The Natal Mounted Police have almost been forgotten.

Hi all.
I seem to remember Trpr Parsons' medal has been posted on the forum previously ? .
cheers 90th. .

Hi all.
I think the Parsons story is in several books , its certainly in at least 2 of Ian Knight's books which he has written
on Isandlwana . If I remember correctly the story was relayed from Trpr Symons accounts when they were out with Dartnell.

cheers 90th.

Hi All.
For those like me who actually like to hold a book when they are reading it , this may interest you . This does indeed seem to be
as ColinJ said a reprint of the 1913 Edition which is very expensive if you happen to come across it . I have the paperback copy but
have yet to read it .

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cheers 90th.

If anyone finds this available on Kindle. Post link.

90th wrote:

Hi all.
From memory the NMP only took part in the battle of Isandlwana and had a couple of members at Rorke's Drift . They didn't
take any part in the second invasion ( Croosing the Border ) as far as I recall . Happy to be corrected . They werent at Khambula or Hlobane as far as I'm aware .
cheers 90th.

Hi all, first post. I've been lurking for a long time and this thread has got me motivated to start posting. My great great grandfather, Insp. Frederick Campbell was one of the original three founding members of the NMP and was out with Dartnell during Isandlwana so I've had a keen interest in the NMP for many years.

90th is correct in saying that the only major battles that members of the NMP were present at were Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift but that was by no means their only contribution. NMP members escorted Chelmsford back to Pietermaritzburg from Rorke's Drift. As Natal's "police" and only permanent armed force their major duty after Isandlwana was patrolling the border and scouting the countryside. The police detachment at Rorke's Drift had to leave for a patrol each morning at 3:30 am before the "stand to" at Rorke's Drift to scout the countryside for five miles around the fort; often through maize fields where they were particularly vulnerable to ambush. Members of the NMP were present with Maj Black on the first return to Isandlwana and the recovery of the Colour. An NMP patrol chased a hundred-strong Zulu raiding party back into Zululand in the weeks following.

Apart from at Rorke's Drift members of the NMP had to scout the countryside under very trying conditions from Helpmakaar, Ladysmith, Dundee. Conditions were bad and several members of the NMP succumbed to illness. At Helpmakaar, for example, six died (Cpl Chaddock, Trps Bennett, Hayes, Ingram, Smith & Nagle) and at Ladysmith Trp Laughnan.

The role given to the NMP during the second invasion was to join Gen Newdigate at Dundee on 18 April and make raids into Zululand while Chelmsford marched to Eshowe. The NMP operated mainly in the Bashee valley area where they burnt several kraals.

The NMP also had to escort transport close to the border and then escorted the body of the Prince Imperial to Durban. They also escorted Wolseley to Ulundi arriving six days after the battle. Members of the NMP were involved in the search for Cetshwayo and other Zulu leaders. The police escorted Cetshwayo to Port Durnford after his capture. The NMP escorted Empress Eugenie on her visit to Zululand after the war.

Members of the NMP might have only been present for two major battles but proportionally they were a very small force and lost a considerable percentage of their number on 22 January. They were involved in smaller actions like Sihayo's stronghold and skirmishes between 20-22 January. Several other members succumbed to sickness while serving in very trying conditions in the wake of the disaster that was the first invasion while in the course of their duties guarding border farms and settlements. They did their duty; and as policemen that wasn't always on the major battlefields. They deserve to remembered for their part often forgotten role.

NMP. Welcome to the forum.

Quote :

My great great grandfather, Insp. Frederick Campbell was one of the original three founding members of the NMP.

Absolutely fantastic.

Do you have any photo's in connection with The NMP.


"Colonel Dartnell and Sub-Inspector Clarke put their heads together and prepared this scheme of reorganization, which worked so successfully that it was subsequently adopted by every other colony in South Africa. To put it into working order in Natal was no light undertaking, especially in view of the fact that there was only a week in which to draw up the rules and regulations. From the date when the force was first started it had been known as the Natal Mounted Police.
This body ceased to exist on the 3oth June 1894, on which day there was a gathering of the officers of the old force, who were :

Colonel Dartnell, Commandant ; Inspector W. F. Fairlie ; Inspector F. A. Campbell ; Inspector Phillips ; Inspector Sewell, Paymaster ; Inspector
Masson ; Sub-Inspector Stean, Adjutant ; Sub- Inspector Dorehill ; Sub-Inspector Clarke".

littlehand wrote:

NMP. Welcome to the forum.

