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Victorian Military Law - Court Martials, C.O.I.s, Etc. ?
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Was there a book issued to the military, in use during the time of the Zulu War, that gave highly-detailed information on how such matters were to be handled - the way they were to be set up, organised, etc. ?

Thanks

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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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Queen's Regulations, Manual of Military Law

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Martin Everett
Brecon, Powys
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Martin

Many thanks.

Now that you mention it, it is quite an obvious title. Embarassed

I'll have a look to see if it is available to buy.

Thankyou

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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
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Two separate titles.

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Martin Everett
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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
Posts: 437
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Not forgetting 'Field Instructions to Serving Officers in Zululand', published at Chelmsford's request and issued to every serving officer before the war; and 'Instructions for Officers Commanding Columns entering Zululand' issued to the five column commanders before the war. I think these are fairly key.
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Julian

Thanks for the additional suggestions.

I've not yet checked to see if any of the above are readily available to buy.

They would be of huge assistance, if they can be obtained.

Thanks again

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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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I can send you photocopies of the latter with transcription.
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Martin

The 'Queens Regulations' and 'Manual Of Military Law' you mention, do they have a specific year(s) in the titles and is there a fuller heading/sub-heading ?

Thanks in advance.

Julian

That would be great. May I contact you when/if I finally obtain the 2 books recommended by Martin ?

Thankyou.

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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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By all means
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Thanks Julian.

I've seen a 'Manual of Military Law 1907' and also a 'Queens Regulations' (dated 1873) for sale, but wondered if the information supplied in both of these would be the same as for during 1879 and the Zulu War campaign ?

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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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No to the former. Yes to the latter.
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Julian

Thankyou. I'll have to wait a while though, as the latter is priced around �100, and it is too near the end of the year. However, I'll know what to look for now.

Although I can't seem to locate a 'Manual of Military Law' for during the time of the Zulu War, so wish to ask, was it published every year, or a specific year prior to this campaign ?

I very much appreciate your assistance.

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Adrian Whiting


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Location: Dorset, England
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The Manual of Military Law had not come into being at the time of the AZW. The work to create one was commenced in July 1879, on the direction of the Rt Hon Col F Stanley MP, Secretary of State for War. But before the rules of procedure could be published the Army Discipline & Regulation Act 1879 was repealed and the Army Act 1880 replaced it. Certain elements of the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 remained in force until the commencement of the Regulation of the Forces Act 1881.

The process thus had to accommodate the new law. Accordingly the first edition of the Manual was published in May 1884. It was periodically updated, November 1887, July 1894 and the 4th edition in August 1899 for example.

The Army Act required Parliamentary approval to empower it for each successive year, but this did not require an annual edition of the Manual.

Pre the 1879 Act, Military Law was contained in the Mutiny Act and the Articles of War. I believe the aspects of military law relating to the conduct and punishment of soldiers in 1879 were contained in the Regulation of the Forces Act 1871.

Apols that this is a bit convoluted, but I hope it helps in that in 1879 you would find the full references to military law in Queen's Regulations (and the relevant Acts of Parliament) rather than in a Manual of Army Law. Later editions of Queen's Regulations have a section devoted to military law as well (usually section 6 I think) but complete details are then in the Manual.

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Adrian
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Adrian

Many thanks for the detailed information.

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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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Adrian

Might the impetus for Stanley's instigation of the drafting of said manual have been the then very recent Carey and Harward cases? Both were very topical at the time as a result of the high profile of the AZW, and both were anomalous in some ways, as well as - especially in Carey's case - having being mishandled in such a way that the conclusion was very muddy. It was still a very hot potato in the highest military circles that July and it was recognised that a very tangled legal position would not easily be resolved, as a direct result of the errors made at the CM in Zululand. And Harward's case eventually led to the Duke of Cambridge's notorious comments having to be immediately disseminated throughout the empire.

It would seem the most obvious time to consider codifying the necessary procedures as a matter of urgency. Unless he/they had been considering these points for some time already?

Peter
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Victorian Military Law - Court Martials, C.O.I.s, Etc. ?
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