Capt. H. Dymes, 1st Nat. Nat. Contgt

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Supposedly escaped from Isandlwana’. This is not confirmed

On the Forsyth Roll , confirmed Medal with 1879 clasp , also in ' For God , Queen & Colony '; is the only member on that roll NOT to have
a notation next to his name ? .
cheers 90th.

Forgot to add - Julian may be able to enlighten us on his '' Isandlwana Involvement '' , if he was there

I sold that medal a while back, here is the research notes I made

Jager1

SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL 1877 - 1879 TO CAPTAIN H. DYMES, 1st NATAL NATIVE CONTINGENT.

Harry Rawlins Dymes Attended Cambridge University, gaining a Degree before embarking for South Africa some time in 1877/8. He held the appointment of Mathematical Master at Hilton College before looking towards Military Service.
He was appointed to 1/1 NNC as Lieutenant 28th November 1878 and Captain 3rd January 1879. He served in various position while with the Battalion; as Company Commander, Adjutant and also Paymaster. Dymes resigned his Commission at the end of May 1879 and applied for a post with the Civil Service, but by 20th September 1879 he had applied to the Colonial secretary for employment in the Colonial Force being raised – presumably for the Basuto Campaign. I have not yet been able to trace if he was employed during the Campaigns of 1880/1 but there was a small unit called Dymes Rifles formed in 1880/81 that fought in Basutoland, Dymes being an unusual name…..

There are six pages concerning Dymes in 'A Soldiers Life' by Durnford – this in the form of informative descriptions by Dymes of the forming of the unit and anecdotes presumably taken from letters or a diary, which recount his service from the training of the Battalion right up to the day Durnford left for Isandhlwana. Dymes had been destined to go with the Company he was Commanding but at the very last minute was recalled to take the duty of Battalion Paymaster (the paymaster being ill) and his Company was split between Captain Stafford’s and Nourse to make two enlarged Companies rather than three. Something that probably saved his life says Dymes! . Where these letters are now and if there are more is a tantalising thought.

Harry Rawlins Dymes Died in Pietersmaritzburg 26th September 1891- his wife had died just a couple of months previously and his surviving Son was cared for by the sister of Mrs Dymes, a teacher.

A note to support the possibility of a link between Dymes and Dymes Rifles is the fact that H.R.Dymes died in 1891 and therefore would not have lived to claim the CGHGS medal.

Does anyone know when Dymes was appointed Paymaster?

Hi All 
An extract from a PDF Theses by Keith.I.Smith, 
B.A,hons ( macq). Master of Arts University of Western Australia.

THE COMMANDANTS:

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NATAL NATIVE CONTINGENT IN THE ANGLO ZULU WAR

" What happened next is related by Captain Dymes, an officer with the 1st Battalion."

On the 14th of January, we received orders at 2 O'Clock in the morning to march at 4am down to Middle Drift. I was then a Captain, but, as a contingent of Sikali's men had not yet joined us, I had no men, and was attached as aide-de-camp, or galloper to Commdt Montgomery.
When we reached the summit of Kranz-Cop, preparatory to descending the valley to the Drift, an orderly came up with a dispatch to Colonel Durnford. I was sitting on my horse close by him when it was delivered, and I saw a change in his face at once. Suddenly he gave the word to retrace our way to camp, and I remembered the look of disgust that crossed his countenance as he read the order, which to him not to move until he received further instructions from the General. Page 54

On page 67 he states only Lieutenants 
Adendorff (no6 company) Higginson (also no6 company)
and Vaines (no9 company) survived.
Five Captains and eight Lieutenants were killed, including Captain Murray. There is no evidence to indicate where Murray and his Lieutenant, Pritchard were lost.

Eddie
Thanks. That does not answer my question but it is incidentally very useful from a date perspective. Does Keith Smith cite the source of the quotation?

Hi Julian 

I have amended my previous post and added more info.

I have PM you.




Yes he was a Captain as of 14th and an aide-de-camp, not a paymaster at that point, unless he was both.

Thanks.  Interesting re the note on Murray/Pritchard.  Murray says that they were definitely both lost withal their European NCOs and men at Isandhlwana.

Hi Julian 

Yes indeed.

In the latter pages of the information I sent you are some interesting official investigations into Major Graves and Captain Montgomery.
Interesting read.

I've noticed several interesting points already.