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Simon
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Hi,
When a British soldier was killed in Zululand was there any system in place to notify his relatives at home Britain. Was a list of dead posted on the barracks gate or was there a more personal method of saying that �Tommy� is not coming home? There must obviously have been something because soldiers �effects� were claimed by families etc. On a similar subject just what were these �effects� presumably medals but did it include any person possessions of the rank & file. Cheers Simon |
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Galloglas
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It varied according to circumstance but all of these would usually combine:
- The unit would notify casualties to the depot and deaths on campaign would also usually be published in the London Gazette. The Isandlwana casualties were published in this way though with some transcription errors. - The unit would also notify the widow if she was included amongst those serving with the unit rear party in theatre. Each unit was allowed to provide for a percentage number of wives to accompany the unit wherever it went and to be entitled to be quartered and draw rations. Some of the units in the first and second invasion had these groups of wives with them in nearby bases like the Cape and Durban. - Unofficially soldiers would write home to their own families with similar details and these letters were sometimes published in local newspapers. These letters sometimes included errors. On a soldier dying the routone followed in barracks would be followed as closely as possible in the field. His military equipment would be assembled and checked and then returned to the quartermaster, often for re-issue. His personal possessions would secured and listed. Depending on circumstances items of high value would usually be passed on to designated family members if the soldier had expressed a wish on the subject, perhaps through writing a will. Otherwise a 'Committee of Adjustment' would sell off by auction any effects with the purpose of the amounts raised being used to settle the soldiers estate. Either by paying off any advance of pay or to be sent to the widow or family as a benefit to them. It was usual for those bidding in these auctions to pay generously so as to raise as much as possible. Unredeemed advances of pay could not be written off, being considered as if having been a cash payment to the soldier. There are instances of unresolved advances of pay in pay and muster rolls that were not redeemed in this way and were eventually written off much later by Command Paymasters after protracted correspondence. Most units as a matter of pride would not use the proceeds of an auction of effects for this purpose and officers might also make donations to the amounts secured by Committees of Adjustment, or quite seperately later. G |
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Galloglas
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Nearly forgot.
Medals were not normally taken on campaign but would normally be retained in the depot or unit rear part at a base for safekeeping. Usually campaign medals already earned and held in this way would be passed on to the family. As would any newly earned campaign medals and there are numerous references to those newly awarded to the Zulu war dead being passed to relatives in the surviving medal rolls. Most gallantry awards made before death were treated in the same way. Posthumous awards were either not allowed, then or subsequently, in some cases or were much later allowed as in the examples of the Melvill and Coghill VCs. Some other awards like the CB required the insignia to be returned to the chancelry of the order. G |
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Simon
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Hi Galloglas
Thanks for the comprehensive answer Simon |
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mons14
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Interestingly - and I forget where I had heard or read this: A British Long Service Good Conduct Medal was recovered in modern times at the battlefield of Isandlwana and is now housed in a local museum. I have never confirmed this story, but would of course be eager to know if it was true - and who the medal belonged. Cheers, David |
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_________________ 'Ah! Those red soldiers at Isandlwana, how few they were, and how they fought! They fell like stones-each man in his place.' - A Zulu Warrior
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Galloglas
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The Army Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) Medal was instituted in 1830 and has undergone several changes of design.
Though a medal expert would need to comment on when the practice started by at least WW1 it would normally have the name and rank of the individual to which it was to be presented engraved on the medal edge. The rank being that substantive rank held at the time of application to the Army Medal Office for the medal. If a LS&GC medal of contemporary pattern for the period including 1879 was found at Isamndlwana then it might or might not be so engraved depending on the Army Medal Office practice for that or previous years. The medal was originally awarded to soldiers of good conduct who had completed 21 years service in the infantry or 24 years in the cavalry. In 1870, this qualifying period was reduced to 18 years for both the infantry and cavalry. By deduction that would very much limit the possibilities of an award to a previously non commissioned person qualifying on that basis by 1879 and being present at the battle and with the medal in his possession. So, it's starting to seem an unlikely combination of events and circumstances. But, somebody else who has expertise in both areas may now be able to advise us further. G |
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rich
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Galloglas..
Just wondering.....is there evidence to show that soldiers doing service in India or South Africa "identified" themselves with slips of paper tucked or pinned in their pockets or having markings on their belt buckles? I note thios because in the US Civil War some soldiers would do that for "ease" of identifying them if they were killed in battle. |
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_________________ Rich
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Galloglas
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I don't know what system was used in 1879 but by the time of the 1899-1902 Boer War British soldiers were generally identified by recognising them by sight, from recorded physical physical features in their enlistment documentation, or by labels stitched into their clothing. These were usually of a kind of varnished cotton and a special permanent black ink was used to mark this with key information.
Some of the photography of the Spion Kop casualties before burial appears to show clothing disarrayed as if the bodies had been pilfered by the Boers. The more likely cause was burial parties trying to locate these labels for confirmatory identification purposes. G |
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rich
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Thanks for that. Makes me think now of the Zulu dead in their battles and how tough it could have been for families to identify their kin when those in battle took tremendous fire that obliterated their bodies and their faces.
Unless the Zulu had some way of identfiying those casualties, I'd think that in some cases kin could never identify their dead. |
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_________________ Rich
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mons14
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Galloglas,
Thanks from me too, on your very informative and interesting postings here. Much appreciated, David |
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_________________ 'Ah! Those red soldiers at Isandlwana, how few they were, and how they fought! They fell like stones-each man in his place.' - A Zulu Warrior
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Galloglas
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If we assume that this is based on accurate research then it might also shade in a bit more detail.
http://www.tommyspackfillers.com/showitem.asp?itemRef=VS038 This practice probably predates 1899 by many years but I would not know if it was already happening in 1879. Very possibly it was G |
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Julian whybra
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British soldiers, including Australians, first used a regulation method of personal identification in the Second Boer War. This procedure was begun early in 1902. This consisted of a strip of tape intended to be carried in the pocket of their tunic. The identification was designed to assist in identifying the seriously wounded or the dead; however, it was found that soldiers did not always carry their identification in the correct pocket and detailed searches would often be required when trying to identify a casualty.
In 1906, soldiers were issued with a tin disc rather than the tape, and given orders that this was to be worn around the neck. The discs were stamped with the soldier's name, service or regimental number, religion, and unit. During the First World War this was increased to two fibreboard discs, one round and one octagonal. The octagonal disc, sometimes coloured green, was to remain with the body of the soldier to aid in identification should the body need to be exhumed. The circular disc, sometimes coloured red, was used to identify the belongings of the soldier and be sent home. Folklore has it that these colourings were to aid soldiers in remembering which tag went where: red meant blood and was to be taken, since the soldier was dead; green meant grass and was to stay with the body. Prior to 1902 there was no dog tag or its equivalent. |
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 | British casualties in Zululand | |
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