Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Graham Pennefather.

Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Graham Pennefather.


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Born 21 February 1850. Nothing is known of his early days, but he was promoted to Lieutenant in the 6th (Immiskilling) Dragoons on the 23rd April 1873. With his regiment he was posted to South Africa and saw active service in the Zulu campaign of 1879 and the ABW 1880-81. He was promoted to Captain on the 18th June 1818 and to MAJOR ON THE 25TH July 1888. He was appointed to command the BSA Company’s police on March the 12th 1890 with the RANK OF Lt. Colonel.

The pioneer Column, escorted by BSA Company’s Police with Col. Pennefather in command crossed the Shashi River at Fort Tuli, thus entering what becomes Rhodesia on 11th July 1890

On the 2nd January 1892 he was told that his services were no longer required and that he could return to his regiment. He retired from the Army on the 6th March 1895 to become an Inspector-General of the police in the Straits Settlement and he lived in Penang.

He died in Natal on the 29th April 1928

Well done littlehand

I have not seen that photo of Penneyfather before and I did not know his death date. Great find :)

1879Graves can we expect a photo of his Grave,

:lol!: Dave

That is one grave photo I have not got yet :lol!:

Thanks.

Extract from The Development of Southern Rhodesia's Military System, 1890- 1953

The High Commissioner for South Africa would not, however, hear of such a scheme. He insisted that the force must be accompanied by a strong body of mounted police so as to prevent a repetition of the disaster at Isandhlawana in 1879 when the Zulu, kinsmen of the Matabele, surprised and massacred some 800 British regulars. The Chartered Company then rather unwillingly organized a mounted force. Its nucleus, a fifth of its strength, consisted of a few specially raised troops of the Bechuanaland Border Police, an Imperially controlled elite formation. The remainder was a mixed body, containing youngsters in search of adventure, a few scalliwags, but generally a good type of man, similar in social origins to the pioneers, though not so well paid.
The whole expedition comprised some 180 pioneers (known as the Pioneer Corps) consisting of three troops and an artillery section, and 500 British South Africa Company's Police, command of the combined force being entrusted to Lieut. -Colonel Edward Graham Pennefather, an officer of the 6th Dragoons, who had served with distinction against Zulu and Boer. His column was well equipped, the expedition curiously combining the military technology of the backveld with that of the Industrial Revolution. There were ox wagons; there was also a steam-driven generator to provide current for a searchlight which swept the veld at night to prevent surprise attacks. Johnson, a good organizer, carefully worked out an elaborate drill for his 84 wagons which were divided into "sections" grouped into three divisions, the teams being taught to manoeuvre with military precision and to advance where possible in broad formations; single file was only used where the country was too difficult. There were carefully worked out rules for making camp at night; depending on the nature of the ground the wagons drew up in one, two or three separate laagers, with water and other light carts inside, and machine guns or 7-pounders at each corner, protected by proper breastworks of sandbags.

"The mounted police of Natal"


No record of police work amongst the Zulus would
be complete without a reference to the Zululand
Native Police, which, though now disbanded, was a
magnificent support to the Natal Police for twenty-
one years.

The corps, known at first as the Reserve Territory
Carbineers, was raised in 1883 by Inspector Mansel
(subsequently Chief Commissioner of the Natal
Police) to act as body-guard to the late Sir Melmoth
Osborn, the Zululand Resident Commissioner, the
second-in-command being Mr. R. H. Addison. Just
over a score of men were recruited in Pietermaritzburg,
and these were marched up to Eshowe in Zululand,
where the force was brought up to 50 native non-
commissioned officers and men, the first sergeant-
major being Nobadula, or " Lanky Boy."

The force was about a year old, and 60 strong,
when it received its baptism of fire at Inogonga,
where an Usutu impi, under Dabulamanzi, attacked
the Resident Commissioner's camp at about 3 a.m.
There was a native contingent with the Commissioner,
but as soon as the impi appeared the contingent
bolted, and their mat-carriers rushed into the camp
screaming with terror and mobbing the Reserve
Territory Carbineers, who had taken up a somewhat
strong position behind some stones.

Commandant Mansel decided to march his men
straight out to meet the Usutus face to face, and as
they got clear of the camp a dense mass of Zulus came
over the brow of a hill not far away.

It was a bright, moonlight night, and the native
carbineers, though opposed to a force far exceeding
their own in strength, did not show the slightest
sign of wavering. They were perfectly steady, and
obeyed every order. When the impi was within 120
yards the Commandant gave the order " Ready
Present Fire." The marksmen acted as though they
were on parade, and when told to fire independently
they kept up a tremendous fusillade, discharging their
weapons with the utmost rapidity and telling effect.

