LIST of Officers and Men killed in action at the Camp, Isandhlwana Hill, Zululand, on the 22nd January, 1879.

Taken from Northeast Medals.

Beckett, Wm. 135 ( Died of wounds received at Rorke's Drift see despatch.) Obviously wounds received at Rorkes Drift before the Battle. As he was killed at Isandlwana. (Anyone know what happened)


23rd January, at Rorke's Drift.
WOUNDED.
Private Beckett, 1st Battalion 24th Foot, since dead. Why is he on the Isandlwana list...

Private J. Waters, 1st Battalion 24th Foot
Sergeant T. Williamson, 2nd Battalion 24th Foot
Corporal J. Lyons, 2nd Battalion 24th Foot.
Corporal W. Allon, 2nd Battalion 24th Foot.
Private Hitch, 2nd Battalion 24th Foot.
Private Jones, 2nd Battalion 24th Foot.
Private Scammen, N.N.C.
Private F. Seliess, N.N.C.

135 Private BECKETT William, Dangerously wounded - assegai penetrating abdomen. DIED 23/1/1879.

Thanks CTSG. But why is he listed on the Isandlwana list of those killed.

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Hi Littlehand

He says the following "Beckett, Wm. 135 ( Died of wounds received at Rorke's Drift see despatch.)"

I am unable to find the Despatch

This is what I have on Beckett.

He was in the hospital, in the same room as Adams, Hayden & Horrigan. After running out through a door (he thought it would be a short cut to the perimeter) he was stabbed in the back by a Zulu, but his momentum carried him forward and he collapsed into a ditch, the Zulus did not pursue him, but he was bleeding badly, during the night he was curled up in the ditch with his abdomen saturated in his own blood, and he had lost consciousness, he was found alive next morning but he had lost so much blood, and he died later that day. Doctor Reynolds did all he could to save him.

Hi Graves.

I have seen that; just don't know why he would be on the Isandlwana list. Possibly a miss-print.

Hi Liitlehand

I have found why he has posted Beckett under Isandlwana killed

The sources was the London Gazette 15/03/1879

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Zulu medal with clasp: 1877-8-9 named to No. 135. PTE. W. BECKETT. 1/24th FOOT.

Private William Beckett attested at Manchester in April 1874 at the age of eighteen. Initially posted to the 2nd Battalion, he transferred to the 1st towards the end of the year. He first saw action in South Africa when with reinforcements for Komgha in 1877, but by 22 January, 1879, he was in hospital at Rorke's Drift. Private J. Waters, also of the 1st Bn., and a special orderly in the hospital, recounted the events of that night in The Cambrian (13thy June, 1879):

"...Between half past four and five, as near as I can remember, the Zulus came over the hill and I saw about fifty of them form a line in skirmishing orders... They came about twenty yards, and then opened fire on the hospital. Some of them came in and set fire to it. While I was there I took refuge in a cupboard, and Private Beckett, an invalid, came with me. As they were going out I killed many of them, and as I could not stay there long, the place being suffocating, I put on a black cloak which I found in the cupboard, and which must have belonged to Mr. Witt (a Reverend who whose mission was based at Rorke's Drift), and ran out in the long grass and lay down. The Zulus must have thought I was one of their dead comrades, as they were all round about me, and some trod on me. Beckett had gone out half an hour before me, and he, poor fellow, was assegaied right through his stomach, and went into laager the next morning. Dr. Reynolds did all he could to save him, but did not succeed... Poor Beckett was buried next morning properly. Round the hospital dead Zulus were piled high."

Major J.R.M. Chard, V.C., also described Beckett's fate in his account written at the request of Queen Victoria:

"Private Beckett...was badly wounded with assegais in running through the enemy. He managed to get away and conceal himself in the ditch of the Garden, where we found him next morning. The poor fellow was so weak from loss of blood that he could not walk, and he died shortly thereafter."

Private William Beckett is commemorated on the monument at Rorke's Drift and his effects were claimed by his relatives.

Condition: VF.

Pte. W. Beckett was one of four men from the 1/24th Killed in Action at Rorke's Drift.

Hi Littlehand .
Most certainly a miss-print or typo , I have checked ' They fell Like Stones ' by J. Young , England's Sons by J. Whybra
Beckett WM 135 IS NOT on their casualty lists for Isandlwana . Also Tavender has Beckett KIA R.Drift . So whoever compiled
the list that Nth East Medals is using has made an error .
cheers 90th.

Hi All

This is not a miss-print, typo or an error. What Northeastmedals is stating is the following

This is a composite roll with the basic layout of the despatch published LG15/3/79 amended with reference to the medal roll.

"Wm.Beckett, from the London Gazette and the from the medal roll 135 ( Died of wounds received at Rorke's Drift see despatch.)"

I hope this makes sence

So they first thought Becket was KIA at Isandlwana. Would have been better to take his name off all together when they found out he wasn't. . His names on the RD. List. anyway