AT ISANDLWANA

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 74, 1 April 1929, Page 3

AT ISANDLWANA

SAVING THE COLOUR

HEROES OF 50 YEARS AGO

IiOEKE"S DKiFT ACTION;

In view of (he fact that a few week* back ilie Wellington Regiment was pre* sented with new colours, thus bringing this particular portion of military panoply; prominently before readers, it is ing to recall an epic incident of fifty years ago, when, in a. distant land, two events occurred to stir the British race alternately to anguish and *». Aiigufcli because of. the disaster to British arms and prestige at isandlwana and joy for the heroic defeucc of Horke's Drift. Into these incidents is interwoyeu the heroic story of Lieutenants Melvill and Coghilj, who saved the colour of the 24th Regiment (South Wales Borderers), after that force had been decimated. The story is told as follows by Major T. J. Edwards in the "Daily Telegraph."

For some years (he writes) the Boers had had trouble with the Zulus concerning the ownership of "the disputed territory" about the Blood River, so that when the Transvaal was annexed by the British, Government in 1877 we inherited these troubles. Matters were soon brought to a head by the ambitious Zulu King, Cetywayo, whose high-handed actions leffc no doubt as to his intentions. Towards the end of 1878 the British Government decided to send an expedition against Cetywayo, and General Thesigev (afterwards Lord Chelmsford),.' then commanding in Natal, was appointed Gommander-in-Chief of the, British forces in the field.

General Thosigcr's force was organised into five columns, Colonel (Hie Jatc Field Marshal Sir Kvelyn) Wood, V.G.,'being in command of ono. It was, however, tho troops of Colonel Glyn's column who were the - actors in the historic events. On 10l.li January. IS7S), Glyn's column was at Borke's Drift, but moved on to the ]sandhvana hill on 20th January. On the 22ml a portion of the column moved out in support of a reconnoitring force, leaving in the Jsamllwnna camp five corn-" panics of the Jst ■ Battalion of the 24th. Regiment, one company of the 2nd Battalion 24th. some mounted infantry, and native contingents. AN IMMORTAL EPISODE. Just us these troops were preparing for dinner firing was heard .coming from the direction of the company thrown out iaadvance towards the north of the camp. Half an hour later the main army of the Zulus, estimated by General Sir H. L. Smith-Dorricu. (who was present as a, subaltern) to bo thirty times as strong as the British force, was seen advancing. When, by 1 p.m., the Zulus had got within 200 yards of. the camp, the native contingents tied, leaving .a-gap in the little line. The handful of British troops, however, stood Jinn, firing at the enormous force gradually hemming it in on. all sides. , ' '.

The end appears to have come very soon, and only a few escaped. General Sir H. Smith-Dorrieu, in his "Memories of Forty-eight Years' Service," says': ."I had a blue patrol jacket .011, and it is noticeable that the only live officers who escaped—Essex. Cochruue, Gardner, Curling, and myself—had blue coats. I heard afterwards that the Zulus had been told by King Cetywayo that black coats were civilians and were not worth killing."

It was here that the immortal episode of saving the Queen's Colour occurred. Just before the • Zulus' final rush, Colonel Pulloine, of the 24th Regiment, appears to have ordered Lieutenant, Mclvill, his adjutant, to take the Colour and endeavour to save it by conveying it to, another post. Mclvill mounted his charger and ..set off towards the Buffalo River, but, owing to the track being verystony.,, his horse could not make :i verygood "pace. On tin.: way he was joined by Lieutenant Coghill. .Some of the more fleet-footed Zulus were able to keep fairly close and fired at them all the way.

On arrival at the Buffalo they plunged their horses in. Coghill reached the far bank-in. safety, but MelviH'a horse had. boon shot, ajid lie himself was in difficulties. The currentwas so strong that if; had, torn th.i Colour from his gr,asp and carried it away. On seeing, this Coghill at once plunged his horse into the river to go to Melvill's asisstauce. Tlio horse, was killed almost instantly. Coghill, however, reached Mclvill, and with difficulty they got to the far bank.

