Richard Cole

Death has just removed one of the few men who lived to tell the tale of the terrible slaughter of the gallent 24th at the battle of Isandula. In all eight escaped, and the deceased Richard Cole, who was a native of Birmingham, played a prominent part in helping to save the colours of the unfortunate but dauntless regiment.

South Wales Echo, Friday, August 26, 1898.

COLE Robert Edward – Private – 25B/1459 – 2nd/24th F Company
Born: Brompton, Chatham, Kent, England 11/10/1858.
Trade: Gun Implement Maker.
Married: Elizabeth Gibelin aged 18 years at St Bartholomew’s Church, Birmingham, Warwickshire 23/4/1884.
Death: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 21/8/1898 aged 40 years. Buried in Whitton Cemetery, Birmingham. Public Grave 54737. Section 164. Grave un-marked.
Service details: Enlisted 29/10/1877 for the 25th Brigade in Brecon, aged 19 years. Attested at Brecon 31/10/1877. Posted to the 2nd/24th Foot as a Private 31/10/1877. Home service 31/10/1877 – 31/1/1878. Attained a 4th class army certificate of education no date. Posted to the 2nd/24th Foot Chatham, Kent 13/12/1877. Hospitalised at Chatham 3/1/1878 – 6/1/1878 with Itch 4 days, admission book No.45. Hospitalised at Chatham 11/1/1878 – 30/1/1878 with Glands 20 days, admission book No.143. Served in South Africa 1/2/1878 – 12/1/1880. Served in the Ninth Kaffir & Zulu Wars 1878-9. Arrived on the Eastern Frontier, South Africa 10/3/1878. Arrived in Natal 6/8/1878.
Present during the defence of Rorke’s Drift Mission Station, Natal, South Africa 22-23/1/1879. He was a patient in the hospital. During the battle he was rescued from the Zulus by 3359 Lance/Corporal Michael McMahon of the Army Hospital Corps. Cole was having difficulty escaping the hospital, McMahon ran to help him, Private Hitch also helped by shooting three Zulus as Cole was lead to safety (In recognition of his gallantry McMahon received the Distinguished Conduct Medal). Hospitalised in Natal 30/10/1879 – 9/11/1879 with Syphilis 42 days, admission book No.291.
But, was not at Isandhlwana.

Julian.

Here Cole you list as Army Hospital Corps. On the roll he is listed as F Company, 2nd Battalion 24th Regt. Would F Company have been a support element then, with medics, cooks, Armourers etc?

Eddie,

The reference to the AHC is in relation to LCpl McMahon.

Regards,

Tim

Tim, Thank you. Tired eyes at 6:30 In the morning.

Eddie
Just to reiterate, Cole was a hospital patient.

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Daily Malta Chronicle and Garrison Gazette - Tuesday 06 September 1898

Eddie / Kate
There was no Richard Cole(s) in either battalion of the 24th in the Zulu War.  It might have been the real name of one of the surviving privates but I do not believe this to be the case.  All of them are too well-documented and their backgrounds too well-attested. In Kate's clipping, the notion that any man might have escaped to the east to join up with LC's column provides further evidence, if any were needed, that the story is a fictitious one.  But, thanks for posting it anyway - I hadn't seen that before.
He does appear on p. 32 of England's Sons (10th ed.) as one of the 'fake' claimants.

There is a similar obituary for him (as Cole) in the South Wales Daily News 27th August 1898.