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Date	Original Topic
18th September 2002	Lieutenant Dyer Saving A Colour By paul tocher I have read in a book that Lt Dyer 2/24th is rumoured of trying to save the colour of his battalion on his horse Cheestnut could it have been true ?
Date	Replies
18th September 2002	Julian whybra The report of the burial party recorded finding an officer unidentifiable (believed to be that of Lieut Dyer) in the camp. Ditto (but with a positive ID) in the diary of the 2/24th C Coy clerk. Doesn't look feasible - where did you read it? I'm not familiar with the rumour.
19th September 2002	paul tocher Many thanks for the reply, i read about it in the new book called Zulu victory.
19th September 2002	Julian Whybra The evidence suggests that someone tried to save the colours but it also suggests that this wasn't Dyer though he was the obvious choice as adjutant. Does your book give a source for the rumour - otherwise write to the author!
19th September 2002	paul tocher thanks for the reply, could you tell me what evidence there is someone tried to save the colours ? as im very keen on this subject of the battle, many thanks
20th September 2002	Ron Lock The actual passage from our new book "Zulu Victory ..." reade 'It was rumoured that the hero was Lieutenant Henry Dyer, adjutant of the 2/24th, riding a chestnut horse' - not 'riding on his horse Chestnut'. The source is 'Moodies Zulu War' by D.C.F. Moodie (paperback edition, 1988, page 62.) Moodie comments on Colonel Wilsone Black's recce to Isandlwana some two months after the battle: 'Moreover, the officers of the 2/24th Regiment were anxious to search the Fugitives' Path, as they had been told that a very tall officer, riding a chestnut horse, and carrying a colour, had been seen on the 22nd between the battlefield and the river. The description answered exactlya to Lieut. Dyer, the Adjutant of the Regiment. No sign, however, of the officer or the colour could be seen. Ron Lock and Peter Quanrill.
20th September 2002	Ron Lock The actual passage from our new book "Zulu Victory ..." reade 'It was rumoured that the hero was Lieutenant Henry Dyer, adjutant of the 2/24th, riding a chestnut horse' - not 'riding on his horse Chestnut'. The source is 'Moodies Zulu War' by D.C.F. Moodie (paperback edition, 1988, page 62.) Moodie comments on Colonel Wilsone Black's recce to Isandlwana some two months after the battle: 'Moreover, the officers of the 2/24th Regiment were anxious to search the Fugitives' Path, as they had been told that a very tall officer, riding a chestnut horse, and carrying a colour, had been seen on the 22nd between the battlefield and the river. The description answered exactlya to Lieut. Dyer, the Adjutant of the Regiment. No sign, however, of the officer or the colour could be seen. Ron Lock and Peter Quanrill.
21st September 2002	paul tocher Many kind thanks for your reply, i find the story about Lt Dyer very interesting.
26th September 2002	Julian whybra Although the two 2/24th Colours were never found, a Colour pike, crest and Colour case were recovered -the crest from near Fugitives' Drift in March 1879, the pike in May found in a kraal near the battlefield (the crest would have had to be unscewed from it), the case from the Manzimnyama in September. The implication is that someone tried to save the Colours by unscrewing the crest and stripping the colour itself from the pike. a broken piece of the other colour pike was also found on the battlefield.
27th September 2002	Lee Stevenson Further to earlier answers, I have just come across this account by L/Cpl Frowen 2/24th who makes an interesting comment about the 2/24th Colours. ".....and the last that was seen of our colours was the officer galloping away with one in each hand and the reins of his horse in his teeth, but he was drowned crossing the Buffalo river; so we have lost all our colours, and the 1-24th have lost one of theirs, and would have lost the other but it was left at Helpmakaar....."
28th September 2002	Martin Everett No members of the 2/24th survived the action at Isandhlwana. I expect all those who were with Lord Chelmsford's party who camped out at Isandhlwana on the night of 22 January (which included Frowen) hoped that an attempted was made to save the battalion Colours of the 2/24th - as happened with the Queen's Colour of 1/24th. However, Frowen was not actually present during the fight. The 1892 Regimental History states that Lt Dyer's body was found with that of Capt Wardell surrounded by the bodies of 60 men down the fugitives trail. This fact is confirmed by Cpl Bassage C Coy 2/24th who visited the battlefield on 23 June 1879. One of the Colour cases was found on the Amanganyanna (Black Water) where Lt Anstey with his company made the last stand of the 24th on the banks of this river. If this was a Colour case belonging 2/24th, then an attempt appears to have been made to save the Colours by not by Lt Dyer. Even so all this discussion and conjecture could form the basis of a nice little article.
30th September 2002	Julian Whybra Thank you, Martin, I'll bear it in mind! I think a bit more 'meat' is needed first though!