1st Battalion 24th Regiment
present at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift3
The individuals named in the following list are those referred to in the rolls originally prepared by:
Chard ‘C’
Bourne ‘B’
Bourne’s amended roll ‘Ba’
Dunbar ‘D’
56 Sergeant WILSON Edward
Born at Peshawar, India; trade – labourer. Religion: C/E. Attested at Kingston on 28/1/74, aged 18 years 4 months. Previously served in 3rd Surrey Militia. Description: 5ft 6in tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair. Married Mary Ann Evans at Gosport on 13/5/80. Children: Irene Mary (b. not recorded), Francis George (B. 16/5/81), Thomas Gilbert John (b. 22/2/82). Promoted Corporal 5/7/75, appointed Lance Sergeant 16/5/77, promoted Sergeant 12/1/78. (Followed by several demotions and promotions.) Final rank: Sergeant on 18/1/89. Served in South Africa from 25/11/74 to 2/10/79. Engaged for South Wales Borderers at Brecon on 22/1/86, as permanent staff – 3rd Battalion. Died of hypotrophy of heart on 19/9/91. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘Ba’ rolls.)
135 Private BECKETT William
Attested at Manchester on 14/4/74, aged 18 years 3 months. Posted to 2/24th on 17/6/74, transferred to 1/24th on 25/11/74. Served in South Africa and sent with reinforcement to Komgha in 1877. He was a patient in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift and during the battle was dangerously wounded by an assegai penetrating his abdomen. Died of wound on 23/1/79. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s letter to Queen Victoria, also in a letter by Private Waters. Effects claimed by his relatives. He is buried in the cemetery at Rorke’s Drift and his name appears on the monument. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘B’ and ‘C’ rolls, the latter gives his number incorrectly as ‘129’ and names him as ‘R. Beckett’.)
568 Private DESMOND Patrick
Attested at Fort Hubberstone on 27/3/75, aged 18 years. Posted to 2/24th on 15/4/75, transferred to 1/24th on 15/7/76. Received eighteen fines for drunkenness between July and October 1878, also imprisoned by Civil Power. Wounded in action at Rorke’s Drift. Discharged on 15/11/80 as a ‘worthless character’. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. Medal forfeited on 19/6/06 (68/24/623), however there is no trace of the medal having been returned. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘Ba’ rolls.)
1861 Private HORRIGAN William
Attested on 12/11/63, aged 14 years 7 months. Re-engaged at Gibraltar on 16/12/73. Served in South Africa and was at East London in August–September 1877. He was a patient in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift and assisted in the defence of the building. Killed in action. (Appendix A.) Effects claimed by next of kin. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s letter to Queen Victoria, also in accounts by Privates Hook and Waters. Mentioned in the citations for the award of the Victoria Cross to Privates Hook and Williams. He is buried in the cemetery at Rorke’s Drift and his name appears on the monument. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ roll but incorrectly named as ‘Harrigan’ on ‘B’ roll.)
841 Private JENKINS James
Attested at Monmouth on 18/7/76, aged 22 years 4 months. Sent with a draft to join battalion on 2/8/77. He was a patient in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift and assisted in the defence. Killed in action. Effects claimed by his father. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s letter to Queen Victoria. He is buried in the cemetery at Rorke’s drift and his name appears on the monument. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1879’. (Ref. ‘C’ roll which also incorrectly list 1083 Pte Jenkins as surviving the action; ‘B’ roll gives 1083 Pte M. Jenkins as killed but omits 841 Pte James Jenkins. In fact 1083 Matthew (real name Watkin) Jenkins was killed at Isandlwana.)
625 Private NICHOLAS Edward
Attested at Newport on 30/7/75, aged 18 years. Sent with a draft to join battalion on 2/8/77. He was a patient in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift and assisted in the defence. Killed in action. Effects claimed by next of kin. Mentioned in an account by Private Hitch. He is buried in the cemetery at Rorke’s Drift and his name appears on the monument. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ roll gives his name as E. Nicholls, this error being repeated in the Regimental History where he is shown as a casualty twice, once under ‘Nicholls’ and again under ‘Nicholas’. ‘B’ roll names him as W. Nicholas. The error regarding his name is reflected throughout the regimental documents; one pay roll gives him as ‘Nicholls’, this latter being amended to his correct name ‘Nicholas’.)
