2nd Bn. 24th Regt. Foot Casualty medal_Isandlwana

Posts : 101 Join date : 2009-10-28

Details of medal removed for security reasons - thank you.

POPE'S COMMAND AT ISANDLWANA

The 150 strong company were positioned well forward and to the right of the camp in support of Lt. Col. Anthony Durnford and his mounted unit of N.N.C. when the battle commenced.

Durnford’s mounted unit came under heavy attack and greatly outnumbered, they retreated back toward the camp. This is the moment that historians agree mark the turning point in the battle, and the beginning of the end for the British at Isandlwana.

Durnford’s spirited retreated to the camp left Pope’s ‘G’ Company fully exposed and doomed to extermination. They came under attack from all sides by an estimated number of 6000+ Zulu Warriors. There was little hope in retreating the mile and a half distance back to the camp, and the small command prepared to fight to the death.

They formed square and attempted a slow fighting withdrawal, but despite a heroic resistance were completely overwhelmed and slaughtered to a man. Not a single member of ‘G’ Company survived the onslaught, and marked the first Red Soldiers to die at Isandlwana.

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A modern reconstruction of ‘G’ Company’s Last Stand by Jason Askew

Posts : 3326 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Mons14

Many thanks for sharing your new acquisition. A great medal to go with the Lisbeck Medal.

Hopefully they will give you many hours of pleasure Idea

Mons14. Just out of Curiosity what would one be advised to insure it for? Have you been after this particular Medal for a while or were you in the right place at the right time.

I believe another one of our members has Lieutenant Vereker’s medal. I suppose in hindsight they are a very good investment. Something that will always increase in price the older it becomes.

Thanks for posting the photo, and the story behind it.

Subject: 1st & 2nd REGT Casualty Medals Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:34 am

hi mons14 .
I have the print you describe as a ' modern description of G companies last stand by J. Askew , it is in fact titled
' The Death Of Private Williams , VC. " The picture also points out Priv . J.H Meredith 1 / 24th , QME , E. Bloomfield 2 / 24th
Priv. W. Nicholas 1 / 24th and finally Priv. E. Young 2 / 24th. :) .
Congrats on your medal purchase . A nice pair :lol: .
cheers 90th.

Posts : 101 Join date : 2009-10-28

Thanks 1879Graves for the kind words.

Littlehand - Isandlwana casualty medals are not rare, they come up fairly often, in fact there are two or three in the market right now.

90th - Thanks very much for the information regarding the painting - would like to find a copy as well.

I'm sure the artist was aware before he painted the piece: Pte. Meredith and Bloomfield would have been no where near Pte. William Griffiths VC during the battle...

Griffiths died with Pope and the rest of 'G' Company. Pte. Meredith would have been in one of the five 1/24 companies closer to the camp. Bloomfield was shot dead at his ammunition wagon in the 2/24th camp.

mons

Thanks Mons14.

Subject: 1st & 2nd REGT Casualty Medals Tue Jul 20, 2010 7:53 am

hi mons14.
Jason Askew is the artist and those I mentioned are in fact written into the work .
The soldier dead on the left is Meredith , 2nd from left lying down is Bloomfield , Griffith is standing above Bloomfield loading
his rifle and wearing the VC in the picture !!!. Nicholas is 2nd Soldier from the right in the Blue shirt with the spear through him .
And Young is pictured far right about to be Assegaid . No doubt some artistic licence but a great print none the less. I will endevour
to post a link where you may obtain it .

http://www.directart.co.uk/mall/more.php?ProdID=1170

cheers 90th.

Posts : 101 Join date : 2009-10-28

Hi 90th,

Thanks for the info regarding the print, and yes a little artistic licence, but still a fantastic image. I wonder why the artist chose to portray Pte's Nicholas and Meredith - what was his inspiration/reason?

Really appreciate you adding the link, as I will be purchasing the print.

Kind regards,

mons

Subject: 1st & 2nd REGT Casualty Medals Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:44 am

hi mons14.
Glad to have been of help , the site has many prints from the zulu war and all other wars .
cheers 90th.

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