Can anyone confirm if this is true.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

A blue-jacket, the servant of Lieutenant Milne, of the Navy, who was fighting against any odds, got his back to a waggon and kept off his opponents, laughing the whole time as if he were making a joke of the matter.

In another case the bravery shown by a drummer-boy. In the action he was overpowered, and his last act was to thrust his sword into the face of one of his opponents.

Subject: Re: Can anyone confirm if this is true. Thu May 07, 2009 9:23 pm

24th Can I ask how you come by this. As this has been mentioned before, but for the live of me I cannot remember where.

Subject: naval rating reply Fri May 08, 2009 10:50 am

hi 24th ,pete.

found this in IAN KNIGHT"S BRAVE MENS BLOOD.
a sailor, the servant of a naval officer on c'fords staff stood with his back to a wagon cutting
down warriors with his cutlass, until the zulu crawled under the wagon and stabbed him from between the spokes.
i have read other accounts of this individual and cant think of his name. i will endeavour to find it in the next week or so. i dont know the story concerning the drummer boy that 24th has mentioned. cheers 90th.

Subject: more info Fri May 08, 2009 11:13 am

hi all, looking through "THEY FELL LIKE STONES" the only naval person KIA at isandlwana was a SIGNALMAN 1ST CLASS .W.H AYNSLEY. HMS ACTIVE. but in TAVENDERS CASUALTY ROLL OF 1877-1879 he died at nyezane the same day !!. hope that clears it up !!!!!!. regards 90th

Subject: Re: Can anyone confirm if this is true. Fri May 08, 2009 9:30 pm

24th / 90th I came across this LORD COLIN CAMPBELL Made ref to this: 24th this must have been the root of your source.

"I will take another case, the facts of which can be vouched for by more than one person. In the fatal disaster at Isandlana two pathetic sights were seen. A blue-jacket, the servant of Lieutenant Milne, of the Navy, who was fighting against any odds, got his back to a waggon and kept off his opponents, laughing the whole time as if he were making a joke of the matter. I am sorry to say that that gallant man met with the common fate. In another case I heard of similar bravery being shown by a drummer-boy. In the action he was overpowered, and his last act was to thrust his sword into the face of one of his opponents. I do not wish to enter into these subjects in order to excite emotion; but these are no unimportant factors on which Lord Chelmsford could rely when he felt that men such as he commanded were good against odds which at other times might be overpowering."

Guest

Admin,

I posted an inquiry about Signalman 2nd Class William Aynsley on another site asking if anyone knew the source of the story behind his fighting off Zulus with his back to a wagon until he was killed. It is often quoted, but who was it that actually saw this happen? He was at Isandhlwana, not Inyezane. (Tavender got that one wrong. Easy mistake, both battles happened on the same day.)
Lt. Archibald B.Milne, RN sent a report on January 29, 1879 to Commodore Sullivan (HMS Active) in which he states "I much regret having to report the death of W. Aynsley, second-class sig. of H.M.S. "Active". He was killed by the Zulus in their attack on the camp of No. 3 column near Isaandlwana Hill on January 22nd."

I hadn't read before about the reference to the fact he was laughing.

Do you have access to the exact quote from Lord Colin Campbell?

Posts : 527 Join date : 2009-02-28

Hi Tom.
Good to see you back on the forum. I have P/M a link . Just Look for Lord Colin Campbell near the bottom.

Subject: Re: Can anyone confirm if this is true. Fri May 08, 2009 11:02 pm

Thanks for that S.D.

Hi Tom. like SD says it good to see you back. S.D has sent you the link that led me to the source.. Hope it helps.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Welcome back Tom. We thought we had lost you.

S.D Can you send me that link. Cheers

Posts : 527 Join date : 2009-02-28

Only if you show us how you would fortify Isandlwana. Wink

Its on its way. Enjoy.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Thanks S.D.

Can I have the use of Gatling Guns.

Guest

24th,

I was not lost, just been a little too busy. I'll be posting a couple of more topics soon.

Petty Officer Tom

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

Men attached to the Personal Staff of the Lieutenant-General as Servants. (as per the despatch, make of it what you will. We have found Aynsley RN who appears to be mistakenly recorded as an Inyezane Naval Brigade casualty with some sources - but the despatch clearly states Isandhlwana. We have also found Thompson ,80th and added some details - the rest we have left)

http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/zulu/despatch5_isandhlwana_isandlwana_casualty.htm

Aynsley was killed at Isandlwana,

"THEY FELL LIKE STONES" Well out of date and contains errors.

Subject: Re: Can anyone confirm if this is true. Sat May 09, 2009 10:08 pm

The only Royal Navy casualty at Isandhlwana was Signalman William Aynsley (from HMS Active) who was attached to an officer on Lord Milne's (the Naval Aide-de-camp of Lord Chelmsford) staff. Witnesses said he was seen fighting with his cutlass bayonet and his back to a wagon. Finally a Zulu crept under the wagon and stabbed Ansley through the spokes of the wheel.

Subject: re- drummer boy Sun May 10, 2009 5:48 am

hi 24th.

found this in RORKES DRIFT by THOSE WHO WERE THERE.

this is a transcript of BOURNE"S 2ND RADIO B"CAST FOR B.B.C IN 1936

" ACCORDING TO A ZULU ACCOUNT, THE LAST SURVIVOR WAS A DRUMMER BOY WHO FLUNG HIS SHORT SWORD AT A ZULU". this may have been the drummer boy you mentioned. { this was the last time that band drummer boys were taken on active service}. cheers 90th

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 27

If anyone has a copy of Zulu Rising

I remember reading of a man finding Aynsley body on the nigh of the 22nd,
the pockets had been turned out and searched, the contents strune all over the floor.

The man that found him also took his sword Idea

Regards

Guest

DB14,

I think this is might be the source to which you are refering.

"The body of Signalman Aynsley of HMS Active, the naval ADC Milne's servant, was found by Lieutenant Newnham-Davis and some of his Mounted Infantry; his pockets had been rifled, and several photographs were strewn around him. ... Newnham-Davis gave the photos to Milne, but kept Aynsley's cutlass as a souvenir." (Source: The Sun Turned Black: Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift 1879 by Ian Knight)

Petty Officer Tom

Subject: Re: Can anyone confirm if this is true. Mon Nov 14, 2011 7:29 pm

Wonder where the cutlass ended up.

Guest

Littlehand,

Maybe the answer to your question was given by Newnham-Davis. Does anyone have the copies of “Chums” for 1900?

“In about 1900 Newnham-Davis told the anecdote about the cutlass to a boy's paper, Chums”. (Source: “Nothing of Value The British soldier and loot in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879” by Ian Knight)

Petty Officer Tom

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