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Date	Original Topic
12th February 2001	What became of Corporal Schiess? By Lee Stevenson It is recorded that Corporal Schiess VC died at sea aboard the Serapis in 1884, as mentioned on this website. A reported sighting of Schiess working in Allahabad, India in 1891, seems to have been discounted. However, a second account of Schiess having died, destitute in India appeared in print as far back as 1899. All theories welcome!!!
Date	Replies
12th February 2001	Peter Critchley Hmm, that's interesting Lee, I hadn't heard that one. Do you know where it appeared in print in 1899? Peter
13th February 2001	Alan Critchley Lee, I think that having the co-ordinates of his burial at sea, as well as the fact that he wouldn't be parted from his VC, which eventually ended up in The National Army Museum, suggest this version to be correct. If he died in India, someone would have had to forward his VC to London. That would surely have been documented. Alan
13th February 2001	Lee Stevenson The Natal Witness 2nd Nov. 1899 A 'PG Crow asks what became of Corpl. F Schiess The Natal Witness 4th Nov. 1899 A correspondant replied that he believed Corpl. Schiess of Rorke's Drift fame died in India, destitute........
16th February 2001	Tom Krieps on my last trip to Switzerland I passed the town of Burgdorf in the Bernese canton. A lot of Schiess are buried there however as it was saturday I could not make it to the Town Hall to check the birth Register. Any one did that? Truly
1st June 2002	Sally He was first Non-Brit to receive VC in SA. It took British Govt 12 months to award it to him. Although very proud he was forced to resign due to the injury to his foot (sustained prior to RD). He decided to ramain in SA and moved to Durban, where he tried unsuccessfully to find employment. Had 2 months as a labourer, 7 months with the telegraph office, even applied to railways and prison authorities in Pietermaritzberg. Almost 5 years after RD he was found, an alcolohic, in Durban by British army who gave him a ticket back to England aboard the troop ship Serapis inDec 1884. He died on board and was buried at sea. The Captain went through his belongings prior to his burial and discovered his VC wrapped in a clean white piece of cottoncloth. The medal was handed into the War Office.