A Little Quiz - Not to stretch the imagination too much!

Last edited by John Young on Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:31 am; edited 1 time in total

No prizes on offer I'm afraid.

Can anyone name this soldier and his unit?

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A Mystery photograph - who is that man?

John Y.

Has a bit of a Crealock look about him

Em! Spike on Helmet

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Natal Carbineers? and a NNC battalion?

Steve

Subject: A Little Quiz Tue Mar 03, 2015 3:48 am

I'll have a stab , George Shepstone ? .
90th

Keep guessing...

He's a British regular Private soldier, and he was unique...

JY

John do we know him, have we discussed him. ?

Littlehand,

Having just done a search the answer is yes he has been mentioned on the forum.

John Y.

That narrows it down. Very Happy

The person that posted about him has checked in on the forum today.

You obviously haven't got any Endurance .

Keep guessing...

JY

Did he remain a British regular Private soldier. Or did he gain rank?

Littlehand,

From what I know about him he was only a Private, Graves1879 might be able to assist further once the name comes to light.

John Y.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Was he in the 32nd ?

Steve

Posts : 3362 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Very intrigued now scratch

Posts : 705 Join date : 2012-05-05

I propose that John Young becomes the quiz master of the forum!

Steve,

He was indeed in the 32nd.

John Y.

Private William King.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

I would not have got it without your Endeavour clue and the member who had been logged in on the previous day! So I thought I would have a Stabb.

Good quiz John.

PS. Spent a long time trying to find a connection to Inspector Morse!

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Steve

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Well done LIttlehand. agree

Well done all.

Here's William King with Henry Spark Stabb to his left.

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The Queen's Cross 1880.
John Young Collection.

Carrying this on with an easier one, can anyone name the Isandlwana survivor in the photograph?

John Y.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

John

Standing between Major Stabb and Colonel Bowker is Sobhuza and Jabez Molife - our man from Isandhlwana.

Interesting that there is a very slightly different version of your photo in "With his Face to the Foe" by Knight. William King now has hands on hips. So the photographer exposed a number of plates, just to make sure!

Steve

Subject: A little quiz . Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:54 am

Hi Steve
I'm currently reading Knight's ' With His Face To The Foe ' about a chapter to go , when I saw your answer mention Maj Stabb I knew of this photo , I have no clue how to post one on here from a book , so I'm glad that JY has done so ! Very Happy

. Forgot to say I think it's a good book , as always plenty of detail , and footnotes . You cant beat '' Footnotes '' ! You need to study mo

90th

Steve,

Well done.

I have now established the exact date of the photograph to have been 22nd March 1880.

The four other British soldiers in the photograph are Gunner 4732 J. Ashton, 'N'/5 R.A.; Sappers 14471 H. Brown; 13916 S. Pinchen & 13764 H. Romain all of 2nd Company, R.E.

Thus far I have established that Ashton is standing to Bowker's left.

If you look over the left shoulder of the sapper in middle of that group there is another African in European garb, I believe this to be the second interpreter on the expedition named Jozana.

John Y.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Thanks John.

I am trying to orientate your photo with the older ones showing the makeshift wooden memorial board erected by the Royal Scots Fusiliers. I am assuming that board was on top of the rise to the right of your photo?

I also wonder whether the pile of darker stones in front of the Cross are those that originally marked the body position, they appear in much the same place in the bottom of the depression in a photo I have of the wooden memorial.

Finally, the current memorial does not appear to be in the same place at all, the ground looks much more flat?

Steve

Steve,

Hopefully this one will help you, note the location of the 21st's board:

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H. S. Stabb's party at the Prince Imperial's deathsite.
John Young Collection.

I agree it certainly bears no resemblance to the place I visited.

John Y.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

Thanks John.

It looks as though the wooden board was to the left of your first photo as well and not to the right as I had assumed.

It is also interesting to see that the men are in civvies to do the work. Stabb is easy to recognise with the spade (I wonder if he really did any digging!). And the RE men, in the centre by the cairn, appear to have plumb lines to get their verticals.

Is that Bowker sitting on the edge of the Donga do you think? He appears to have a butterfly net over his shoulder.

I read somewhere that they used dynamite to divert the stream in the Donga, but it still doesn't look like the current memorial site to me.

Here's an enlargement of the wooden board.

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Steve

Steve,

It is indeed a butterfly net, there's a photograph of Stabb & Bowker at Isandlwana both with butterfly nets.

I have the photograph of the 21st's board and another which might help.

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The 21st's Board.
John Young Collection

The strange thing with this one the inscription on the board appears to white:

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The 21st's Board from a different angle.
John Young Collection

John Y.

Posts : 2871 Join date : 2010-06-02

I have the same two photos. Hadn't noticed the white on black thing before - mine's the same.

Steve

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