Quote :

My great great grandfather, Insp. Frederick Campbell was one of the original three founding members of the NMP.

Absolutely fantastic.

Do you have any photo's in connection with The NMP.

Thanks for the welcome, Littlehand.

The only photo I have of him is in a family photo taken at my great grandfather's wedding. He isn't wearing his uniform in the photo but would have still been serving in the police at that time. I've cropped him from the photo but can't seem to get the image to upload. The only other photo I have of him is a scanned copy that Brett Hendey kindly managed to track down in an old edition of the Nongquai for me. All photos I have of the NMP I've copied from books. All of Frederick Campbell's medals, photos etc went to his second son, Harry, who had followed his father into the police so didn't come my way .

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Photo's by forum member Brett Hendey

Thanks Brett / Admin for posting photo's

Forgotten Heroes" Zulu and Bastuto Wars. Trooper W.Driemeyer NMP is down as being murdered in New Castle, Any information would be appreciated.

Admin

There are several postings on the thread "Royal Navy Medals Known To Still Exist" that are about F. A. Campbell, Natal Mounted Police. They are the first 7 posts on page 1.


Petty Officer Tom

Petty Officer Tom wrote:

The NMP did not remain idle while Lord Chelmsford’s forces advanced on Ulundi.

Rorke's Drift Garrison v Natal Mounted Police Cricket Match, 28th June 1879

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Petty Officer Tom

Played a week after the NMP had made their second return to Isandlwana where they buried their dead. On the first return to the battlefield on 14 March Cpl Groschky had found the colour-belt of the 1st/24th. F.A.Campbell scored 29 in the NMP second innings and took 5 wickets. He was known as a keen cricketer and tennis player and was for many years the chair of the Greytown tennis club. Former Zimbabwe Cricket Captain Alistair Campbell being a great great grandson of his.

Brett Hendey wrote:

Thus, a total of only 286 service medals were issued to the NMP. I have no idea what the survival rate of these medals must be, but I suspect that many have been lost or ended up in the melting pot. Those that survive are rarities well worth treasuring.

Regards
Brett

Petty Officer Tom wrote:

Admin

There are several postings on the thread "Royal Navy Medals Known To Still Exist" that are about F. A. Campbell, Natal Mounted Police. They are the first 7 posts on page 1.


Petty Officer Tom

At least 13 NMP medals were never claimed and returned to Britain as late as 23 May 1930 by the South African Department of Defence. 6 of these medals had the 1879 so were for men that had crossed into Zululand and two being killed at Isandlwana.
With 1879 clasp:
-Sgt. Faddy
-L/Cpl H.C. Campbell (No L/Cpl H.C. Campbell appears on my medal roster for the NMP. There is a Cpl H.F. Campbell but there isn't a note indicating that his medal was returned as is the case with the other returned medals. This man isn't listed as being killed at Isandlwana on the roster so presumably not the L/Cpl Campbell that was killed at Isandlwana and whose name appears on the NMP memorial at Isandlwana. Strangely there isn't a L/Cpl Campbell on the roster at all so a bit of a mystery as to who all these Campbells were. The only other Campbell on the roster is Insp F.A. Campbell who was third in command of the NMP. He had a brother whose initials were H.C. (Henry Cooke Campbell) but he went on to be Judge President of the Native High Court so definitely didn't died at Isandlwana and seemed to be a magistrate at the time of the Zulu War but who knows.

-Tpr. McRae, Killed at Isandlwana
-Tpr. Neil, Killed at Isandlwana
-Tpr. W. Nelson
-Tpr. E.G.W. Smith (can't find his name on the original NMP medal roster but there certainly seems to have been a medal issued in his name if it was listed as returned. Perhaps he is the same man as the Smith who died at Helpmakaar.)

Medals returned for men who didn't receive the 1879 clasp:
Cpl. Champ
Tpr. Drury
Tpr. Coates
Tpr. H.S. Boome (can't find his name on the NMP medal roster)
Tpr. J.N. Bowman (can't find his name on the NMP medal roster)
Tpr. J. Gray (can't find his name on the NMP medal roster)
Pte. Endengiza (can't find his name on the NMP medal roster. Also listing as Pte rather than Tpr seems odd.)