372 Private PAYTON Thomas
Attested at Manchester on 13/7/74, aged 21 years. Posted to 1/24th on 11/10/74. Served in South Africa and was at East London during August–September 1877. Discharged at Gosport on 2/1/80; to Army Reserve, AGL 103. Intended place of residence 7 Planet St., off Cross St, Stafford. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘Ba’ roll in both instances show name as ‘Paton’.)
1542 Private ROY William DCM
Born at Edinburgh, Midlothian; trade – baker. Attested for 32nd Light Infantry at Edinburgh Castle on 8/8/70, aged 17 years. Transferred to 1/24th Foot on 4/12/77. Description: 5ft 5½in tall, fresh complexion, brown eyes, red hair. Served in Mauritius and South Africa. He contracted malaria and was frequently admitted to hospital as a result of this. Present at the defence of Rorke’s Drift, mentioned in dispatches and awarded the DCM. Appointed lance corporal on 22/8/79, corporal 24/11/79. A specific disease, acquired at King William’s Town in January 1876, seriously affected his vision. Following a medical examination at Haslar, Gosport, on 2/10/79, he was found unfit for further service and was discharged on 7/12/80, having served for 8 years, 303 days. Intended place of residence, Post Office, Gosport. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ gives incorrect number ‘1522’ and name ‘R. Joy’. Details correct on ‘B’ roll.)
104 Private TURNER Henry
Born at Ball Bridge, Dublin, also given as Bassbridge and Killeatty, Wexford; trade – bricklayer. Attested at Aldershot on 27/3/74, aged 23 years. Religion: C/E. Description: 6ft 1in tall, fresh complexion, light hazel eyes, and brown hair. Posted to 2/24th on 31/3/74, transferred to 1/24th on 26/11/74. He was struck over the left ear by a black bottle when on picket duty in 1876, the wound scar being evident. From that time he suffered epilepsy, the first attack being at Simm’s Town, Cape Colony, in 1876. He was examined by a medical board at Pietermaritzburg on 9/9/79 and found to be unfit for further service. On arrival in England he was sent to Netley, having suffered two further epileptic attacks, one of which was on the ship bringing him home. Medical opinion considered his disability to be permanent and that he ‘may not be able to struggle for a precarious livelihood’. Discharged as unfit for further service on 9/2/80. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘Ba’ rolls.)
447 Private WATERS John
Born at Lichfield, Staffordshire; trade – clerk. Attested at Westminster on 8/3/58, aged 18 years 2 months. Re-engaged at Malta on 9/9/67. Description: 5ft 5in tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair. Served in the Mediterranean and in South Africa. Promoted corporal 10/1/71. Reduced to private 2/3/75. Served as special orderly at the hospital at Rorke’s Drift, where he was wounded in action. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s letter to Queen Victoria. Due to the severity of the shoulder wound, there is no mention of a knee wound; Waters was examined by a medical board at Pietermaritzburg on 14/7/79. The wound was described as having been caused by a ‘bullet entering outer side of arm, six inches from joint of shoulder, and lodging’. ‘It was cut out behind shoulder 12 hours after – distance travelled through fleshy part of arm – 4 inches’. ‘The joint not injured – bone uninjured’. ‘He has fair power of motion of the injured arm in all directions, but complains of pain in the track of the wound and shoulder when exerting himself’. ‘From length of service and wound, his capacity to earn a living will be considerably impaired’. Waters was found unfit for further service and disc
harged on 27/10/79. Intended place of residence: 12 Courtfield Gardens, Kensington, London. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. The medal roll originally gave his initial as ‘G’ and entitlement to the clasp with dates ‘1877–8–9’. This was later corrected under 68/124/211 and the medal with the initial J and the clasp dated ‘1877–8–9’ was handed to him on 15/10/80. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘Ba’ rolls.)
2nd Battalion 24th Regiment
present at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift
Defining the home or members of the two battalions of the 24th Regiment actually present at the battle of Rorke’s Drift is very difficult. Army records are often incomplete, missing or inaccurate. Many of the places listed include the place of attestation for service – and this is hardly ever the same as their home address or where they were born. This confusion has been complicated since the release of the film ZULU in 1964. The film frequently referred to the regiment as a ‘Welsh regiment’. It clearly was not Welsh, as the full title of the regiment indicates; it was the 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. The few Welshmen who did find their way into the regiment did so having left Wales to find work in and around Birmingham;4 unsuccessful in their quest, they probably joined the army as a desperate measure to avoid poverty, hunger or their civil responsibilities and for a variety of reasons many a recruit chose to enlist under a false name.
