Mystery Photo a Native Regiment. White Officers.

E-mailed to me by the guy who always e-mails mystery photo's.

Pretty sure its Zulu War. They all seemed to be armed with the M.H

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Quoting Zulu Dawn.

In the scene where Durnford comes in with his mounted infantry, Chelmsford and Crealock ride up to him, Chelmsford declaring what splendid horsemanship. Anyway Crealock says he noticed his mounted infantry were armed with Martini Henry’s and then mentions something about allocation of rifles. (I think it was one rifle to every 11 men. Would this have been the case in reality?

Hi Dave.
The rationing of rifles did indeed happen , we have covered this on the forum before . But off the top of my head .
1 rifle per 10 men and only 5 rounds if I remember correctly , Neil will certainly know these facts . Happy to be
corrected . Some may have been issued the Snider Rifle as well or as a substitute .
cheers 90th.

Could they be members of the NNC. and the officers Frontier Light Horse. Loooks abit like the uniform D'arcy would have worn.

Hello All,
This may be a bit late but I have only just joined the forum.
This photo in question appears in Christopher Wilkinson-Latham's "Uniforms and weapson of the Zulu War", published 1978.
page 71. It is given as Captain Barton's 4th Battalion Natal Native Contingent and states that the men are armed with Martini-Henry rifles. As it states that it is the 4th Battalion it must be post Isandlwana, because of the NNC's re-organisation into the battalion only format from the battalion/regiment one.
Hope this is helpful
Phill

Hi Phill. Great first post. Welcome to the forum.. Whould this be the same chap.

"Captain William Barton was an Irish soldier of fortune who had previous fought the Indians in South America. He arrived in South Africa and raised over 200 Basutos, who were formed into a irregular cavalry unit. He volunteered his services to the Natal Horse and was given command of the Sikali Squadron. He is confirmed as being present at the Battle of Isandhlwana. During the early stages of the engagement he was ordered to take two troops onto the plateau to investigate the sighting of Zulus and clear them. Barton is later quoted as saying “My mounted men really fought well at their first charge and until all their ammunition was exhausted, they were then compelled to fall back on the camp, where they sought a fresh supply of ammunition”. Seeing that the overall situation was deteriorating, he ordered his men to make a fighting retreat towards the Buffalo River. He was now on the flank and moved his men to cover the river crossing, he then retired firing and was the last man to cross. Many of the retreating men owing their lives to Barton’s actions. The following is Barton’s own account and statement that led to the award of the Victoria Cross to Private Wassall of the 8th Foot. The original hand written report is held in the National Archives. “On the 22nd January 1879 when the camp of Col Glyn’s column had been taken by the enemy, I was retreating towards the Buffalo River to cross into Natal. As I approached the river, a man of the mounted Infantry was riding in front of me (This was Pte Wassall) and I also saw at the same time another man of the mounted infantry struggling in the river and he called out his comrades name, he was apparently drowning. The Zulus were at this time firing at our people from above us, others were down on the river stabbing others of our people on both sides of where I was. The man of the mounted infantry who rode down in front of me dismounted left his horse on the Zulu side and sprang into the river to save his comrade. I consider this man to have performed a most gallant and courageous act, in trying to save his comrade at the almost certain risk of his own life. I crossed the river myself about the same time and I did not think that it possible that either of these 2 men could have escaped alive. Indeed I spoke some days afterwards, to Lieut Walsh of the mounted infantry of the circumstances which I had witnessed and spoke of it to him, as evidence of my seen two of his men lost at the Buffalo River. I have this day identified in the Hospital here, the man whom I saw struggling in the river, and I have also given Lieut Walsh a description of the horse which I saw the other man of the mounted infantry riding in front of me and from which he dismounted to save his comrade”. Signed by Wm Barton Captain dated 11th February 1879. Captain Barton had been engaged on a 6 month contract which was common to all Officers of the Natal native contingent and in May appears to have slipped away once more into obscurity, unlike many of his fellow survivors who were keen to publish their accounts.

I thought I had seen the Photo before, they are indeed NNC, the picture apears in Saul David,s " Zulu the herosm and tradedgy of the Zulu war 1879" Plate number 7 part of the plate discription reads
quote:
" a unit of the Natal Native Contingent,"