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Date	Original Topic
12th April 2003	Union Jack at Isandlwana By Sally Rumour has it that a Union Jack was raised in the camp site at Isandlwana pre-battle. This being the case, (which needs to be substantiated), I wonder why it was never turned upside down. Remember the purpose of the Union Jack design is that it signals 'distress' when hung the wrong way up. Any confirmation or ideas ?
Date	Replies
13th April 2003	Martin Everett Dear Sally, I have not heard of this rumour perhaps someone else has. There were, however, the Queen's Colour of the 1/24th and the Queen's and the Regimental Colour of the 2/24th. The Queen's colour design is based on a UK Union Flag (Union Jack is slang used by the Navy). Thees Colours would be placed outside the Headquarters tent of their respective Battalions. As you know the Queen's Colour of the 1/24th was saved by Lts. Mevill and Coghill. The Colours of the 2/24th were lost. The Union Flag that was thought to have flown at Rorke's Drift is at the museum in Brecon.
13th April 2003	Sally Thanks Martin - Didn't know 'Union Jack' was Navy slang term ! Still await to hear if anyone else has heard same rumour re flag at Isandlwana !! As a second question ... Does anyone know when THE UNION FLAG was ever used as a distress signal, and if so at which battle (s) ?
13th April 2003	Martin Everett Dear Sally, What I really meant to say, is that the Royal Navy use the common term 'Jack' to mean a flag. However the correct term for the UK national flag is the 'Union Flag'.
14th April 2003	Sally Thinking behind question and invitation for discussion : 90% of reports state that Queen's Colour was at Guard Tent, NOT outside Headquarter's tent. As a matter of interest, isn't it strange that Pulleine, in the middle of the battle, runs 3/400 yards to the Guard Tent, to hand Colours to Melvill. Guard Tent was in the Saddle, and Pulleine's Headquarter's in the centre of the camp. Isn't it therefore likely that Melvill simply 'took' the Colour and pushed off. In addition, IF the Queen's Colour was outside Headquarter's Tent, it would NOT have been encased. So it is unlikely that Melville, in the chaos, would have had time or bothered to encase the Colour, before riding off with it. The more one reads of this battle, the more one is led to believe that a lot of officers (staff) simply fled, leaving those on the line to their fate. The question I was trying to pose was "Does anybody know for certain whether the Union Flag (Jack) WAS being flown at Isandlwana camp on the day of the battle." If the Union flag was being flown at Rorke's Drift, it is probable that the same occured at Isandlwana. Routine would probably have been the same as today - Flag raised at 0600 and taken down at 1800 hrs. Therefore it would appear that not only had Pulleine FAILED to strike the tents BUT ALSO failed to order the Union flag to be put in distress mode !!
14th April 2003	Martin Everett Dear Sally, I am not sure that a Union Flag was flown either at Isandhlwana or Rorke's Drift. Whether they had a flag pole with Column stores is debatable. Why fly the Union Colour when you have the battalions' Colours? I have not found any reference yet to confirm that there was a universal understanding in 1879 that the Union Flag flown upside down meant a distress warning. I not sure we do know about the exact inter-play between Col Pulleine and Lt Melvill as you suggest.
14th April 2003	Sally Martin, You said earlier that Union flag WAS flown at RD and is now in museum ?!
14th April 2003	Mike McCabe It's quite conceivable that the Union Flag flew at Isandlwana whenever Lord Chelmsford was at the camp. By long standing convention, the Union Flag is flown over the headquarters of the 'Commander in Chief' of a British Army in the field, signifying the point at (or from) which he exercised command. In more mobile operations, the Commander in Chief might also be accompanied by a mounted orderly flying the flag conspicuously (on a lance or staff) so that the commander could be found easily by dispatch riders and 'staff gallopers'. A more modern equivalent was the display of the flag on staff cars - a custom that has almost entirely died out, except on formal ceremonial occasions.
14th April 2003	John Young Sally, It is nagging me, but somewhere I recall one of the survivors saying something to the effect that the Union flag outside the General's tent was torn down. I'll try a find the exact quote, over the next few days. Mike, I guess the commander-in-chief, southern Africa, did have a Union flag flying from whatever building he was in on 22nd January, 1879, but his name wasn't Chelmsford - it was Frere. John Y.
