Colonial Units of the Zulu War

When I see the list that heads this section I see a large number of units that had no link whatsoever to the Zulu War of 1879.

Here's a list colonial and volunteer units that in my opinion served in and during the Zulu War in one capacity or another:

Alexandra Mounted Rifles

amaNgwane Scouts

amaBomvu Corps

Baker’s Horse

Border Guard

Border Guard Reserve

Border Horse, aka Weatherley’s Border Lancers

Buffalo Border Guard

Burgher Force, aka Uys’ Commando

Carbutt’s Border Rangers

Dunn’s Scouts

Durban Mounted Reserve

Durban Mounted Rifles

Durban Volunteer Artillery

Fairlie's Native Police

Ferreira’s Horse

Frontier Light Horse

Greytown District Colonial Volunteers

Indian Corps

Isipingo Mounted Rifles

Ixopo Mounted Contingent

Jantze’s Native Horse

Kaffrarian Rifles, aka Kaffrarian Vanguard

Lonsdale’s Mounted Rifles, aka Lonsdale’s Horse

Mafunzi’s Mounted Natives

Natal Carbineers

Natal Horse (No 1 Troop - de Burgh; No 2 Troop – Cooke & No 3 Troop – Bettington)

Natal Hussars

Natal Light Horse

Natal Mounted Police

Natal Native Contingent

Natal Native Horse, formerly Natal Native Mounted Contingent

Natal Native Pioneers

Natal Volunteer Guides (Composite Unit)

Native Zulu Carriers

Newcastle Mounted Rifles

Newcastle Scouts

New Germany Rifles

Pietermaritzburg Rifles

Royal Durban Rifles

Shepstone’s Native Horse

Stanger Mounted Rifles

Teteleku’s Mounted Natives

Transvaal Rangers

Utrecht Native Levies

Victoria Mounted Rifles

Vos' Native Levies

Weenen Yeomanry

Wood’s Irregulars

Wood’s Scouts


Does anyone have any additions to these?

kwaJimu1879

Hi Kwajimu.
Once again the following from '' For God , Queen & Colony '' by Terry Sole . These were raised in the fight against Ceteswayo 1879.


Amabomvu Mtd Natives , Fairlie's Swazi Police , Ixopo Mtd Rifles , Ixopo Native Cont , Maritzburg Rifles , Natal Native Stretcher Bearers , Newcastle Scouts , Vos's Native Levies , Utrecht Native Levies .
Apologies Kwajimu if I've doubled up .
cheers 90th.

Pulleine's Rangers. Under the command of Brown.

90th,

I had Fairlie's Native Police down on a handwritten list but I didn't transfer to my computer.

I should have remembered the Ixopo boys as there's an engraving of them in 'The Graphic'.

The Pietermaritzburg Rifles and the 'Maritzburg Rifles are one & the same, the same with the amaBomvu Corps & the Amabomvu Mtd Natives.

Stretcher-bearers were men of the NNC, there's at least two engravings of them 'in action', one in the 'ILN' & one in 'The Graphic'

The Newcastle Scouts , Vos's Native Levies & Utrecht Native Levies are new ones to me.

Impi,

Pulleine's Rangers were a 9th Cape Frontier War unit, 1877-8, not a Zulu War unit, by 1879 Browne was in the NNC. With the disbandment of his unit in the aftermath of Isandlwana Browne would serve in Lonsdale's Mounted Rifles (Lonsdale's Horse).

kwaJimu1879

Hi kwajimu1879

Can you edit/update your list (your first post) with the units that 90th has suggested?

Graves1879,

Have done.

90th,

I made a change re-Terry Sole's entry for the Ixopo troops, there's an 1879 reference to them being call the 'Ixopo Mounted Contingent' so I went for that.

kwaJimu1879

Schutte’s Corps (1879). This consisted of Transvaal Volunteers raised for the Zulu War. The commanding officer was Captain Schutte.

Eckersley’s Contingent (1879). This unit comprised Transvaal Natives raised by Mr Eckersley, RM, for service in the Zulu War and against Sekukuni. Its strength was 207.

Littlehand,

I take it you are quoting from Military History Journal - Vol 4 No 5
PROFILE OF AN ARMY: THE COLONIAL AND IMPERIAL FORCES OF THE ZULU WAR OF 1879
by S. Monick

Despite what is written there I can find no evidence of either of those to units taking part in the Zulu War, but I'll stand to be corrected. However, they did serve against Sekhukhune.

The Pretoria Horse were also raised in Transvaal for the Zulu War according to one of their number, Henry Rider Haggard but they didn't serve in it either.

kwaJimu1879

Thanks kwaJimu1879. Hopefully when we have exhausted all. We will have a definitive list.

Natal Volunteer Corps.

Littlehand,

That was just a generic name for all of the volunteer forces of the Colony of Natal.

kwaJimu1879

kwajimu1879 see what you think of this.

