I surmise that he went the second time to place the stone on Jim's grave. It had been imported from Aberdeen and is granite of a red brown colour and it lies flat on the ground the length of the grave."

Thanks all.
I am now a little confused as to who identified the body; his younger brother would have been only 9 or 10 years of age in 1879, so it would appear that KH referred to in the passage above posted by 24th, was actually JAB's brother-in-law.

Well if his brother was 9-10, if would be safe to say it was hs brother-in law.

To do, there were how many survivors among the Zulus at Isandhlwana ?

The British/Colonial forces suffered 1,300 deaths. There were 78 fugitives who escaped the carnage at Isandhlwana and survived:
Durnford's no.2 Column
Lieutenant W F D Cochrane, 32nd Regiment (staff)
Mr Hamer (civilian transport officer)
Rocket Battery, 4 men - Bombardier G Gough RA, Privates H Grant (1/24th), W Johnson (1/24th), J Trainer (1/24th)
Captain W Barton NNH
Lieutenant Charles Raw NNH
Lieutenant V Vause NNH
Lieutenant A Henderson NNH
Lieutenant H D Davies NNH
Captain C Nourse NNC
Captain W H Stafford NNC
Captain D M Smythe NNC
Lieutenant W Erskine NNC

Colonel Glyn's no.3 Column
Captain E Essex, 75th Regiment (staff)
Captain A C Gardner, 14th Hussars (staff)
Lieutenant L H Smith-Dorrien, 95th Regiment (transport)
Mr J A Brickhill (civilian interpreter)
Lieutenant H T Curling RA
9 men of N Battery, 5th Brigade RA
Bandsman Bickley, 1/24th
Bandsman Wilson, 1/24th
11 men of no.1 Sqn Mounted Infantry - Sergeant P Naughton (2/3rd), Corporal J McCan (1/24th), Privates E Evans (2/3rd), J Edwards (2/3rd), J Gascoigne (2/3rd), D Whelan (1/13th), S Wassall (80th), T Westwood (80th), H Davis (1/24th), W Parry (1/24th), J Power (1/24th)
Natal Mounted Police, 9 men - Trumpeter Stevens, Troopers Sparks, Hayes, Collier, Kincaid, Eaton, Shannon, Doig, Dorhill
Natal Carbineers, 7 men - Troopers Muirhead, Fletcher, Edwards, Barker, Grainger, Tarboton, Sidthorpe
Newcastle Mounted Rifles, 7 men - Trumpeter Horne, TroopersBurne, Moodie, Walsh, Brown, Berning, Parsons
Buffalo Border Guard, QM McPhail and 4 men - Troopers Lennox, Adams, Adams, Stretch
Lieutenant J Adendorff NNC
Lieutenant W R C Higginson NNC
Lieutenant T Vaines NNC
Sergeant-Major Williams NNC and 2 NCOs
Lieutenant G F Andrews, Natal Native Pioneers
Conductor Foley

87
mule driver Hans Boer
waggon conductors R J Hall, L Hall, Berling, Homan, Parsons and Street
you omitted 1 additional R.A. OR (10 in total)
Serg-Maj Sharp NNC

Thanks for the list Ulundi - have not before seen a list compiled before.

Did any survivors escape 'on foot' - I was always under the impression that nobody escaped unless they were horsed

A follow up question I suppose, if any of the survivors who escaped would not normally have been issued with a horse were there any that came under scrutiny for having taken a horse? (appreciate that in the confusion there were likely to be horses milling around)

No-one escaped on foot.
One survivor said that one man escaped on foot but he's never been identified.
No-one came under the scrutiny you mention.
I don't normally blow my own trumpet but I suggest you look at England's Sons for the details of the 87 and for the 4 possible European survivors as well as the African survivors' details.

Didn't Smith-Dorrient make good his escape partly on horse and foot!

Dave , as Julian mentioned no -one escaped by foot , you'll find that once some of the survivors crossed the river including Smith - Dorrien ( No t ) , that , they , did manage to complete their flight on foot , but only once they were on the Natal side of the river .
90th

Smith-Dorrien made it to the Buffalo River on horse. He crossed to the other side and found an injured soldier, who he picked up and put on his horse. The soldier galloped off leaving Smith-Dorrien to make the rest of his escape to Helpmaker on foot. He was chased by about 20 Zulu's which he managed to fend off with his revolver and 11 rounds that Bromhead lent him that morning. He came under scrutiny for leaving his men in the midst of the battle, but some years later he was awarded the (I think) V.C for attempting to help a soldier and saving the life of another.

Hi Taff, welcome to the forum.

That's correct, he did help a trooper, it is said that Smith-Dorrien ran non-stop for about 20miles, out running many Zulu, albeit he had a revolver to help keep them at bay. As far as the VC, he was never awarded one.
He became more famous in WW1 for disobaying orders. Ironic that!