| Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP | |
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+4Herbie 90th John Young Frank Allewell 8 posters |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:35 am | |
| Ive come across a reference to a visit to iSandlwana to re bury exposed bones etc. It seems to have been led by Robert Eaton NMP. Any Ideas? |
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John Young
Posts : 3237 Join date : 2013-09-08 Age : 68 Location : Слава Україні! Героям слава!
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:48 pm | |
| Frank,
Any clues as to the dates, or the source of the reference?
JY |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:54 pm | |
| John I dont have to much info at this stage but I believe it stems from 1880 |
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John Young
Posts : 3237 Join date : 2013-09-08 Age : 68 Location : Слава Україні! Героям слава!
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:25 pm | |
| Frank,
It could be the O’Connell party of the 3rd/60th as they were accompanied by a N.M.P. detachment, which would fit with 1880.
JY |
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90th
Posts : 10882 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 67 Location : Melbourne, Australia
| Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:38 pm | |
| Hi JY & Frank Yes O'Connell was there in 1880 , he was met at I think Fort Melvill by Sub Inspector Phillips and 7 troopers of the NMP , O'Connell had left Pietermaritzburg with 11 Soldiers of the 3 / 60th , I wish I could find a copy of O'Connell's Burial detail Map ! . 90th |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm | |
| Wasnt O Connell there in March 1880? Eaton was there earlier, exactly when I dont know at this stage but definitly before 4th February. |
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90th
Posts : 10882 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 67 Location : Melbourne, Australia
| Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:23 pm | |
| O'Connell was issued orders on the 27th Feb 1880 to head to Isand , he was held up by poor weather for 3 days at Tugela Drift ( his words ) , as I mentioned when O'Connell finally arrived at Ft Melville , Sub Insp Phillips was already there with the 7 NMP Troopers , they may well have gone for a recce before O'Connell arrived in the 1st week of March . 90th |
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John Young
Posts : 3237 Join date : 2013-09-08 Age : 68 Location : Слава Україні! Героям слава!
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:27 pm | |
| 90th, Where is Fort Melville is it in Nantucket? Is it named after the author? JY |
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90th
Posts : 10882 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 67 Location : Melbourne, Australia
| Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:33 pm | |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:43 pm | |
| So a possible question would be why did O Connell go? At whos instigation? |
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90th
Posts : 10882 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 67 Location : Melbourne, Australia
| Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:53 pm | |
| O'Connell states it was in Pursuance of Garrison Orders 27th Feb 1880 . He was directed to proceed to Isandlwana to rebury the dead at the Battlefield , and in the neighbourhood of that place . 90th |
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Herbie
Posts : 118 Join date : 2017-11-16 Age : 58 Location : Epsom, Surrey
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:08 pm | |
| Whatever officers were present L/Cpl Eaton was obviously the senior survivor from the NMP so maybe that’s his claim to have led the party? Phil |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:31 pm | |
| Hi Gary, Eaton was there quite some time before O Connell. So would it be feasible that Eaton could have been the cause of OConnell being there. Just musing! |
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90th
Posts : 10882 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 67 Location : Melbourne, Australia
| Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 3:49 pm | |
| Hi Frank Who knows , feasible I guess , but I very much doubt it , it wasn't as if the Imperial Commands ever listened to the Colonials , although they may well have had reports from was it Rev Robertson or so at St Vincents ? . O'Connell says it was at the behest of the Officer Commanding at Fort Napier . Doubtful Eaton would've been running the the show , but certainly would've acted as a guide you'd expect , wonder if the other 6 troopers in that Patrol were also survivors of Isandlwana , or had been out with LC ? , unfortunately O'Connell doesn't mention their names , they might well be mentioned in the records of the NMP , or in the Archives or similar , possibly even mentioned in the Press at the time ? . 90th
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ymob
Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:07 pm | |
| Bonjour Frank, Around 10 January 1880,a detachment of NMP have been sent up to Isandhlwana. Unfortunately, I don't know if Eaton was a member of the party. Amitié Fred |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:47 pm | |
| Thanks Fred, the patrol was under the command of Corporal Eaton. The orders for O Connell where issue by Wolseley after he received a report of bodies being exposed by the weather. Still lots to mull over for that period though.
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ymob
Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:03 pm | |
| Right for Wolseley -in link with the local authorities-. Personally I think the trigger for the Eaton-led patrol was Bale's letters (in particular the "P.S"). Tarboton and Whitelaw, the fathers of troopers killed at Isandhlwana, had the same temptation to go to Isandhlwana at the same period. In response, Royston (NC) wrote a letter in a Natal newspaper claiming that the Volunteers killed at Isandhlwana were properly entered. Amitié Fred |
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barry
Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay
| Subject: Timing of Isandlwana burial party Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:05 am | |
| Hi All,
Reflecting on the questions around the timing of the reburials, I think the impending visit of HRH Princess Eugenie, Emperess of France, who arrived in Zululand a few months later, in April, may have been the spur for action, ie cleaning up the battlefield. The Colonial authorities would not have wanted to offend her as she insisted on a visit to Isandlwana during her tour of Zululand. As it was, she and her NMP guide, whilst visiting the river bank at Fugitives Drift, came upon the uninterred remains of a horse and rider who had jumped off the rock face at SD's pool and succumbed in their attempt to flee an enemy hot on their heels. Immediate burial of these remains was arranged.
regards
barry
Last edited by barry on Sat Sep 26, 2020 6:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:25 am | |
| Good Point Barry. |
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briannorris@sos.co.za
Posts : 23 Join date : 2019-10-06 Age : 78 Location : Gillitts, Durban,KZN
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Sat Oct 03, 2020 2:00 pm | |
| In The Mounted Police of Natal by HP Holt p78 it states:
"The bodies of those who were killed at Isandhlwana having lain where they fell for five months, a force was sent out towards the end of June to perform the sad task of burial. It was joined at Rorke's Drift by sixty of the police under Major Dartnell."
No names are mentioned. |
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briannorris@sos.co.za
Posts : 23 Join date : 2019-10-06 Age : 78 Location : Gillitts, Durban,KZN
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Sat Oct 03, 2020 2:29 pm | |
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Frank Allewell
Posts : 8572 Join date : 2009-09-21 Age : 77 Location : Cape Town South Africa
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:50 am | |
| Leaves a rather large hole between September 1879 and February 1880. |
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Julian Whybra
Posts : 3955 Join date : 2011-09-12 Location : Billericay, Essex
| Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:12 pm | |
| brian/Frank Yes, there's nothing in that article that sheds any light on your 'Eaton Patrol' I'm afraid - too early! |
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| Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP | |
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