Whilst resting there they were surprised by some Zulus, who had crossed the river lower down, and were soon done to death. The Colour was found a few days later wedged in some boulders r' the bottom of the Buffalo River. Both officers were awarded posthumous V.C.'s.

From isandlwana the Zulus continued their march towards Rorke's Drift, a few miles to the west. The garrison here was B Company of the 2nd Battalion 24th Foot, SO strong, and some oddments, making a total of 130, of whom thirty-five were sick in the hospital. In addition, there was a native contingent under their officer, but as soon as it heard firing, about 4 p.m.; it quitted the post. Lieutenant Bromhead was in command of the company of the 24th and Lieutenant Chard, R.E., in command of the post. ALL-NIGHT BATTUE. About 4.30 p.m. 500 to (100 Zulus attacked from the south, aud although met with 'well-aimed rifle lire, from which they suffered heavy loss, pressed on until they readied a point eighty yards from the defenders. The main body of the Zulus soon followed, and at'onrc made a series of assaults, gradually forcing the defendi ers back on to their last line of defence. The hospital was fought room by room, and when the ammunition was spent the bayonet was resorted to.

"As darkness came on" (wrote. Chard ia his dispatch), "we were completely surrounded, and after several attempts had been gallantly repulsed, were forced eventually to retire to the middle, and then the. inner, wall of the kraal on our east. Tlie position we then had we retained throughout. A desultory fire was kept up all night, and several assaults were attempted and repulsed, the vigour of the attack continuing until after midnight. Our men, firing with the greatest coolness, did not waste a single shot,' the light afforded by the burning hospital being of great help to us."

The firing ceased at i a.m., and by daybreak on 23rd January no Zulus were to be seen, except 400 dead bodies round the post. Both Chard and Brotnhend were awarded the V.C. In March, 1914, General Sir Reginald Hart, V.C, when unveiling ail obelisk at Isandlwana, said:. ''The terrible disaster which overwhelmed the old 24111 Regiment will always be rcnimebered, not so much as a disaster, but as an example of heroism like that of Lcouidas and the 300 Spartans who fell at '■he pass of Thermopylae.'' COLOUR DECORATED. Wlkui (lie regiment returned lo England in ISSO, Queen Victoria-expressed a desire to see the rescued Ts.uidlwana Colour, and it was taken to. Osborne House for Her Majesty's inspection. Having heard its story and that of ■■■ Rorke's Drift, she pjared upon it a wreath -of immortelles, which is still preserved in the regiment. Her Majesty authorised both battalion? of the regiment; to bear on their Queen's (now King's) Colours a silver wreath o£ immortelles in commemoration of the heroic coudnet of Lieuts. Mclvill aud Coghill in saving the Colour, and of the gallant defence of Rorke's Drift. These are the only Colours in the British Service which permanently bear a wreath on them, and in this respect they, are reminiscent of the decorating of the old Roman eagles. '

The Isandlwana Colour was presented to the regiment in 1806. by the Countess of Kiniberley, and it is still carried to-day by the Ist Battalion in all its tattered glory of sixty-three years' service. British Colours have not been carried in action since 'his campaign.

Xose prints arc now used to identify dog.s just as iingcr-prints are employed to identify au individual, according to what a dog expert in Chicago lias discovered. He lias found that the lines hi a dog's nose do not change materially from the time the animal is forty-eight hours old until it dies of old age. Of course, the lines become larger as (he dog grows from a pup to an adult, but the relationship of the nose Hues remains (ho same. Pet clogs arc now often (alien to veterinarians to havo prints of their noses made for record in case the animals are lost or stolen. The nose is smeared with black .ink and tho print made in the same manner that finger-prints of persons are made''for puri' poses of identification.