The war-cry of " Usutu " was raised by the
impi, which rushed on and tried to get to close
quarters. Very few of them, however, succeeded,
for the carbineers kept firing steadily. The impi,
too, discharged their weapons, but their shooting
was so ineffective that only one man was killed and
a few were wounded.

Wavering under the stream of lead, the impi
turned back over the hill and left a hundred men
dead.

Just before the carbineers made this magnificent
stand the statement had been made to Sir Melmoth
Osborn that they could not be trusted and would
turn on him at the first opportunity. Dabulamanzi
had also sent a message to the carbineers themselves
to the effect that they were a lot of boys, and that he
and his men were coming to give them a lesson they
would never forget.

They did not take part in any further fighting
until the 2nd June 1 888, by which time their name had
been changed to the Zululand Police.

Commandant Mansel left the camp at Nkonjeni
with about a hundred members of his force, with the
object of arresting Dinuzulu, who was at the Ceza Bush,
about twenty-five miles away, with a large
impi. The police were supported by two troops of the
Inniskilling Dragoons, under Captain Pennefather,
and a company of mounted infantry, under Captain
Purdon.

At the other side of the Black Umfolosi the force
was joined by Mnyamana, with about five hundred of
his warriors. It was early on the morning of the
2nd, when a large impi was sighted formed up in an
opening of the Ceza Bush. It appeared to consist
of between two and three thousand men ; and as
soon as the troops were seen the Zulus began streaming
up through the bush. They established themselves
on the top of a hill ; and after a consultation between
the Commandant and Captain Pennefather it was
agreed that the Zululand Police, who were mounted,
and numbered twenty, were to push on ahead, the foot
police and Mnyamana 's men following as quickly as
possible.

When the Usutus saw what was happening they
all came down from the hill, and formed up again
in an opening of the bush. As soon as Mnyamana 's
braves saw the impi do this they turned tail and
did not stop running until they were safe at the
other side of the Black Umfolosi River.

The mounted Zululand Police rode straight on
until they were within four hundred yards of the
enemy. They then got off their horses, linked the
animals together, and established themselves on the
top of a small kopje.

A shot was fired and suddenly about five hundred
Zulus detached themselves from the main body of
the impi. They extended in skirmishing order and
rushed straight on, this being the Falazi Regiment
(Dinuzulu's Own). They were a magnificent body
of young men, armed with assegais and shields.
At the same time, the main impi opened a heavy
fire, killing more than half a dozen of the police
horses, including that upon which the Com-
mandant was sitting. The Falazi Regiment rushed
straight on and got within twenty yards of the
Zululand Police, but they were unable to reach the
crest before being shot down. The firing on the
part of the Zululand Police force was fast and furious,
but a mounted orderly galloped up to the Commandant, saying,
" Captain Pennefather sends his
compliments, and says you had better retire, as the
enemy are working round his flanks, and that he
cannot hold his own."

" Go back to Captain Pennefather and tell him
to come on, as we have beaten the enemy here and
should go for the main impi" replied the Com-
mandant ; but the same orderly returned soon
afterwards .

Captain Pennefather says he must leave you,
if you won't come back, as he is being surrounded,"
was his message.

Commandant Mansel tied a handkerchief to the
muzzle of his carbine and went back towards the
mounted infantry, who were between him and the
Inniskillings. He waved to them to join him, but
they began to retire, as did also the cavalry beyond
them. A Zulu followed the Commandant while he
was engaged in this way, having several shots at him.
Mr. Mansel fired in return, missing the man once
as he went over a big boulder, and laying him out
with the second shot.

It was now high time for the police to abandon
the kopje, so they took possession of such horses
as remained, and retired leading the animals. The
Falazi Regiment had been lying in a bush after
being repulsed, and when the police began to retire
they got up to follow them. This the police soon
checked, Dinuzulu's Own having had about enough

of it ; and the police safely rejoined the rest of the
force which had gone to an open ridge.

There Commandant Mansel found the rest of the
police, who had been stopped by Captain Grey of
the Inniskillings and put into a position to check
the Zulus working round the right flank.

The Usutus made their way down to the open,
and there a splendid charge was made upon them
by Captain Pennefather with the Dragoons. The
enemy did not appear to realize what was taking
place, and they stood still until the Dragoons were
almost on top of them. Then they broke and
scattered like rabbits in every direction.

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Wyke Regis New Burial Ground, Dorset.

DEATH OF LIEUT.-COL. PENNEFATHER
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The Straits Times, 12 June 1928, Page 10

Lt E.G.Pennefather's Zulu War Service . Pennefather was in the 6th Dragoons , Served with the 1st KDG's during the Zulu War . Was present at the cavalry affair at Erzungayan ( Lt Frith 17 Lcr's was KIA here ) . Served subsequently in Baker Russell's Flying Column . 

Information by 90th.