Medal roster also notes that a medal with 1879 clasp for a Cpl. Day was returned on 4 November 1896.

With all the missing names I can't help wondering if I'm missing a page from the medal roster or that there is a later one that I don't have a copy of.

24th wrote:

Forgotten Heroes" Zulu and Bastuto Wars. Trooper W.Driemeyer NMP is down as being murdered in New Castle, Any information would be appreciated.

There's nothing in Holt's The Mounted Police of Natal about a Tpr. Driemeyer being murdered. There isn't a Driemeyer on the CGH Medal Roster. There is a Tpr. Driemeier (spelling on in WO 100/49) on the Zulu War NMP roster for medal with 1879 clasp but there is no note about his death. Deaths after the War in 1879-1880 seem to be noted on the roster, as are medal returns. Seems this question has been asked by several folks on other forums and nothing has been forthcoming concerning a murder.

Hi NMP.
Welcome to the Forum . I couldnt agree more with your first post , the NMP rightly and deservedly so , need to be
not forgotten but remembered for their diligence and service that they most ably demonstrated on many occasions .
No disrespect meant or inferred in my earlier post on the service of the NMP after the first invasion .

Brett .
Thanks for posting the pictures of the NMP Medals , much appreciated .
cheers 90th.

Thanks NMP.

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Colonel William James Clarke was born on 16 January 1860 at Worth, Sussex, England. He married Cecily Francis Giles, daughter of Major James Giles and Isabella Francis Gaye. He died on 11 May 1936 at age 76 at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.

"He fought in the Battle of Isandhlawana in 1878.2 He was with the Natal Mounted Police between March 1878 and 1905. He fought in the Siege of Ladysmith. He held the office of Chief Commissioner of the Natal Mounted Police between 1905 and 1913. He was Officer-in-Charge of the 2nd South Africa Mounted Rifles Battalion between 1913 and 1917. He fought in the First World War, in South West Africa, and was mentioned in despatches. He was invested as a Officer, Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). Between 1918 and 1919 he was involved in an MI5 mission to Russia to rescue the Romanovs. He was decorated with the award of Order of St. Stanislaus of Russia."

90th wrote:

Hi NMP.
Welcome to the Forum . I couldnt agree more with your first post , the NMP rightly and deservedly so , need to be
not forgotten but remembered for their diligence and service that they most ably demonstrated on many occasions .
No disrespect meant or inferred in my earlier post on the service of the NMP after the first invasion .

cheers 90th.

Thanks for the welcome, 90th !
No worries. Wasn't seen as disrespect at all.

Cheers,

Mark

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Natal Mounted Police badge. These badges are rare.
Photo by Forum Member Brett Hendey

Hi all.
They are rare alright , expect an original if you are lucky enough to come across one to set you back somewhere
in the region of 400 pds if not more !!. .
cheers 90th.

Various bits of Information from,Colonel William James Clarke.

Isandhlwana Hill. The police had had a hard task, and were anticipating rest and food for themselves and their beasts when a Staff officer rode up and ordered Inspector Mansel to place out-posts on all the commanding hills on the east.

"Colonel Clarke recalls the fact that his troop was sent to an outlying ridge, and it was left there until long after dark, when a non-commissioned officer rode out and explained apologetically to the ravenous men that they had been forgotten by the Staff officer. It was then 8 p.m., and they did not reach camp until an hour later, when dinner (which consisted of biscuits and bully beef) was over"

Spending The sight at Isandlwana.

" I had charge of thirty of the horses during part of the night," writes Colonel Clarke in his diary.
"There were the corpses of four men of the 24th Regiment in the ring, and others under the horses* legs, which caused the animals to surge to and fro so that it was almost impossible to control them. At one time we were on top of the adjoining ring, which brought curses on my head. I was not sorry to be relieved."

Back at R.D

Ten men of the police had meanwhile remained at Rorke's Drift for patrol duty, and the rest went direct to Helpmakaar, where most of the survivors from Isandhlwana were found. One of them, Trooper Sparks, of the Natal Police, had conveyed the General's dispatches to Pietermaritzburg, being about the first person to arrive there with news of the disaster.