The individuals named in the following list are those referred to in the rolls originally prepared by:
Chard ‘C’
Bourne ‘B’
Bourne’s amended roll ‘Ba’
Dunbar ‘D’
2459 Lieutenant Colonel Frank BOURNE DCM
(Colour Sergeant during the action)
Born on 27 April 1854 at Balcombe, Cuckfield, Sussex; no trade. Being the youngest of a farmer’s eight sons, he must have felt there was little chance of his inheriting the farm; and the prospect of spending the rest of his life at the bottom of the pecking order and within the narrow environs of a rural community probably did not appeal to this intelligent and active youth. Despite his father’s attempts to prevent his son leaving the farm to join the army, with all the stigma that such service implied, young Bourne travelled to the nearest recruiting centre at Brighton and volunteered on 17 December 1872. He was just 18. Attested at Reigate on 18/12/72, aged 18 years 8 months. Finally approved at Chatham on 24/12/72. (His father again attempted to prevent him from enlisting, but was prevailed upon not to do so.) Description: 5ft 3in tall, dark complexion, grey eyes, brown hair; he was painfully thin and hardly an imposing figure. In fact he was like many of the recruits of that time, short and underweight. In January 1873 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment. Bourne thought that the sergeant major must have had a sense of humour when he was put in A Company, traditionally the Grenadier Company and manned by the tallest soldiers. The 2/24th had served in India and Burma since 1860 and were due for a spell of home service and it was during this period that Private Bourne learned his new trade. He was keen, abstemious and, rare for that period, literate; then aged almost 21, he was rewarded with promotion to corporal on the 11/4/75. Appointed Colour Sergeant 27/4/78. Served in South Africa, Mediterranean, India and Burma (IGS medal and clasp ‘Burma 1887–89’). Served in B Company at the defence of Rorke’s Drift. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s report of the action. Wrote and broadcast his own account of the battle. Awarded the Silver Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field, with a £10 annuity. He was also offered a commission but had to refuse, as he could not afford the expense involved as an officer. Although hostilities had all but ceased, the men of B Company, led by Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, were involved in the fighting around Mount Kempt and remained in the African bush for several weeks until a general amnesty was proclaimed at the end of June. His wife, Eliza Mary, was included on the married roll on 27/9/82. Promoted quarter master sergeant to his battalion, he transferred to the South Wales Borderers (SWB 1141) on 26/3/84. He was promoted honorary lieutenant and quartermaster on 21/5/90. On 15/11/93 he was appointed adjutant at the School of Musketry, Hythe, where Mary Frances, the youngest of his five children, was born. He continued in this post for 14 years until his retirement under the age limit in 1907. For some years he assisted Lord Roberts in the work of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs in London. On the outbreak of the Great War he again offered his services and was appointed adjutant to the School of Musketry, Dublin, a position that he held for over four years. Promoted lieutenant colonel and awarded the OBE in recognition of his services.
Bourne then retired to live in a modest house in the centre of Dorking. Although there was no veteran’s association, he was persuaded to attend the Northern Command Military Tattoo at Gateshead in 1934. To a tumultuous ovation, he appeared in the arena with the only other living Rorke’s Drift survivors, Alfred Saxty, William Cooper, John Jobbins and Caleb Woods. In December 1936 he broadcast on radio in the ‘I Was There’ programme and as a result received over 350 letters, to which he replied personally in every instance.
In response to an unknown ‘Special Request’ he compiled a roll of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift, which is dated 4/7/10. Lieutenant Colonel Bourne was an extremely modest man who, when asked about the defence of Rorke’s Drift, invariably replied that he considered himself ‘lucky to have been there’. The anniversary of the battle was always commemorated by a family dinner held at his home. He died on 8 May 1945 (within sight of the ending of the Second World War), aged 91 years, and is buried at Elmers End, Kent; it is believed that he was the last surviving member of the Rorke’s Drift garrison. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘B’ rolls, also ‘D’ list.) Thus ended the life of a remarkable and modest man, a true hero. See also Appendix E.
