John Trotter, Rorke's Drift Defender

Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-06-06

Hi - anyone have any information or comments on this newspaper article that appeared in Newcastle's Evening Chronicle (UK) a few weeks back.
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Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

I reckon, it's another one of those soldiers stories. He's not the first and won't be the last. Salute

Posts : 3387 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

1879-2009

There is a J. Trotter on the Medal Roll.

1356 Private J. Trotter, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion
South Africa Medal with Clasp 1877-8-9. His regimental service number was 1356.

Salute

Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-06-06

Thanks 1879graves.

Heres a little more...

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Subject: John Trotter , R.D. Defender Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:40 pm

Hi all .
If anyone here knows it will be Julian , or if Kris Wheatley happens to visit this site she will also know .
cheers 90th. Salute

Subject: Re: John Trotter, Rorke's Drift Defender Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:43 pm

Not surprising that a journalist would make the quantum leap assumption of:

24th foot ---> Rorke's Drift.

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Would he have not received the RD bible.

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

I can't find him in Englands Son's.

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Type in " John Trotter" the amount of of references you get mostly lead back to this site. Just goes to show we can resurrect the dead.

Subject: John Trotter , R.D. Defender Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:27 am

Hi All .
Kris Wheatley has kindly sent me an email and she states ; '' I have no knowledge of any J. Trotter and his name doesn't appear in ANY of the Roll's of the defenders , It is equally possible that the man was ' elsewhere ' at the time of Isandlwana & Rorke's Drift . Was he for instance with Chelmesford , many soldiers who were not present either deliberately gave their family the impression that they were there at the time , whilst others wrote home ( Especially those passing through R.D for a few days later ) who's families mistakingly thought they had been there at the time of the battle . Some will inevitably always remain a mystery , others will and have been solved '' .
cheers 90th.

Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-06-06

Hi - Thanks to all for opinions and info. Thanks to 90th and Kris Wheatley.

However, the slight twist with this one is the Rorke's Drift re-enactment at the Northern Command Tattoo, at Ravensworth Castle in Gateshead. Presuming that John Trotter did attend this, could he have stood along side the other 5 Rorke's Drift veterans, with an exaggerated account of his involvement in the battle??

(stills from Tattoo 'DRESS REHERSAL'. British Pathe News 1934)
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Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

He was probably with the 2nd invasion. Salute

Subject: John Trotter , R.D. Defender Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:18 am

Hi CTSG.
He was certainly in Sth Africa for a while as he was awarded the medal with the clasp 77-78-79 !. So that rules out the second invasion . Salute

cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: John Trotter, Rorke's Drift Defender Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:19 pm

John Trotter is on none of the RD rolls, so as things stand, he was not there. End of.

» George Deacon. Rorkes Drift defender.
» Pte John Manley Rorkes Drift Defender 22nd / 23rd Jan 1879. Redication
» Rorke's Drift Defender Medal