Tpr W. Dorehill.

hi all.
Found this very interesting snippet of info regarding Isandlwana survivors.
From Zulu - Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift 22nd - 23rd January by Ian. Knight.
" Trpr . W. Dorehill of the NMP was approaching the drift ( fugitives ) when the zulus ran to intercept him. Two were
young men, and the third older and wearing the headring . Dorehill was riding along the flat looking for a place to put
in his horse when he heard the double report of a shotgun behind him. He felt no blow and assumed the shots had missed,
but when he glanced around he saw the elder zulu with a smoking gun in his hand, and the two young zulus lying dead . The
zulu called out to him " jump in the water ", which he did . He managed to get across to the far bank when he heard a voice
crying for help. It was Trpr Hayes , his tentmate who had suffered premonitions of disaster the night before . Hayes had floundered
into a patch of reeds and was stuck in the mud. Just then Sgt Costello of the Artillery and a Mtd Inf man named Gascoigne came past .Costello was on Major Smith's horse black eagle , though whether he had escaped from the camp on it, or whether he had
just caught it after Smiths death is unclear .. The three men got Hayes out of the mud . but while they were doing so one of the
NNC made off with his horse . Gascoigne went after him, knocked him off , and brought the horse back . While they were helping
Hayes up about 20-30 zulus loosed of a volley at them from across the river, but the only casualty was Stuart Smith's cloak, rolled
at the back of his saddle ". Talk about luck.
cheers 90th.

hi
am i just want to know if i am interpreting this right, did the zulu elder kill the 2 young zulus just to let trooper doehill escape?

thanks joe

Hi Joe. That appears to be the situation. Or the Zulu was a bad shot.

I have gone through the The mounted police of Natal" book looking for information on Dornhill. There is quite a bit there. But not relating to that incident. The book quite often proves useful when confirming incidents ect. But this one seems allusive, I would like to confirm the story so if anyone as other leads please let me know.

old H as 90th stated "Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift 22nd - 23rd January by Ian. Knight"

hi oh2.
I have some more info on Dorehill"s story , off to work now and will post it later .
cheers 90th.

hi oh2.
A collegue has sent me the following info in regard to Dorehill"s escape at Isandlwana .
" It comes from a typescript of a radio talk given by a COL . Lewis in 1939 ( copy in the Campbell Collections ). Lewis
knew Dorehill and got the story from him ( He says in his account that he is privileged to relate his story which he believed
is made public for the first time ). So it seems it hasnt been published in any of the histories prior to 1939. The older zulu
who shot the 2 younger zulus was revealed to have been a member of the NNC , who had taken off his red head band so
as not to be spotted by the zulus . He was an induna in the msinga majistracy under Henry Fynn Jnr , he had been given
the shotgun ( with which he killed the zulus ) by a Judge as a thank you after leading a shooting expedition before the war.
Even stranger this man noticed Dorehill drop his Carbine in the shallows while crossing the Fugitives Drift , after the battle
and once the water level had gone down , he went back and recovered it and later returned it to Dorehill ". Hope this helps.
cheers 90th.

hi
thanks for that 90th, a very interesting story that clears up the earlier incident where the zulu appeared to shoot the other zulus

thanks joe

The inDuna's name was Jacob. See Section O n. 3 on p. 57 of the current edition of England's Sons.

Does anyone know a photograph of Trooper Dorehill? If so could they point me in the right direction.

Thanks in anticipation.

John Y.

John
Julian and I were exploring Dorehill some time ago. We traced his descendants in the UK, Julian was going to get in touch but I moved away from the subject at that point so JW could be a good bet. I do have a photo of his descendant if that's any assistance?

Frank,

Thanks for the tip.

I have just won a group photograph of the inspecting ranked officers of the N.M.P., taken in 1894. I'll post it when it arrives tomorrow.

Dartnell is seated at the centre of the group, W. F. Fairlie is present, as the plate has come from a Fairlie family album.

Regards,

John Y.