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



Click on book top left hand side Scroll down to page 3

Littlehand,

Or better still take the book off of the shelf behind me and look at it!

Ian Castle confirms Eckersley's & Schutte's units operated against the baPedi of Sekhukhune, not against King Cetshwayo and the Zulu.

Fairlie's unit took casualties in the Zulu War on two occasions in February 1879, so personally I'd disagree with their exemption. The name I have used for them is the one that appears in 'The London Gazette' recording their wounded.

So it looks like the only unit not mentioned now in the list is the New Germany Rifles. Original list updated and a minor grammatical change made.

kwaJimu1879

I was referring to the "Natal Volunteer Corps" They were disbanded after the Battle of Ulundi. So I’m assuming they took part in the Zulu War. (Could be wrong)

Littlehand,

What is your source?

kwaJimu2879

It’s was in the link i posted yesterday. I maybe reading it incorrectly. That’s why I ask what you thought. Anyway here it is underlined in red. Is it saying they took part in the Battle of Ulundi or they disbanded after Ulundi, but didn’t take part. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Littlehand,

It is a term relating to all the volunteer units of the Colony of Natal, once the job was done at Ulundi they were stood down and return to normal jobs etc.

If you have got a copy of 'The Narrative of Field Operations...' look at Appendix D under the dates 'Raised' & 'Disbanded' you'll find some were kept in the field for longer than others.

kwaJimu1879

Further to this link I'm interested in the role of Ferreira's Horse in the Zulu War, as I possess a medal to one of their troopers (R. Kemp). They are excluded from this book but were apparently transferred from Rowland's column to Wood's in Feb/March 79 (South African Military History Journal vol4 no5). Smith Dorrien specifically mentions them as being under the command of Buller on the reconnaissance before Ulundi. They are also mentioned as being attached to Villier's Force in dealing with the surrender of large groups of Zulus in the mountains overlooking the Pongola river in July. I'd be grateful for any further information. Neil

“The Narrative of Field Operations”. Don't have a copy. But thanks for explanation.

Cooke's Horse Officers & Men numbered 78 (Part of the First Division) Under General Crealock's Lower Tugela Command.

Grey Town District Colonial Volunteers .Officers & Men numbered 139 ( Second Division (General Newidgate's)

Hi Neil .
You probably know this anyway but I can tell you Kemp's christian name was Robert , and his Medal is entitled to the
1879 Clasp .
cheers 90th.

Mr. Greaves,

Cooke's Horse was the local name for No. 2 Troop of the Natal Horse, in the same way No. 3 Troop was referred to as Bettington's Horse. All three troops of the Natal Horse were formed from the European officers & nco's of the disbanded 3rd Regiment of the NNC in February 1879.

As to

Quote :

Grey Town District Colonial Volunteers .Officers & Men numbered 139 ( Second Division (General Newidgate's)

I've never heard them what is the source for them? Greytown was part of the Msinga Magistracy and in the recruiting area of the Buffalo Border Guard. 139 men seems an awful lot of a small place like Greytown when cities suchas Pietermaritzburg and Durban provided alot less.

kwaJimu1879

" In Zululand with the British Army"   Norris- Newman.

The arrival of the reinforcement section.

Not only do they make it into Norris Newman, they even make into G A Henty's 'Young Colonists' by virtue of the fact Henty has ripped off Norris Newman list verbatim.

I'll add them to my list.

Odd that Laband & Thompson in 'The Buffalo Border 1879' don't warrant them a mention at all, despite discussing the colonial defence units in the area.

Thanks,

kwaJimu1879

Hi Kwajimu.
Also odd that there is no mention of them in the medal roll , which makes me think they have gone by another name possibly ?.
cheers 90th.

It could be that quite a few of these units started under one name and ended up as part of another. Newman might have know them as he states in his book. So how far do we going excluding units because they ended up being called something else.

What about this unit. "Coleraine volunteers"

"After 1850 many Coleraine volunteers continued to serve the Crown during Britain’s conflicts. That included the Crimean War in 1855. After the Crimean War a Russian cannon was presented to the town in 1859 to mark the contribution made by the Coleraine volunteers. Coleraine volunteers were also well represented during the Zulu War in 1879, the Egypt War in 1882, the first Boer War 1881 and the second Boer War in 1899-1902."

Old H. I don't think they were know as the Coleraine Volunteers.

Hi Oh2.
Do you have any other info concerning the Coleraine Volunteers ??. Cant say I've heard of them .
Cheers 90th.

90th,

Wild Northern Irishmen looking for a fight!

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

kwaJimu1879

Hi Kwajimu1879.
Thanks for the link .
cheers 90th.

Raaf's Horse. Can't see it on the list. Have I missed it.

Dave they came under "Transvaal Rangers"