Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879

Subject: Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879 Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:50 pm

Can anyone confirm the location of B Coy, 1/24th in January 1879?
A,C,E,F and H coys at the iSandlwana camp and D and G coys at Helpmekaar.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Rorkes Drift.

Subject: Re: Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879 Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:19 pm

24th,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Not getting involved

Cant believe you said that mate. Shocked

B comp 1/24 were i think in the Eastern Cape

Cheers Salute

Subject: Re: Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879 Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:05 pm

Thanks Springbok; would they have been part of Pearson's column or were they on garrison somewhere?
Can't seem to find much on the web unless it is about iSndlwana or RD. Is there a good book on this one could recommend? You need to study mo

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Pearson's column.

Five companies of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
Six companies of the 99th Regiment
A Naval detachment from HMS Active and HMS Tenedos
Two RA guns under Lieutenant Lloyd
Royal Engineers under Captain Wynne
2nd Regiment NNC
Mounted Infantry and Natal Volunteers under Major Barrow
As well as a supply train of 384 ox wagons, 3400 baggage animals and 600 wagoners and drivers.

Subject: Re: Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879 Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:34 pm

"By January 23rd all that was left of the 1st battalion were the three companies in Natal who were not at Isandlwana or Rorke’s Drift. The 2nd battalion, the majority of which had seen no real fighting on their brief foray into Zululand, had returned to Natal. What happened to the remnants of the 24th Foot after January 23rd is less well known because they were not closely involved in the remainder of the Anglo-Zulu war.

The two companies of the 1st battalion at Helpmekaar moved to Dundee where they formed the cadre for the re-constitution of the battalion. Five hundred and twenty men were raised in England from the depot and volunteers from other regiments to re-form the 1st battalion. They nearly didn’t get to Natal as their transport HMS Clyde hit a reef off Simon’s Bay at low tide. Fortunately the weather was calm and everyone was evacuated safely. When the tide rose the ship sank and all stores were lost. The men re-embarked on the Tamar and eventually got to Dundee on May 4th. Of the 2nd battalion in Natal, four companies garrisoned the newly built Fort Melvill close to Rorke’s Drift.

Meanwhile general reinforcements were being sent from England to enable Chelmsford to invade a second time with overwhelming numbers. The second invasion of Zululand began in May and the reconstituted 1st battalion formed part of Lord Chelmsford’s column. Chelmsford headed for the royal kraal at Ulundi to fight a single decisive battle. On the way forts were built to secure his supply line (and line of retreat). Companies of the 1st battalion were left to guard these. When the day of reckoning came on July 3rd it was the turn of the 1st battalion to guard camp. They did not fight at Ulundi. The only soldiers of the regiment to fight were those of the IMI. The 2nd battalion did not invade Zululand again. Their only notable activity in this period was to provide a guard of honour and escort for the body of the Prince Imperial on its way back to England. One can argue that for the 2nd battalion the only fighting it saw was some skirmishing in early January and this did not involve the whole battalion.

After the battle of Ulundi the 1st battalion moved straight back to Natal and in August embarked for England. On arrival 700 men were discharged time expired, medically unfit or returned to their original regiments. The 2nd battalion lingered in Natal, H and F companies crossed into Zululand escorting the new commander-in-chief, Sir Garnet Wolseley, and to garrison forts. On their return they went to Isandlwana to bury their dead; the dead from other units had been buried in May. B company also crossed into Zululand to garrison a fort. By September these companies had been withdrawn from Zululand and the battalion embarked for Gibraltar".

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

Makes sense!

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

B Company 1/24th were in Pondoland, as Springbok says the Eastern Cape. On what was Transkei/Natal border on St John's River on garrison duty. There's a photograph of the company which gets used a lot in books under the command of Captain HA Harrisson.

The company took no part in the Zulu War all three of the company's officers only received the medal with the bar 1877-8.

'Jim

Subject: Men Of B Co 1 / 24th - January 1879 Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:47 pm

Hi Tasker .
Are you looking for a book on B Co 1 / 24th about it's time at St Johns ? . I doubt there is one except for snippets here and there
in other books .
Cheers 90th. Salute

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

"On the 11 May 1879 the 1st Battalion 24th Regt reformed at Dundee with the drafts sent out from UK as follows:

Major Dunbar assumed command of 1/24th. Of the original companies, B (at St. John’s River under Captain Harrisson) became H Company; D Company (Brevet Major R Upcher) was re-designated A Company; G Company (Captain T Rainforth) remained unchanged. New companies were formed from the draft as follows: B (Captain AA Morshead), C (Lieutenant CRW Colville, Grenadier Guards), D (Captain LH Bennett), e (Captain The Hon GAV Bertie, Coldstream Guards) and F (Captain Wilfred Heaton).

Previous to that, i.e. on 22 January 1879

Battalion HQ:
Pulleine (CO), Degacher W, Melvill (Adjt), White (Pmr), Pullen (QM), Sergt-Major Gapp at Isandhlwana
A Company:
Porteous at Isandhlwana
B Company:
Harrisson, Spring, Roche at Fort Harrisson, Southern Natal/Pondoland border
C Company:
Younghusband, Hodson at Isandhlwana
D Company:
Upcher, Heaton, Lloyd moved independently from PMB to Helpmekaar
e Company:
Cavaye, Dyson at Isandhlwana
F Company:
Mostyn, Anstey, Daly moved independently from PMB arriving Isandhlwana 21 January
G Company:
Rainforth, Clements, Palmes moved independently from PMB to Helpmekaar
H Company:
Wardell, Atkinson at Isandhlwana
Band:
At Isandhlwana."

Source: Major Martin Everett

Posts : 225 Join date : 2011-09-19

All

In January 1879 B Coy 1/24 were in Pondoland as has been confirmed above.

Officers:

Captain H A Harrison
Lt W E D Spring
Lt Hon U D R B Roche

Not a lot of info beyond what is contained in C T Atkinson's "The South Wales Borderers 24th Foot 1689-1937" published in 1937.

Bill

Subject: Re: Men of B Coy, 1/24th - January 1879 Mon Jan 14, 2013 4:22 pm

bill cainan wrote:: All

In January 1879 B Coy 1/24 were in Pondoland as has been confirmed above.

Officers:

Captain H A Harrison
Lt W E D Spring
Lt Hon U D R B Roche

Not a lot of info beyond what is contained in C T Atkinson's "The South Wales Borderers 24th Foot 1689-1937" published in 1937.

Bill

Thanks all, and special thanks to KwaJimu and Bill Cainan - that is exactly what I was looking for!
Thanks again chaps Salute

» 2/24th Deployment January 1879
» The South Africa Medal awarded to Private R. Coughlan, 1/24th Regiment, who was killed in action at Isandhlwana on 22 January 1879
» Isandlwana- Firing Lines