John Ive e mailed a photo of Pat Dorehill, possibly there could be a family resemblance

Cheers Frank,

I acknowledge the receipt of the photograph.

John Y.

Hi JY,
Trooper Dorehill's  account of his escape from Isandlwana is interesting. Indeed there is no mention of this in the annals of the NMP/NP.  Maybe because much of the committing to NMP records  of AZW happenings was done some years  post the turn of the century , and he retired in 1905, having been originally appointed to the NMP in 1878.
Insp Dorehill did however serve with the NP during the siege of Ladysmith in the Boer War, under Insp Clarke, who was OC NP for that operation as Col Dartnell had been seconded to Gen White's staff.
By email I will send you a copy of a picture taken during the Boer War of the NP officer group in Ladysmith dressed in Khaki uniforms. Col Dartnell appears in this one too.

regards

barry

PS: His tent was one of those shredded by the Long Tom Shell fired from Umbulwana and directed at the Ladysmith church bell tower, which it missed, having fallen short.
The NMP officers were camped below the bell tower.

I did contact the direct descendants and what a tortuous path it was. They did provide me with a photo to use in an essay on Dorehill for future publication. They specifically told me it was for my use only. It sounds mean but I can't pass it on, even though it will be published anyway eventually, as I'd be breaking my word with them.
If I can help in any other obtuse way, John, I'd be pleased too.

JY/JW
A possible solution, JY e mail a copy of your photo to JW and ask JW to identify Dorehill ! No words broken and object achieved.
Cheers

Barry,

I'm glad you noticed this as I knew you would interested in another officer who is standing on the right of the group, if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks for the offer of the copy of the Ladysmith group.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Natal Mounted Police group 1894
John Young Collection.

Julian,

Take your pick! It is not their photograph, but mine.

John Y.

Hi JY,
Thanks, indeed, sans hat.
Taken in the Harding days I think when the NP Field Force was based there guarding the southern Natal border with Pondoland.
Had these fellows never heard of Gillets ?.
Joking aside, the facial hair was a status symbol in that era,.... separated the men from the boys you know.
The NMP standard was that there was to be no hair on cheek or chin, but everywhere else, no doubt.

regards

barry

Barry,

I try and get a close-up for you of your forebear, but it will have wait until the rugby is over later this evening.

Any suggestions as to any of the others, apart from Dartnell and Fairlie?

It is annotated as Officers of the Natal Mounted Police 1894. The same seller has another NMP group taken in Greytown in 1892, Fairlie is seated at the centre of the group in mufti.

What interests me is the variation in uniforms: dropped leafed patrol jackets; braided patrol jacket; service-dress and khaki-drill jackets.

Regards,

John Y.

He had served previously with the Frontier Mounted Rifles in the Ninth Eastern Cape Frontier War 1877-78 under Brabant before he joined the NMP. His brother George Dalton Dorehill first came out to South Africa with Selous hunting before serving in Griqualand West in 1878. His brothers family came out to Australia and live in Melbourne. GD's son and William's nephew served with the Dukes, CMR and 21st Lancers before being at Gallipoli in 1915 with the in the Australian Light Horse. A friend of mine years ago was in touch with them and they had a brilliant studio photo of GD in Kimberley wearing his SAGS. Other Dorehill's were up in Matabeleland and Mashonland.

The photograph was reproduced in The Natal Witness of 9 July 1912.  I have a very dilapidated cutting of it.  The men are identified as follows:

Standing:  Sub-Insp and Adj W Stean, Sub-Insp V Dorehill, Insp F L Phillips, Sub-Insp T A Masson, Insp and Paymaster F H Sewell, Sub-Insp W J Clarke
Sitting:  Insp F Campbell, Major-General Sir J G D Dartnell, Insp W Fairlie

Brett

Brilliant Brett I've always wanted to see a photo of Stean.

Cam.

Brett,

Thanks for that. You have solved a mystery for me.

Regards,

John Y.

Hi John,
See your email for pictures.

regards

barry

Hello Barry,

Nothing in my inbox, I'm sorry to say.

Regards,

John Y.