Extracting Information.

Posts : 629 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 42

“Method used during the Zulu War to gain information from prisoners", which was to take one prisoner aside and fire a revolver over his head and then to threaten the other prisoner that he too would be shot if he refused to co-operate.”

Would be interested in any recorded documentation on methods used to extract information from Zulu Prisoners.

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 40

Hi sas1. I'm quite new to the forum. Interesting topic.

In the film Zulu Dawn the Zulu commander order's several of his warriors to allow themselves be taken and tortured by the British Army, to enable them to give the British false information of the whereabouts of the main Zulu impi. Not sure if this was true.

Subject: extracting information Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:18 am

hi all .
I havent come across anything which gives any detail on how the British troops extracted info , An interesting topic
maybe generated here.
cheers 90th.

Subject: extacting Information Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:54 am

hi all .
A collegue has informed me that it isnt clear how they extracted information , but there is circumstantial evidence they
were ' Roughed up ' . The following is from Hamilton - Browne who could be and was a ruthless character , The following
is talking about Dartnell's Reco on the 21st Jan .
...all the kraals we passed contained only old men, women and children.
To a girl I returned some goats which one of my men had taken from her and, though Duncombe, questioned her as to the movements of all the men. She replied 'that they had all been ordered to join the King's big army.' We again asked 'where that was.' She pointed with her chin over to the N.E., at the same time saying, 'They would attack in two days' time.'...
In our next drive I captured two young men and questioned them. They had no goats to be given back, but there are more ways than one of extracting information.
They were led apart and well questioned. War is war and you can't play at savage war with kid gloves on. The information amounted to this. They had left the big army and come over to see their mother. We inquired, 'Where is the big army?' They pointed in the same direction the girl had done. 'When was the attack to take place?' They did not know, but the moon would be right in two days' time ...
cheers 90th.