"Amongst the party left at Rorke's Drift was the present Chief Commissioner, Colonel Clarke, who recalls that they had a terribly hard time. Food was not too plentiful, and they had neither tents, blankets, nor a change of clothing . Few of them had any eating uten- sils,whichisnot surprising considering their movements for several days before, and most of them had to draw their rations in empty bully beef tins. They had to " sleep rough," and carried nearly as much mud as kit about with them."


Clarke of the Natal Mounted Police described in his diary that "altogether we buried 375 Zulus and some wounded were thrown into the grave. Seeing the manner in which our wounded had been mutilated after being dragged from the hospital... we were very bitter and did not spare wounded Zulus".[

Littlehand.

Quote :

Colonel William James Clarke was born on 16 January 1860 at Worth, Sussex, England. He married Cecily Francis Giles, daughter of Major James Giles and Isabella Francis Gaye. He died on 11 May 1936 at age 76 at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.

"He fought in the Battle of Isandhlawana in 1878.2 He was with the Natal Mounted Police between March 1878 and 1905. He fought in the Siege of Ladysmith. He held the office of Chief Commissioner of the Natal Mounted Police between 1905 and 1913. He was Officer-in-Charge of the 2nd South Africa Mounted Rifles Battalion between 1913 and 1917. He fought in the First World War, in South West Africa, and was mentioned in despatches. He was invested as a Officer, Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). Between 1918 and 1919 he was involved in an MI5 mission to Russia to rescue the Romanovs. He was decorated with the award of Order of St. Stanislaus of Russia."

It says he fought in the Battle of Isandlwana, Yet he appears to have spent the night there as well. Its this the same "Clarke" or am I reading this wrong.

Admin wrote:

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Natal Mounted Police badge. These badges are rare.
Photo by Forum Member Brett Hendey

Great to see! Thanks Brett & Admin for putting this photo up.

24th wrote:

Littlehand.

Quote :

Colonel William James Clarke was born on 16 January 1860 at Worth, Sussex, England. He married Cecily Francis Giles, daughter of Major James Giles and Isabella Francis Gaye. He died on 11 May 1936 at age 76 at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.

"He fought in the Battle of Isandhlawana in 1878.2 He was with the Natal Mounted Police between March 1878 and 1905. He fought in the Siege of Ladysmith. He held the office of Chief Commissioner of the Natal Mounted Police between 1905 and 1913. He was Officer-in-Charge of the 2nd South Africa Mounted Rifles Battalion between 1913 and 1917. He fought in the First World War, in South West Africa, and was mentioned in despatches. He was invested as a Officer, Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). Between 1918 and 1919 he was involved in an MI5 mission to Russia to rescue the Romanovs. He was decorated with the award of Order of St. Stanislaus of Russia."

It says he fought in the Battle of Isandlwana, Yet he appears to have spent the night there as well. Its this the same "Clarke" or am I reading this wrong.

Hi 90th,
There are a few errors in it. (1878 should read 1879) W.J.Clarke was on the Dartnell patrol so wasn't present in camp during the actual battle. He returned to Isandlwana with Chelmsford that evening. The NMP existed from only 1874-1894; after which it became the Natal Police. Clarke was Commissioner of the Natal Police not the NMP.

HORRORS OE ISANDHLWANA
Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 460, 10 March 1914, Page 2

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Brett, thanks for sending photo

Hi Littlehand .
Good read , I've heard a few people say who have been there that it has a sense of foreboding and Eerie atmosphere which lingers
throughout the area !. Must get off my bum and renew my passport ! .
cheers 90th.

Forgot earlier to thank Brett / Admin for sharing and posting the NMP Badge .
cheers 90th.

Hi All

Admin - if you go through your photos from the Zulu Weekend you will find the medal for Tpr A Parsons - it was in amongst the Colonials.

If you could post it please - I would but the medals have gone back into a safe place.

