Hi all,
Have recently been reading, ''Forgotten Heroes, Zulu and Basuto wars'', by Roy Dutton and in
doing so, saw a reference to a, Private Ashley Goatham from the 1/24th and listed KIA at Isandlwana.
It turns out that this guy was born just a few miles from where i live, in a village called, Bredgar, which
is just outside Sittingbourne in Kent. After a bit more digging, and a lengthy chat to my business partner
who happens to live in Bredger, i have since found out that the Goathams still reside in Bredgar and that
Private Ashley Goatham hasn't been forgotten by the residence of the village, in fact the village primary
school dedicated the whole of the 22nd of january 2009, in remembering their local hero, by dressing the
children up and talking about Ashley's life, here and in South Africa before and during the Zulu war.
I have also been lent a book on the history of Bredgar, in which it has a large section on Private Ashley
Goatham, including several letters written to his parents, brother and sisters. I will be visiting the village
church within the next couple of weeks, to see the memorial that the villagers erected after his death, so
will try and post some pictures.
I think its a credit to the villagers that they still make an effort to remember one of their own, so many
years after his death. Its just a shame that so many are forgotten from recent conflicts, let alone from
over 130yrs ago, so a big pat on the back for the residence of, Bredgar.
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