81 Sergeant GALLAGHER Henry
Born at Killendale, Thurles, Tipperary; trade – clerk. Attested at Liverpool on 13/3/74, aged 19 years. Religion: R/C. Description: 5ft 6¼in tall, fresh complexion, amber eyes, and dark brown hair. Promoted corporal 11/3/75. Appointed lance-sergeant 17/1/77. Promoted sergeant 9/10/77. Served in South Africa, Gibraltar, India and Burma (IGS medal and Clasp ‘Burma 1887–89’). Served in B Company at the defence of Rorke’s Drift. Married Caroline Maria Stanley at Dover on 7/4/77. Children: Caroline Lillian Gertrude (b. 4/9/81 at Brecon), Henry Edward (b. 8/7/83 at Secunderabad), William Alfred (b. 11/11/85 at Madras), Violet Elizabeth (b. 19/2/88 at Toungov), Daisy Dorothea (b. 9/3/90 at Raniket), Lawrence Stanley (b. 10/7/95 at Cosham). Service extended on 27/4/80 to complete 12 years with the colours. Appointed colour sergeant on 26/1/81. Re-engaged for the South Wales Borderers (SWB/1590) at Madras on 28/7/85. Promoted to warrant officer as sergeant major on 9/1/89. Permitted to continue in the service beyond 21 years, by authority dated 28/2/95. Appointed to army staff as garrison sergeant major on 10/8/95. Discharged from South Wales Borderers (Staff) on 10/5/97. In addition to his pension, he also received, for a limited period, a pension for services as Barrack Warden. Payment of his pension appears to have ceased in 1929. He died at Drayton, Hants and was buried at Christchurch, Portsdown Hill, Hants. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘B’ rolls, also ‘D’ list.)
623 Sergeant MAXFIELD Robert
Attested at Newport on 30/7/75, aged 18 years 3 months. (He allegedly came from Cinderhill Street, Newport.) Posted to 2/24th on 18/8/75. Appointed lance corporal 25/5/76, promoted corporal 11/11/76, sergeant 1/2/78. Awarded a ‘Good Shooting’ prize in 1878. He served in G Company and was a patient in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift. Killed in the hospital when the Zulus broke into the building. Effects claimed by his mother, brothers and sisters. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s letter to Queen Victoria, and also in accounts by Privates Hook and Jobbins. He is buried in the cemetery at Rorke’s Drift and his name appears on the monument. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’ issued on 29/3/82, AGL 105. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘B’ rolls.)
1387 Sergeant SMITH Georg
e
Born at Islington, London; trade – labourer. Attested at Finsbury on 29/5/60, aged 18 years. Previously served for six weeks in Royal London Militia. Description 5ft 4in tall, sallow complexion, grey eyes, brown hair. Served in Mauritius, East Indies, South Africa and Gibraltar. Re-engaged at Rangoon on 10/1/68. Promoted corporal 4/8/71. Appointed lance-sergeant 1/4/76. Promoted sergeant 1/2/78. Married Fanny Martin at the Wesleyan Chapel, Brecon, on 30/6/77. Served in B Company at the defence of Rorke’s Drift. Transferred from B to A Company, in rank of sergeant, on 4/2/79. Permitted to continue in the service beyond 21 years, by authority dated 22/8/81. Transferred to permanent staff – 3rd South Wales Borderers – on 28/12/81. Discharged on 31/7/83 – not passed to reserve. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘B’ and ‘B’ rolls, also ‘D’ list.)
735 Sergeant WINDRIDGE Joseph
Born at Birmingham, Warwickshire; trade – carpenter. Attested at Birmingham on 26/1/59, aged 18 years 4 months. Description: 5ft 10½in tall, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair. Served in Mauritius, East Indies, South Africa and Gibraltar. Promoted corporal 6/5/61, sergeant 2/3/62, quartermaster sergeant 21/12/63. He was demoted and promoted several times and again achieved the rank of sergeant on 27/4/77. Re-engaged at Rangoon on 3/9/68 to complete 21 years service. Married Helena Catherine Rawlinson at Holy Trinity, Dover, on 14/6/77. Served in B Company at the defence of Rorke’s Drift. Mentioned in Lieutenant Chard’s report of the action and also in his letter to Queen Victoria. Windridge suffered from dyspepsia. He was reduced to private on 20/11/79. Appointed lance corporal 3/9/80. Promoted corporal 6/10/80, transferring to the South Wales Borderers in that rank on 1/7/81. Promoted sergeant 31/3/82. Discharged at Gosport on 7/8/83, having completed his service. Medal for South Africa with clasp ‘1877–8–9’. (Ref. ‘C’ and ‘B’ rolls, also on ‘D’ list.)
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