TOPIC:

Hi Brett,

in all fairness, if Miss Crow mistook Major Gough for Karri Davies and also got the numbers incorrect could her account be relied upon?
Would she know Duncan McKenzie and the difference between NMR and NC?

Just asking the question.

I checked "the Official NMR History" by Eric Goetzsche and disappointingly there is only a tiny little paragraph quoted from the Natal Volunteer Record as follows:
"It was a gallop! - the poor gees so thin to suggest ornamental hat racks. But, like the men they put their best foot forward, in this final effort - going into action. But the foe we found was our friend - the advance of the relief - 12 NMR, 20 NC and 20 ILH, beside the NP and we were the first out to greet them."
Perhaps the 12 NMR comprised of BMR also?

regards, Iain

Hi Iain

Bella Craw may indeed not have known much about the ILH. Although raised in Pietermaritzburg, the ILH was made up predominantly of 'Uitlanders' from the Transvaal and they would for the most part have been strangers to Bella.

On the other hand Bella probably did know a great deal about Major McKenzie and the Natal Carbineers, the other Natal Volunteer Regiments, and the Natal Police. Her father, James Craw, was the Assistant Registrar of Deeds in Natal and the family is likely to have lived in Pietermaritzburg, where the headquarters of the NC and NP were located. While in Ladysmith, Bella lived with Major George Tatham, who was a Land Surveyor and who was likely to be well known to James Craw in his capacity of Registrar of Deeds. George Tatham also commanded the Ladysmith Troop of the NC and he in turn would have known Major McKenzie well, and so too might Bella. Natal in 1899 must have been a small world to the Colonists.

The Composite Regiment of the Mounted Brigade was made up as follows:
ILH ('A' Squadron)
NC (Estcourt/Weenen Squadron)
NP Field Force (Detachment of about 40 men)
2nd KRRC Mounted Infantry (One company)

Smaller numbers of men came from the following units:
Natal Mounted Rifles (26 men)
Border Mounted Rifles (10 men)
NP - Estcourt District Police (Number not known)

It is likely that some of the men from the Colonial units were not, for whatever reason, part of the Relief Column and so, like the KRRC MI, they missed out on that historic event. However, I believe that all the Colonial units were represented as Stirling has indicated, and that it was the majority of their men who were with the Relief Column.

Regards
Brett

Hi Brett,

thank you for expanding on your previous post. What you say about Bella Craw's knowledge of the Natal Volunteer Regiments does make a lot of sense. I hadn't considered how small the Natal population would have been at the turn of the century.
Do you really think so many of the NMR and the NP were present when they get so little mention anywhere?

regards, Iain

Iain

The ILH and NC in the Composite Regiment totalled about 200 men, whereas the NP, NMR and BMR were less than half that number, so were less likely to be mentioned by historians. Also, the ILH and NC have had excellent historians documenting their achievements and their writings are likely to be more frequently quoted in later publications.

A case in point is the record of Colonel Durnford's last stand at the Battle of Isandlwana, where Colonial soldiers fought and died with him. The role of the Carbineers who were there has probably received the most recognition, whereas in fact the Natal Mounted Police outnumbered them and had more men killed. The Newcastle Mounted Rifles and Buffalo Border Guard were represented by only a few men and they hardly get a mention, but they too fought and died with Durnford.

Regards
Brett

Gentlemen,
As far as the Composite Regiment are concerned, the Natal Police, Border Mounted Rifles and Natal Mounted Rifles are like gold for the medal collector, I wish I had more!

Brett,
thank you for the further expansion on this subject. I recently read a book on the Zulu war of 1878 and dont recall hearing those units mentioned. The NP yes but certainly the NC, in fact sometimes there were negative reports on the Colonial units. As I mentioned earlier, I was disappointed at the lack of information in Eric Goetzsches book on the NMR.
regards, Iain

Brett Hendey wrote: Iain

The ILH and NC in the Composite Regiment totalled about 200 men, whereas the NP, NMR and BMR were less than half that number, so were less likely to be mentioned by historians. Also, the ILH and NC have had excellent historians documenting their achievements and their writings are likely to be more frequently quoted in later publications.

A case in point is the record of Colonel Durnford's last stand at the Battle of Isandlwana, where Colonial soldiers fought and died with him. The role of the Carbineers who were there has probably received the most recognition, whereas in fact the Natal Mounted Police outnumbered them and had more men killed. The Newcastle Mounted Rifles and Buffalo Border Guard were represented by only a few men and they hardly get a mention, but they too fought and died with Durnford.

Regards
Brett