Accounts of alleged Officer deserters/ cowards who fled iSandlwana etc

Last edited by tasker224 on Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:04 pm; edited 2 times in total

Charlie Harford took "two officer deserters into custody." This is noted in his own personal diary after the battle.

Lieutenants Higginson and Stephenson of the NNC.

Are there any other known or documented cases of deserters/ cowardice during the battle? (Apart from the trooper who was shot, apparently deserting RD as discussed on this forum).

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

There's a thread that covers this on the forum..

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Thanks for the links Dave. So to the list of deserters/ cowards, we can add Captain Carey and Lieutenant Hayward.

So the list of Officer deserters/cowards reads:

Captain Carey 98th Regt.

Lieutenant Avery NNC.

Lieutenant Holcroft NNC.

Lieutenants Higginson NNC.

Lieutenant Stephenson NNC.

Lieutenant Harward 80th Regt.

Possibly:
Lieutenant Adendorfff NNC ???

Tasker, before including "Captain Carey" research him first. He died a very broken man. A sad story!! Salute

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

Tasker

Even if Adenorff wasn't at RD (which he was ), how does that make him a coward ? He had no men their and dozens of
others passed on without even stopping to talk, why does Adenorff get singled out ?

Also Carey, if he had returned and tryed to save the prince they would both have been killed, Carey had a revolver
with only 6 shots and there were something like 16 Zulus chasing the prince .

Cheers

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

You can add Durnford to the list!!!

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

Chard1879 wrote:: You can add Durnford to the list!!!

Drummer Boy 14 wrote:: Tasker

Even if Adenorff wasn't at RD (which he was ), how does that make him a coward ? He had no men their and dozens of
others passed on without even stopping to talk, why does Adenorff get singled out ?

Also Carey, if he had returned and tryed to save the prince they would both have been killed, Carey had a revolver
with only 6 shots and there were something like 16 Zulus chasing the prince .

Cheers

DB14, I am not saying anyone definitely is, or isn't, I am just posting names mentioned in accounts, as possibly being deserters. See the 2 links that Dave posted, above. I realise that Adendorff may well have stayed and helped defend RD as according to Chard's roll, but there is also a theory that he slipped away from RD. He was also the other officer with Avery and Holcroft who did desert their posts before iSandlwana, so chances are he did too. Read Dave's second link.
Carey, again, his name has come up in accounts, but I am not judging him.

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

Tasker

Sorry about that than, but Adenorff said he would stay and there is no evidece that he left, just nonsence spread by Morris and believed by others who haven't reasharched the accounts. He was there in the morning when Chelsford force marched in and relieved the post, what more evidence does anyone need than that ?

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

If names are going to be posted, then may I suggest, the accusation of Desertion is backup with primary evidence. For example "Carey" was not found guilty of Desertion!!

Hi Tasker .
Holcroft and Avery were hungry I'd expect more than deserting , there were many fires ( zulu )around their camp and you'd be a bit worried I'd think attempting to negotiate your way back to the camp at night in those circumstances . I'd be thinking safety in numbers and would've needed a decent reason to attempt a night ride . Thats how I see it .
Cheers 90th

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

DB have read TWOTS.

Here you go, here's the article Dave's link leads to:

"Officer desertions from the field of battle during the Anglo-Zulu War were too numerous
for comfort.
By Dr Andres Traverse"

And here is his bibliography: (You trawl through them if you wish to)

Barfield, Doreen, “For Valour” At Fugitives Drift. The South African Military History
Society Journal Vol 1 No 6.
Farwell, Byron, Mr Kipling’s Army All the Queen’s Men. Norton & Co, New York,
1981.
Greaves, Adrian, Crossing the Buffalo the Zulu War of 1879. Cassell, London 2005
Greaves, Adrian, Isandlwana. Cassell, London 2005
Greaves, Adrian, Editor, Redcoats and Zulus, Selected essays from The Journal of the
Anglo Zulu War Society, Pen & Sword. Barnesley 2004
Greaves, Adrian, Rorke’s Drift. Cassell, London 2002
Greaves, Adrian and Knight, Ian, Who’s Who in the Zulu War Volumes 1 and 2.
Pen & Sword, Barnsley 2006
Keegan, John and Holmes, Richard, Soldiers a History of Men in Battle, Viking Penguin
Inc, New York 1986
Knight, Ian, Brave Men’s Blood. Greenhill Books, London 1990
Knight, Ian, The Mysterious Lieutenant Adendorff of Rorke’s Drift; Hero or Coward?
Anglo Zulu War Historical Society Journal.
Knight, Ian, The National Army Museum Book of the Zulu War. Pan Books, London2003
Knight, Ian, With His Face to the Foe, The Life and Death of Louis Napoleon, The
Prince Imperial Zululand 1879. Jonathan Ball Publishers, Johannesburg 2001
Lock, Ron, Blood on the Painted Mountain Zulu Victory and defeat Hlobane and
Kambula, 1879. Greenhill Books, London 1995
Lock, Ron and Quantrill, Peter, Zulu Victory, The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-up.
Greenhill Books, London 2002
Morris, Donald, The Washing of the Spears, The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation.
Jonathan Cape Ltd, London 1972
Payne, David and Emma, Harford, The Writings, Photographs & Sketches. Ultimatum
Tree Ltd, Wales 2008
Wolseley, Col. Sir Garnet, The Soldiers Pocket Book for Field Service, Macmillan & Co,
London 1871

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

impi wrote:: DB have read TWOTS.

I did read it, it had no evidence given and Morris made up huge sections of the book, such as accouts by James Hammer ect, and.

Cheers

All, I have edited the title of the thread, I had not intended for it to be a Tasker lead witch hunt!
I was hoping to be lead to accounts of reported cowardice and desertions, such as Dave's post, the second in this thread.
Adendorff for example, there are two versions to his story (though I am inclined to believe he did not desert RD as does DB14) and Carey was in fact tried and found guilty of desertion at court martial, though later cleared.

Not looking to judge anyone, 134 years later!

Lord Wolseley on the other hand never did beat about the bush, did he?

"Lord Wolseley felt the need to comment publicly regarding
court martial verdicts involving officer desertion. He was clearly appalled by the conduct
of too many of his subordinates and it seemed that some officers were treated too lightly
in his opinion. Without a doubt, these men of rank deserted to save themselves in
situations where other soldiers remained at their posts to fight bravely with many dying
for their Queen and country."

Drummer Boy 14 wrote:

impi wrote:: DB have read TWOTS.

I did read it, it had no evidence given and Morris made up huge sections of the book, such as accouts by James Hammer ect, and.

Cheers

A good precis here, if you don't have TWOTS:

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References/ allegations to Officer deserters/cowards, proved or disproven reads:

Captain Carey 98th Regt.

Lieutenant Avery NNC.

Lieutenant Holcroft NNC.

Lieutenants Higginson NNC.

Lieutenant Stephenson NNC.

Lieutenant Harward 80th Regt.

Lieutenant Adendorfff NNC ???

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