Task Organization for Sihayo Homestead Strike Force

Posts : 272 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

For a little mental exercise, I've attempted to put together a task/organization of Lord Chelmsford's forces present at the skirmish at Sihayo's Homestead.
Command: Col. Glyn held overall command, with Lord Chelmsford and Staff accompanying.

Chalk 1:
1st Battalion, 3rd Regt. Natal Native Contingent. Brevet Lieut. Col. Wilsone Black, temporarily commanding.
-8 Companies, 835 personnel.
1st Battalion, approx. 24th Regiment, Capt. William Degacher commanding.
-A Company (Porteous)
-C Company (Younghusband)
-E Company (Cavaye)
-H Company (Wardell)
Mounted Troops, Lieut. Col. Russell, commanding.
-100 Mounted Infantry
-100 Natal Mounted Police
-50 Natal Carbineers
-35 Newcastle Mounted Rifles and Buffalo Border Guard

Chalk 2 (Reserve), Lieut. Col. Henry Degacher commanding.
-2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment
Four Companies, as per Capt. William Symons original draft of ‘An Account of the Battle of Isandhlwana and Defence of Rorke’s Drift.’
2nd Battalion, 3rd Regt. Natal Native Contingent, Commdt. E.F. Cooper, commanding.
7 Companies, approx. 730 personnel.

Defensive Force in Camp
-Rest of No. 3 Column

Does anyone have an idea of which 2/24th Companies were engaged?

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

For your list Mike:-

Commandant G. Hamilton Browne was in charge of 1st Battalion during the assault.
Col. Black was temporarily put in charge of the whole of 3rd Regiment NNC after Lonsdale's sunstroke and was with the 2nd Battalion at the beginning of the attack.
8th Company 3rd Reg. NNC was involved in direct assault. 9th was left in camp and 10th worked round the flank.
Source "A Lost Legionary in South Africa. by Colonel G. Hamilton-Browne.

Witness 11th Jan 1879:-
"By the time the 1-24th and 1st Battalion 3rd Reg. Natal Native Contingent had cleared out the first stronghold , the 2-24th and 2-3rd Natal Native Contingent had arrived on the ground and were immediately ordered to advance up to the glen to Usirajo's principal kraal"
There were about 400 2-3rd Native Contingent involved.
Captains Harber and Hulley 1-3rd NNC were involved on the extreme left with the 1-24 under Captain Degacher.

According to Mac and Shads Lt Pope was "present at the reduction of Sirayo's stronghold in the Bashee Valley"
That could mean G company 2-24th was involved.
Kate Very Happy

Great Subject

Here is a mini Pan of the ridge the Mounted Volunters went up to outflank Sihayo's men the only Battle of which the Zulu were out numbered[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

Fantastic picture Inky.
Especially with that distinctive shape in the background Salute

This is the view the Zulus would have had. Taken in 2019 whilst standing in amongst the boulders and right up against the rock face, in the center of the horse shoe shaped feature at the southern end of the Ngedla hill overlooking the Batshe valley.
kwaSogekle is right of this picture. This horseshoe shaped feature was made famous by the ILN woodcut of the attack.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Happy days *sigh*
Kate Very Happy

Kate
Hopefully sooner than later ! .
90th Very Happy

Next week................. Very Happy

Posts : 272 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

Kate, excellent find on Pope. That answers my main question, at least to an extent- G Company was part of the left wing of the 2/24th, along with E, F and H Coy and would subsequently participate in Major Dunbar's road building party.

Aussie- Great pic!!! Gives an amazing sense of perspective to the terrain.

Thanks Kate and Mike

Its a shame you can not zoom in, the view is truly majestic.

I need to go to Isandlwana again and spend around a month going through all the other locations I miss on my other two visits.

After all my research I found other angles of views that I missed

Here are other angles of view of Sihayos fight

first photo directly on the ridge over looking the engagment

Second one from Saint Augustine looking straight at the location and the third is a close up

Please enjoy I finally have learnt how to post Photos Salute

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

Quote :: I need to go to Isandlwana again

You are not the only one Inky. Gary and I are chomping at the bit to get back over there. Should get a sitrep from Frank next week as to how thiings are on the battlelefields at the moment.

