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Awarding ZW VCs Posthumously Including Other Military Medals
Colin
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Are there any medal books that cover this subject in detail, that includes other medals, as I read various higher awards could also be awarded posthumously?

I recently read that there were some efforts to get what might be categorised lower-level medals awarded in this same way.

Obviously Melvill and Coghill were awarded VCs posthumously, but did question if other VCs or even other types of medal should have been awarded to others after Isandhlwana, who were also killed in the action.

There does appear to be some primary source evidence that seems to highlight other individuals and their actions, that would/should have merited recognition had they survived, albeit maybe not the highest award of the VC.

This has intrigued me for years, but not being a medal expert, was never sure how to pursue this fact more in-depth.

Thanks for any info
The Scorer


Joined: 27 Nov 2006
Posts: 338
Location: Newport
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I think that the British Medals Forum would be your best place to ask this question.
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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 1530
Location: Wales
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My understanding has always been that there were doubtless others who would deserve recognition
for their actions at Isandhlwana but the lack of witnesses and confirmation could not substantiate
any facts to warrant awarding medals.

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Colin
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If you take the example of Schiess being awarded the VC at Rorke�s Drift, fighting at the barricades of a supply depot and hospital, totally surrounded and the men inside trapped with no way of escaping.

Then you look at Isandhlwana accounts, but more importantly the locations of the bodies -

Namely, the Colonial Volunteers that were killed at the front of the camp, who had horses and an opening to escape the Zulu encirclement, but chose to dismount and fight on foot, instantly giving up any hope of surviving, when several Imperial officers fled the battlefield on horseback.

Or the example of Surgeon-Major Shepherd, who had escaped the battlefield, but gave up a chance of living by dismounting to help a wounded man, killed in the process of remounting.

The dead speak to the living, where they lay and references made by others who survived witnessing their actions.

Professional soldiers like the 24th has expectations to stand and fight when all seems lost, but the colonials like the NC, NMP, NMR and BBG were not in themselves professionals, expected more as a mounted unit to scout, form vedettes and other such duties.

These Colonials who made this stand made the ultimate sacrifice when they could have left the field when the opportunity to do so still existed, so the likes of Capt Bradstreet, Lt. Scott, and the rest of the men with them, in my view were deserving of individual recognition for their bravery, not passed over by awarding 3 VCs to men who were far away from the field at the Buffalo river trying to reach Natal.

Nobody saw Melvill and Coghill�s deaths, but assuming that Melvill was ordered to save the colour or saw it as his duty to do so, nor clear reasons why Coghill was there, again it is assumed had orders (likely verbal).

I�ve never understood the awarding of only 3 VCs at Isandhlwana, yet Rorke�s Drift was saturated with them, but this has always been a sore point.
Awarding ZW VCs Posthumously Including Other Military Medals
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