 |
 | Private George Power |  |
|
Mark Hobson
| Joined: 18 Sep 2005 |
| Posts: 106 |
| Location: Halifax |
|
|
 Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:22 pm |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Was looking though my Zulu War paperwork and came across an interesting little newspaper interview conducted some time in the 1930's (I think) with a defender of Rorke's Drift. Thought I'd share it with everyone as it expresses just how tough and dogged the men at RD were, even later in life. I don't think it appears in Lee Stephenson's RORKE'S DRIFT: BY THOSE WHO WERE THERE - but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Just out of interest, does Private Power appear on any of the Rorke's Drift rolls, and if so, which one?
I've had to omit certain parts which are indecipherable, but here's the interview as it appeared. I've left the original spellings.
OLD SOLDIER SHOWS HIS MEDALS.
2s. 4d. A DAY PENSION FOR A RORKE'S DRIFT HERO.
"NO COMPLAINTS."
EXPERIENCE THAT MADE A GENERAL'S HAIR WHITE.
Blind, paralysed, and bed-ridden, an old soldier who fought in one of the most famous defences in British military history is ........ a week.
He is Mr George Power of Hill Crescent, Ilford. When a ...... member of the heroic garrison at Rorke's Drift which, during the Zulu War, defied the ceaseless onslaughts of Cetewayo's troops, fresh from their victory at Isandhlwana.
Now 79 years of age, he lives on an Army pension of 2s. 4d a day, plus his old age pension.
When I called on him to-day (writes a "Star" reporter) I found him to be a fine specimen of the English soldier, with his handshake still powerful despite the affliction which keeps him lying all day on his back.
His one joy in life is showing his medals. He keeps them locked in a black tin box which none but he must open.
His constant companion and helper is his daughter Helena. When his blind fingers groped and could not find the lock to his medal box, she offered to open it for him.
"No, my dear, I must open it myself," he protested.
"Bill" (as his daughter calls him), "will not let anyone assist in showing his medals," said Miss Power.
One by one he handed them to me - the Khedive Star, the South African Medal, the Queen's Medal with bar, testifying to many years spent under scorching suns.
"I enlisted when I was 18, under a false name, so that my father should not trace me," he said. "In January, 1879, I landed in South Africa with the 2/24th Regiment. We marched straight away out in the direction of Rorke's Drift, knocking out several native chiefs on the way, and burying them.
"On arrival at Rorke's Drift, B Company, which was mine, was detailed to garrison the post and maintain the provision supply of the column which was marching into Zululand under Lord Chemsford.
"One morning I was standing outside the post baking little loaves in a field kitchen. Suddenly a few stragglers limped past our sentries with the news that half Lord Chelmsford's column had been destroyed at Isandhlwana.
"Our meagre defences were quickly thrown into as good a state as possible, and at 2 o'clock the Zulus attacked from across the Buffalo River. They were as thick as grass, outnumbering us by thirty to one. For twelve hours a rifle scarcely left my hand. They gave us pepper.
"For a minute or two we stopped to bandage a wounded comrade, or to give him a drink of water, then back to our loopholes. Our rifles got so hot with the constant firing that the barrels bacame bent, and the rifles useless.
"I was stationed in the store-room, and several times a few of the Zulus forced their way inside. They did not live long. And when they got on our mealie bags we soon put 'em off.
"The Zulus did everything except the one thing that might have carried Rorke's Drift. They did not think of ripping up our mealie bags with their assegais.
"When dawn came - the most dreadful dawn a soldier ever saw - we were still leaning against our loopholes, grimly determined to make the best use of the few rounds of ammunition that were left.
"Fortunately, Lord Chelmsford relieved us with the other half of his column. His hair had gone white in a night."
Private Power was a member of the party sent out to recover the body of the Prince Imperial, who was surprised and killed by Zulus while sketching.
He saw service at Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Egypt.
He bears his present circumstances with quiet fortitude, and, like a soldier who is asked, "Any complaints?" he answers, "No complaints, sir."
[b]The sheer guts these men showed never ceases to amaze me, both in battle and in old age. Fascinating.
|
|
|
 |
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
peterw
| Joined: 30 Aug 2005 |
| Posts: 865 |
| Location: UK |
|
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:26 pm |
|
|
|
|
|
This may be of interest - I don't know who purchased the medal.
The Rorke�s Drift award to Private George Deacon, 2/24th Foot, who deserted shortly afterwards and did not claim his medal until after the Great War
South Africa 1877-79, 1 clasp, 1877-8-9 (1467 Pte. G. Deacon, 2/24 Foot) an officially impressed later issue claimed in 1920, some engraved graffiti after the impressed naming has been mostly erased but appears to read �Rorke�s Drift�, otherwise nearly extremely fine �3000-4000
Footnote
George Deacon (alias George D. Power) was born at Bank, Hampshire, and attested for 25 Brigade at Chatham on 10 November 1877, aged 18 or 19 years. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, he went immediately to South Africa. He was confined in cells from 12th to 18th March 1878. At the defence of Rorke�s Drift he served in �B� Company, and is mentioned in an account by Private Frederick Hitch, V.C., who incorrectly names him as �Deakin�. It is towards the end of the action, after Hitch had been wounded and Lieutenant Bromhead was carefully rationing the ammunition which was then running very low:
�Deakin, a comrade, said to me as I was leaning back against the biscuit boxes, �Fred, when it comes to the last shall I shoot you? I declined. �No, they have very nearly done for me and they can finish me right out when it comes to the last.� I don�t remember much after that.�
George Deacon was clearly in the thick of the fighting right to the last. His presence is further confirmed on the Chard and Bourne rolls. Unfortunately he was again confined to cells from 11th to 24th February 1879, for failing to obey an order, and eventually deserted at Pietermaritzburg on 9 September 1879. As a deserter he was not issued with a medal and the rolls are marked as such. However, he obviously made a claim for a medal sometime after the Great War and this was approved, according to the following annotation on the medal roll: �Roll searched 6/1/1920, authority 19/Inf/239 and 2177.�
George Deacon, now in his early sixties, finally got his medal for his part in the defence of Rorke�s Drift over 40 years earlier. He may have been a bad boy in the eyes of the army but to his comrades at Rorke�s Drift he would have been as much a hero as any of them. |
http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=42774
Peter
|
|
|
|
| | |
| Re: Private George Power | |
| George Power/Deacon | |
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1
|
|
|
|
| |
