Colonel James Henry Reynolds, V.C

The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 4 June 1932, page 4

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
RORKE'S DRIFT VETERAN.
The "British Medical Journal" an
nounces the death, on March 4, of Licut.
Colonel James Henry Reynolds, V.C., Id
his 89th and some of his eventful career. Reynolds was born
on February 3, 1344, (he second son of
Laurence Reynolds, of Dalyeton
House, County Longford, and was educated
at- Castle Knock and at Trinity College,
Dublin, where ho graduated M.B. and
Cb.B. in 1837. He entered the army as
assistant surgeon in 1868, and was posted
SURGEON-MAJOR JAMES HENRY REYNOLDS, M.B.
One of the Defenders of Rorke'c Drift.
to the 36th Foot, now the 2nd Battalion
of the Worcestershire Regiment. He
served in South Africa in the Griqualand
expedition of 1875; in the Kaffir War of
1877-78, taking part in the action with the
Galekas at Impctu, and in the Zulu War
of 1879, when he was one of the three
officers in the fort at Rorke's Drift, which
withstood the attack of the Zulu army
after the annihilation of a British force,
chiefly consisting of the 24th Foot, the
South Wales Borderers, at Isandhlwana,
and saved the colony of Natal from in
vasion by the rush of the triumphant army
of Zulus under King Cetewayo. The other
two officers were Lieutenant R.E.,
two officers were Lieutenant Chard, R.E.,
and Lieutenant Bvomhead, 24th Foot; all
three got the V.C. He was also present
at the battle of Ulundi, where the Zulu
army was completely defeated and the
Zulu kingdom brought to an end. He was
mentioned in despatches in the "London

Gazette" of Match 15, 1879, and received )
the medal with a clasp, as well as the
V.C. He was also given the LLD. by
Trinity College, Dublin, the Honorary!
Fellowship of the Royal College of Phy- j
siclans, Ireland; and the gold medal of
the British Medical Association. His V.C. was gazetted in June, 1879, as follows:

For the conspicuous bravery during the attack
at Rorke's Drift on January 22 and 23, 1E79,
which lie exhibited in liis constant attention to
the wounded under tire, and his voluntarily convey
ing ammunition from the store to the defenders
of the hospital, whereby he exposed himself to a
cross-fire from the enemy both in going and re
turning.
Mr. Walter G. Spencer forwards to the
"British Medical Journal" some personal
recollections:—
When Colonel Reynolds was in charge
of the Pimlico Clothing Department he
frequently sent workers to Westminster"
Hospital for treatment and later he came
to me about his health, the last time at
the beginning of 1929. Then a cancer, for
which a grave operation would previously
have been called for, disappeared in about
10 days under radium. Colonel Reynolds
was thus able to walk at the head of the
V.C.'s at the thanksgiving ceremony and
to be present at the dinner in the House
of Lords. Our conversations often re
turned to Rorke'e Drift, and from notes
I jotted down I have picked out a few
of his reminiscences which I have not
noticed in print. There were 36 patients
in hospital, most in different stages of
typhoid fever. No preparations had been
made for the defence of the station. Rey
nolds was senior officer, having been al
ready six years in South A fricn ; Bromhead
and Chard were young subalterns just
come out from England; Dalton, an army
non-commissioned officer, who had re
joined, had had experience in the methods
of defence employed by the Boers. When
fugitives from Isandhlwana reached Rorke's
Drift it was first proposed to evacuate
the place, but Reynolds declared that to
be impossible. Even if the convoy could
cross the river the ascent of the opposite
bank was so long and steep that the Zulus
would certainly catch it up. It was Dalton
who arranged the defence with mealie
bags. When the Zulu's came into view
there appeared horsemen in scarlet, and
the cry was that the cavalry were return
ing; but Reynolds pointed out that the
riders were not rising in their saddles, but
sat the horses an did the natives. Com
ing nearer, the Zulu impi drew up, and
ceremoniously took snuff, heralding a
charge to the uttermost. A few Zulus got
charge to the uttermost. And
into the garden and into the hospital be
fore two patients in bed could be got
within the laager; a third lost his head,
took a wrong turning, and was also killed.
The remaining 33 cases were saved, and
survived the subsequent stench.

Text per article.

Visited RAMC Museum this morning at Keogh Barracks where they had a little military book fair. Here are Surgeon Reynolds medals - photo is not great because of the low lighting and glass case.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Steve

Nice one Steve .
90th