David

The NMP's involvement with Isandlwana didn't end in 1879. Members of the NMP were back at Isandlwana on 14 March 1880:

"...Wolseley complained in early 1880 that travellers - the site was already receiving attention from adventurous tourists - had reported that remains were again exposed. A party of one NCO and ten men of the 60th Rifles was sent out under a Lieutenant O'Connell, accompanied by a Sub-Inspector Philips and seven troopers of the natal Mounted Police. They camped on the battlefield for five days from 14 March, and O'Connell did his best to ensure the graves were fully repaired. His methods were nothing if not pratical - he lined his men up, gave each man a sack, and walked them across the battlefield. Once two or three bags were full, they dug a hole and burried the remains together."

Zulu Rising by Ian Knight, pg 690.

It was encouraging to see the interest shown in the unrewarded and unsung para military force which was the NMP under Maj Dartnell. This fact is born out by the great contempory interest in the works by H.P.Holt, The Mounted Police of Natal, which was originally published in 1913, but now reprinted and availble from many Book sellers.

The interest in Col Clarke, the late commisioner of the NP . but who also served as a trooper and junior officer
in the NMP, was of special importance to me as he is an ancestor of mine. In this regard I wish to correct one misconception and that is that many historians and researchers refer to Col Clarke's diaries as their source material. This is incorrect as the original 9 volumes of his handwritten diaries have never been in the public domain and have been under my custodianship for the last 50 years and have never been accessed by these people.

However, what they have been probably referring to is Col Clarkes Reminences, My Career in South Africa, etc , which is a short summary of his doings in the period 1878-1920. These have been in the public domain and were typed up in 1934 shortly before his decease in Pietermaritzburg in 1936.

It is my plan however to publish the original handwritten diaries in the form of a biography shortly. Col Clarke's diaries go into quite a lot of detail about his many battlefield experiences and these details will interest historians and researchers alike as they will clear the fog of war and firm up on some of the historical details lost in the mists of time.

In another part of this forum I have already started giving a verbatum transcript of Trooper Clarke's observations as part of the Dartnell Patrol at Isandhlawana, commencing 22/01/1879, and these will continue as a post until his departure back to Natal after having served in the Rorke's Drift garrison in the day/s post the magnificent rout .



barry

Hi Barry.
Looking forward to you completing and publishing your project , I'll certainly be happy to purchase a copy.
cheers 90th.

Hi all

Trooper Parsons medal

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Cheers
DB14

A long time after the last post I know, but the information provided on Trooper Robert Shedden St John Green needs to be corrected. The story about him at Jagersfontein and being chased away by the angry Boer inhabitants is best described as 'apocryphal' and does not align with the facts. So, to fill in the details:

Robert Green married twice. His wife at the time of the ABW was from Mossel Bay and that is where he married her in 1896.

All men who had resided in the Free State for a period of time were considered burghers and were liable for military service so nothing unusual there. Robert Green does not appear in the records of the ABW Museum as an officer of the Jagersfontein Commando or any other Commando and is also not recorded as a ‘Joiner’ as he would have been if he had switched sides as suggested.

The battle for/of Jagersfontein did not involve the Seaforth Highlanders attacking the town. Jagersfontein surrendered to the British (General Clements) in March 1900 without any resistance. The Seaforths were not involved as they were elsewhere. The town was then garrisoned by the British and a Town Guard established. Robert Green was a Lieutenant in this Town Guard and ultimately entitled to a Queen’s South Africa Medal for his service. Following their involvement in the Brandwater Basin campaign, the Seaforth Highlanders were sent south and in October 1900 were sent to reinforce the garrisons at Jagersfontein and Fauresmith. They took up their posts on 13 October. Jagersfontein was attacked by Boer forces on 16 October and were beaten off with 25 dead including their commandant, Visser. They attacked Fauresmith a day or two later with the same result.

Local Boer residents who had supported and assisted the Boer attack were detained and sent to camps in the Cape Colony. Their houses, rather than Robert Green’s, were burnt.

The Seaforths moved to Jagersfontein from Edenburg so approached from the east. They did not cross the Orange River which, at its closest point, lies 70km to the south west of Jagersfontein. Green was a Lieutenant in the Town Guard and not the Seaforths.

The British stopped garrisoning the towns in December 1900 and the inhabitants were removed to the ‘Refugee Camps’ for protection or detention. Colonel Du Molen of the Royal Sussex Regiment who occupied the towns a year later at Christmas 1901 reported that the towns were deserted. Green appears to have chosen to go to Mossell Bay instead of a camp - good choice. There was nothing special about him leaving for his safety.