Colonel William Mathew Dunbar

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Colonel William Mathew Dunbar
Born 21 October 1833, Cork Ireland
Died 15 April 1900, 52 George Sq. Edin. (seen Will)
At marriage in 1862 in Edinburgh was lieutenant in the 34th(signature looks like HW Dunbar)
Gentleman-at-arms to Queen Victoria from 1882 to 1890 and Colonel in the 24th Foot. (this is confirmed by St James's Palace) Col
address, maybe late in life, Whitehall Lodge, Harrogate.
Crimea Medal with clasp Sebastopol
Turkish Medal
Indian Mutiny medal with clasp 1877-8-9.
Info from Museum of Royal Regiment of Wales Brecon, which has his travelling chest from the Anglo-Zulu campaign.
Crimea from 55, incl attack on Redan and siege of Sebstopol.
Indian Mutiny incl. Cawnpore 57, capture of Lucknow and fort at Gunge, relief of Azinghur, victory at Brotwul and affair at Bowhanie.
Commanded 1st Bn 24th Reg second advance into Zululand.
London Gazette 28/11/1879.
Commanded 1st Bn 1880
South Africa 78-80
Kaffir War 77-78
Zulu War 79, at Ulundi 4/7/79.

Source:http://www.nickcoleman.net

littlehand wrote:

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Colonel William Mathew Dunbar
Source:http://www.nickcoleman.net

Great photo. He looks formidable. I like Dunbar. He sensed something amiss and objected before the disaster, only to be insulted by Crealock for it. He did not underestimate his enemy and seems to have known how to do his job.

After surviving the Crimea and the Mutiny having to choke down Crealock's bile without must have been a bitter pill.

I think I may have also posted this info on Dunbar , It may have come from Charles Norris Newman's book ' In Zululand With The British Throughout The War Of 1879 '.
90th

Crealock wrote:

"Well Sir" was the reply, "if you are nervous we will put a picquet of the pioneers there".

I love the implicit assumption that covering your rear in enemy territory makes you a 'nervous nelly.' And to further rub salt in the wound his permission to set up a sentry post was provisional -- the virtually unarmed pioneers had to be the ones so the regulars weren't tired out. Of course the Pioneers were busy moving earth and rocks all day, so may not have been too alert a 14:00 hours.

This is SO indicative of the overconfidence that did Chelmsford in -- but which the vast majority of the command structure was infected. It's really quite damning that battle hardened officer had to put his career on the line to gain any traction whatsoever with senior command.

You can imagine the tone it set --one where bravado overshadowed not merely sound military practice, but common sense. It also relates DIRECTLY (IMO, at least) to Pulleine's hesitation to look like he was crying wolf when the camp was attacked. If somebody like Dunbar could be twitted for being too cautious, what about an untried officer who had a C.V. that mostly featured staff duties!

And finally, (for the recalcitrant Durnford blamers) this makes it MORE THAN CLEAR where Chelmsford stood on fortifying the various camps. There were actually three after all -- Isandlwana, Dunbar's work camp and Durnford's successive camp sites near the Buffalo...and NONE OF THEM was ever entrenched. Moreover, the suggestion they might be risked outright derision from the Chief of Staff!

[quote="littlehandCrimea Medal with clasp Sebastopol
Turkish Medal
Indian Mutiny medal with clasp 1877-8-9.
Source:http://www.nickcoleman.net[/quote]

Indian Mutiny medal will not have 1877-8-9 clasp. This will be his SAGS medal.

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"William Matthew Dunbar was born in Cork on 21 October 1833. Commissioned an Ensign in the 34th Regiment on 5 January 1855 and promoted to Lieutenant in March the same year. Served in the Crimea, February 1855-June 1856, seeing action at the assault of the Redan, 8 September 1855 and the siege and fall of Sebastopol (Medal with Sebastopol clasp and Turkish medal). He then served in
the suppression of the Indian Mutiny, including actions at Cawnpore, 26-28 November 1857, the siege and capture of Lucknow; capture of the fort at Meanee Gunge; relief of Azinghur; defeat of the rebels at Bootwul and the action at Bhowanie (Medal with Lucknow clasp). Promoted to Captain in September 1862, he exchanged to the 24th Regiment in March 1863 and was promoted to Major
in November 1874. Then, with the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, he served in the Kaffir War of 1878.
Commanded the 1st Battalion 24th Regiment in the second advance into Zululand in 1879 and was present at the battle of Ulundi, for which he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 28 November 1879); received the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and the medal with clasp 1877-8-9. It is recorded that during the Zulu campaign, Dunbar, an experienced officer, had several ‘runins’ with inexperienced staff officers on the safety of camps and their siting, on one occasion resigning his commission on the spot when Crealock suggested that he was afraid to be at a certain site. It required the diplomatic skills of Lord Chelmsford to persuade him to retract his resignation. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1880, he was placed on Half Pay in September 1880. Appointed
to Gentleman-at-Arms on 16 June 1882 and Honorary Colonel in September 1883, retiring on 9 January 1891 after service during the Queen’s Jubilee of 1887, for which he was awarded his fifth medal; this being named to him in his official capacity as a Bodyguard to the Queen. These medals were personally presented to the Gentlemen-at-Arms by the Queen, which probably explains why
they were so named."

Hi All
Dunbar voiced his misgivings regarding the area at the rear of Isandlwana... I think on the 20th Of Jan ? . happy to be corrected.
90th