you are currently viewing: Discussion Forum
 
 

 
 

The Rorke's Drift VC Discussion Forum
(View Discussion Rules)

** IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL USERS **

PLEASE NOTE: This forum is now inactive and is provided for reference purposes only. The live forum is available at www.rorkesdriftvc.com/forum


(Back To Topic List)

DateOriginal Topic
30th March 2005Last veteran ?
By Graham MASON
It has been suggested to me that a certain William Botterrill of the 1st Royal Inniskillins was the last Anglo Zulu War veteran to die in 1947 is and supposedly buried in Durban? .

Has anyone heard about this and can throw any light on the matter ? , thank you , Graham
DateReplies
30th March 2005John Young
Graham,

No Botterrill on the 1879 Medal roll, there was an officer from the 27th, Lt. John Cave Bayly, in the campaign, he may well have had a servant with him, but if so it wasn't anyone called Botterrill.

A check on the K.L.H. site shows Charles Warden of 57th didn't died until 1953, six years after William Botterrill.

John Y.
30th March 2005Glenn Wade
Hi Graham
I'm in a bit of a rush but even if this is true, I think the last veteran of the AZW was a chap who had carried his Regiment's colours at a battle and died in the 1950s. I may be wrong but maybe some of the KLH boys can assist?
Glenn
30th March 2005Glenn Wade
Great minds think alike, John!
Glenn
31st March 2005Peter Ewart
Graham/John/Glenn

I also thought at least one chap recorded by the KLH had survived until the 1950s but couldn't remember his name.

However, I'd be very surprised indeed if Warden was the very last AZW veteran to be with us. The photograph taken in 1947 and displayed on the back of the dust jacket of the first edition of "Zulu Battle Piece: Isandlwana" shows a very spritely octogenarian in a rather fetching greatcoat who had apparently fought in the battle. It would seem highly likely that a fair number of his mates - perhaps not all of them even as old as him - had also survived to 1947, and another six or seven years on top of that doesn't seem too much to hope for. Indeed, I wonder how many AZW veterans actually lived until the 1960s?

Peter
31st March 2005Peter Ewart
For spritely, read sprightly! (Getting very late).

P.