Quote :: Please enjoy I finally have learnt how to post Photos

Great that you have Inky they are absolutely superb shots, I can hear the crickets and hadeda's from here *sigh*
Thank you for posting them up. Salute

Beautiful.
Kate Very Happy

Kate
You've got that right ! , can't bloody wait .
Aussie
Great pics Inks , outstanding .
90th

Thanks Gary

I just remembered as I was doing my Pastizzi this morning I have a photo of the remains Sihayos cattle kraal I will post it when I get home from work.

What we need to do is all three of us go, it will make up for lost time.

Hey Inks
Mate believe me ....... as soon as we're allowed to go there I'm up UP and away.... will be staying for two months which will indeed make up for the lost time since I was there in May 2019 ! Very Happy

90th

SA will be taken of the Red list today.

Hi Frank
WOO HOOOO ! , I'm not sure when when Qantas will resume flying there ? , did Sth African Airways remain belly up or were they saved ?
90th Salute

Remains of [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Inkosi Sihayo's Cattle Kraal

SAA is flying again Gary not to sure of the routes etc.

No SAA to Australia, Quantas and Emirates do though

Just testing posting pictures.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thanks JY for the assistance.

Gary/Kate/Inki Im informed through the trade that Quantas will resume flying by the end of October, BA hasnt announced as yet.

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

WEHAYYYYYY. Fantastic news.
Time to pack the steamer trunk now where did I put my FSH?

Frank get the ticker tape and bunting out, fire up the brass band, stock up on milk stout and Windhoek the Aussies and the pommes are coming back !!
What a wonderful adventure we undertake...what a marvelous spree.
Kate Very Happy

Let me know the details Kate, as and when, Im sure Mike is keen to come over as well. Meet you at iSandlwana. Better book early. By the way FSH? ( Full Service History Very Happy

)

Last edited by John Young on Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total

Frank,

Foreign Service Helmet.

Didn’t the “Cherrypickers” have those in your day? Joker

Well done! We only need to teach Smoko how to post images now!

JY

"We only need to teach Smoko how to post images now! "
Now thats just plain silly John.

By the way those two bead models were made for me in Zulu land.

Posts : 272 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

I'm personally looking forward to getting in a particularly engaging leg day doing sprints up and down Amatutshane.

And breaking a leg Suspect

Frank / Kate / Michael / Inky .
Whoooaaaa ! , no-one is travelling from here to Sth Africa until at least near the middle of 2022 case numbers here are rising to new levels each day here in Victoria , I'm actually in Iso now for the next 10 days , was working with a Positive case case last thur , fri and mon , he called in sick on wed , he now has covid , I got tested today , we worked as a pair for those three days , hopefully I'm negative , but will probably have to test again before being let out of Iso on the 18th ! . Suspect

90th

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

Sorry to hear that Gary. Hope all the tests come back negative.
Now run along back to the sick bay were you belong.
Kate Joker

Hi Kate
Will do ! Hahahahahahaha
90th Salute

Gary

That is no good mate, I will call you this afternoon, my sister was in isolation for 2 weeks as well. Do you have enough food at home to last you ? I may need to come and fill your fridge with trifle Very Happy

Gary stay well mate.

Smoko,

You could learn how to post images whilst you are in isolation...

And don’t forget, “Brandy’s for heroes Mr. Smoko.”

Inky will leave the Red Cross parcel at the door.

JY

I wonder what Smoko will find in the Red Cross parcel [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Posts : 3474 Join date : 2021-01-04

Hmmm
Actually Inky I've got a bit of a sniffle any chance of a....

Quote :: I'm personally looking forward to getting in a particularly engaging leg day doing sprints up and down Amatutshane.

Mike as a Colonial I can fully understand your desire to run around the battlefield but we British will be relaxing in opulent splendour, whilst taking tea and scones and observing the Zulus natural habitat. Chin, chin Wink

Kate

Port Out Starboard Home huh?

Posts : 272 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

Oh, don't get me wrong, I consider myself a proud Loyalist. But my personal role model, Banastre Tarleton, certainly did not skip leg day nor cardio day! I do hope to be in your neck of the woods in a few weeks. Meeting with yourself and John Young would be nothing short of incredible. I'd love to pay my respects to Capt. Gardner while I'm at it.

» Task Organization 3rd Regiment NNC 21-22 January
» Sohkexe (Sihayo's Kraal)
» What if Chelmsford had not split his force?