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Date	Original Topic
16th October 2002	After Rorke' Drift... By Ian Essex Having recently read Adrian Greaves book: Rorke's Drift, I was struck by the large proportion of defenders who were invalided out of the army. Did the army/government of the time make provisions for them? Pensions? Or were they just cast aside and expected to earn a living without anyone's assistance?
Date	Replies
16th October 2002	Martin Everett Dear ian, I suggest you go to the Public Record Office at Kew and look at ledgers reference WO116. These contain details of the weekly medical boards held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. About 80 cases were reviewed each week for claims form soldiers for out-pensions - what we would call today - disability pensions. Some pensions were awarded for life; others for period of 6 mths or a year to enable the soldier to find his feet in civilian life. These ledgers are well worth reading because they give an insight of the hardships endured by the soldiers in South Africa. Probably the greatest hardships were endured by the widows and children after the disaster at Isandhlwana - who with the death of their husband lost 'their meal ticket' and were shipped home to fend for themselves. Many widows immediately married their husband's best friend to ensure continued financial support from the army.
17th October 2002	John Young Ian, Just to elaborate on Martin's statement above with regard to the widows and orphans. There was a fund established throughout the British Empire for them, indeed a seal from Australia was recently available on e-bay. I have no idea as to the total raised by the fund but 'The Times Weekly' does record the initial sum to establish the fund. Nor, sadly, do I have any idea as to how the fund distributed the money raised. Look to Schiess for a fine example as to how Britain cared for its heroes. John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
19th October 2002	Geoff Thursfield Rudyards Kiplings' poem "The Last of The Light Brigade" shows what he thought about our treatment of "broken troopers". It was written in 1891 but I don't know the context.
21st October 2002	David Glynne Fox Ian, As John Young states, a fund was set up for widows and orphans. The full details of this I do not have in my possession, but what I do have is a recently aquired framed print entitled "Sons of the Empire." This closely resembles the engravings from the Illustrated London News and Graphic and depicts an number of soldiers from various regiments. This print is dated 1900, which is more Boer War really, but it is signed by Sir Garnet Wolseley of latter Zulu War fame, or infamy, depending on one's viewpoint. It is not just widows and orphans who were forgotten. Many Rorke's Drift defenders for example, still today have no headstones to mark their passing. When one thinks of all the awards that were showered on these gallant soldiers and the everlasting fame of this battle, it is sad beyond words that these men today rest in ground without a marker. Their families were too poor to afford such in many cases. Check out the Rorke's Drift defenders section of the Keynsham Light Horse website to appreciate how many such defenders still have unmarked graves. This is slowly being recognised and a few have had new or old headstones replaced, one such was recently vandalised by morons (see elsewhere on this site) by certain societies such as the 1879 Group and of course the marvellous work done by Alan Critchley, Ron Lock and Peter Quantell re Durnfords Grave. I have two Rorke's Drift defenders not two miles from my home, Robert Tongue and Caleb Woods, and it was a nightmare, even with the cemetery plan, to find the locations. As John Young says, this is how Britain cares for its heroes. Many died destitute, such as Scheiss and William Jones in Manchester, the latter's body lies in a paupers grave above and beneath many others. A flower vase that I photographed a few years back was flattened by idiots only recently. It makes you wonder why we ever bother going to war when we are treated as non-entities afterwards and vandals wreck our final resting places. Trying to put on photographic record for posterity, such damaged graves and memorials often causes me great personal sadness. Almost half the graves in Preston cemetery were pushed over when I went to find Revd. George Smith's grave, mercifully, his was still standing, but to see all these hundreds of others pushed over beggars belief.
21st October 2002	John Young David, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Back in 1999, at the time of 120th celebrations, a group of us from the A.Z.W.R.S. went to the Lower Cemetery at Fort Pearson. Whilst the events of the Centre Column were being remembered by all and sundry, the graves of these men had been vandalised. We did the best we could in putting right the damage, but some of it was beyond our powers to fix. As to marking unmarked graves of Rorke's Drift defenders, the A.Z.W.R.S. managed to place markers on four graves - before others decided it was good publicity and somewhat stole our thunder! Efforts to carry on this task were shelved by the A.Z.W.R.S. due to a constant stream of requests, mainly from people referred to us by another party, which seemed unwilling to co-operate in the venture itself. "No names, no pack drill". John Young, Chairman, Anglo-Zulu War Research Society.
21st October 2002	Martin Everett Dear Ian, I do have details of the fund which was specifically set up for the families of those soldiers killed in 1879 AZW. A considerable amount of money was donated including a number of 'widow's mites'. I have to say it is easy to focus on the restoration of headstones. But money then, as today, was used to help families and former soldiers who felll on hard times. There are many instances of regimental benevolent funds being used to buy former soldiers just a new pair of civilian boots. During the 1920s-30s monies were given AZW veterans so that they could attend a funeral of a former comrade from RD. Funds were limited and are always limited - your support for service charities is always worthwhile cause. Remember all the soldiers of the 24th who died during the campaign in South Africa and later campaigns are commorated in the Regimental Chapel at Brecon Cathedral. St Vincent's Church at Isandhlwana was established from contributions made by soldiers' families. These are very tangible and permanent reminders of the bravery by all soldiers in Zululand. Our soldiers are certainly not forgotten.
22nd October 2002	Lee Stevenson Further details of the "Widow's Relief Fund" are available at the Public Record Office, Kew ref. number WO33/34
27th October 2002	Ian Essex Thanks for all the replies.