14th April 2003	Peter Ewart (1) On p204 of Wm Clive's "The Tune that they Play" he mentions "the Union Jack that drooped over the battalion's headquarters." Yes, I know it's only a yarn which uses plenty of licence, but he gives the impression of having referred to quite a few first hand accounts which are a little more well known now than they were in 1973 & I just wonder if, like John, he had just possibly seen a reference somewhere? (2) At what stage would Pulleine have considered the camp was in danger? When they appeared to be holding the enemy comfortably with no thought of defeat, or during/after the retreat & sudden rush, when presumably there would have been no time for messing about with flags. And to whom would he be addressing the danger signal? I don't suppose Milne could have discerned an inverted Union Flag ("Jack" to him!) through his glass if he could only make out the white of the tents in the shimmering heat. Reynolds, Witt & Smith had glasses too, but the distance was surely too great again, if the saddle didn't conceal the flag anyway. Even Browne, who got the closest, was surely not near enough, with or without bins or telescope, to notice, and at that time and distance he knew of the danger anyway. (3) I'll stand corrected, but I understand the only account claiming Pulleine actually passed on the instructions & the Colour to Melvill was that brief letter in the Natal paper. All the stories emanate from that, don't they? I've always been suspicious that the report was a plant - why else would the writer quote an anonymous informant, even if many accounts were non-attributable at that time? Peter
15th April 2003	Sally Thank John, Mike and Peter : Look forward to any other info you chaps obtain. Learnt today that : a) Union Jack only flys (like the Queen in residence at Buck Palace) when the Commanding Officer is present, otherwise it is lowered. Seems to conform with what Mike is saying. b) that Colours are only brought out when going into battle/attack. Therefore the 24th 's Colours would still have been encased and in tent and not flying.
15th April 2003	Alan Critchley As an aside, I was staying at a sea front hotel in Durban when I noticed that the 'Union Jack' on the flagpole outside was upside down. I obviously complaned. Two minutes later a man came out with a ladder and put it the correct way up. Alan
15th April 2003	Martin Everett Dear Sally, At the time that Col Pulleine was really concerned about the Zulus - 0805 hrs. Chelmsford was 1� hrs away by horse. Union Colour alledged to have been flown at RD was donated to the museum by the family of Evan Jones. Nobody has actually proved to us that this flag did come from RD and was actually flown on 22/23 January 1879. But it's a nice story nevertheless. Just the let you know from my window this morning in the sun at the Depot 24th Regt - the Union Flag is flying in the sun as well as the Welsh National Flag. So I am not in distressed state.
15th April 2003	Sally MARTIN : Sooo glad your flags are right way up and that all is calm with you ! MIKE : Surely flag also flys when Commanding Officer of Regiment is in situ? With Pulleine as Lt. Col, and as CO of Isandlwana camp, wouldn't Union 'Jack' be flying? Is it correct that Colours only un-encased when engaging in battle ? - Otherwise surely these would have been flown. Surely 'some' flag must have been raised at the camp !!
19th April 2003	Martin Everett Dear Sally, My contacts tell me that there is a sketch map of the camp at Isandhlwana which clearly shows a Union Flag flying near the Headquarters Tent. This map is held in the Royal Geographical Society collection. Before you jump and down with glee. I do not know who the artist is/was to determine whether he was actual there at the time before the battle - or drew it afterwards from talking to survivors.
21st April 2003	Keith Smith Hi Sally, The civilian conductor Foley, a survivor of Isandlwana, had this to say: "At one o'clock the Union Jack in front of the General's tent was pulled down and torn to pieces; but a general panic had already commenced, and I then retired from the camp in company with one Carbineer (name unknown), and one Army Staff sergeant." (Times of Natal, 3rd February, 1879). Hope this resolves your enquiry. Keith Smith
25th April 2003	sally Thanks Martin will contact RGS and see if I can get copy and artist name. Thanks too Keith. Will post any new info obtained ...
28th April 2003	Peter Ewart Coupland, too, mentions that "the Zulus rushed on to Chemsford's HQ, hauled down the flag that flew there & tore it to pieces." Given the similarity of the wording it looks as if the author was quoting directly from Foley's account given by Keith above. Coupland doesn't say it was the Union Flag/Jack, perhaps because he suspected it wouldn't have been. The interesting (pen & wash?) sketch on the dust jacket of his first edition (1948) is clearly representational only, but does show a prominent flag flying in the centre of the tents while the firing line is still holding the Zulus off in all directions. With my reading glasses I can just detect that neither the Regimental nor the Queen's Colour is depicted - nor, as far as I can see, is the Union Flag. Indeed, it looks more like the English flag to me. However, on closer inspection with the aid of a magnifying glass, I can confirm that it is the post-war Japanese flag! (Unless anyone has a stronger magnifying glass, perhaps?) Oh dear, yet another Isandlwana mystery to solve ... Peter
1st May 2003	Sally Japanese flag ????!!!!! Definitely we all need strong magnifying glasses.
1st May 2003	Peter Ewart Sally It is just a tiny blob of red paint on the tip of the artist's paint brush, dabbed into the middle of the little flag in the sketch - so Jap flag it must be! Peter