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Posts : 7083 Join date : 2009-04-24 Age : 52 Location : Down South.
Subject: Capt Duncombe NNC Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:54 pm
Ymod posted a name Capt Duncombe, is there any information on him. Been looking but struggling
1879graves
Posts : 3097 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon
Subject: Re: Capt Duncombe NNC Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:05 pm
Hi Littlehand
George Hamilton-Browne's entry. He claims that when British soldiers first crossed into Zululand on the 11th of January, 1879, a Zulu warrior called out something like 'Why do you come to the land of the Zulu?', Hamilton-Browne claims that his interpreter, one Captain R Duncombe shouted back: 'By the orders of the Great White Queen!'.
90th
Posts : 10194 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 64 Location : Melbourne, Australia
Subject: Capt Duncombe NNC Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:09 pm
Hi all . There is a LT .R . Dunscombe KIA Hlobane it may be the same person ? . Pressed for time at the moment . cheers 90th.
90th
Posts : 10194 Join date : 2009-04-07 Age : 64 Location : Melbourne, Australia
Subject: Capt Duncombe NNC Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:12 pm
Hi all. On further investigation looking through ' For God , Queen and Colony ' by Terry Sole . Lt. R. Duncombe , Formerly West Yorkshire Militia . Killed at Devil's Pass . The Following appeared in the press . ' Duncombe . Our volunteers who were cut off at Zlobane fought desperately with their savage foes before submitting to their fate , poor Duncombe was heard to say '' I see the impossibility to escape , but will make the zulu's pay as dearly as I can for my life '' and was soon to shoot before he fell under the assegai's . Duncombe's Name does not appear on the Medal Roll .
Looking through ' Blood On The Painted Mountain ' by Ron Lock , Lt . R . Duncombe is referred to as Dunscombe !!!. So as I'm pressed for time I'm confused !!!!!. Also quoted as Dunscombe in ' They Fell Like Stones ' by John Young . cheers 90th.
24th
Posts : 1851 Join date : 2009-03-25
Subject: Re: Capt Duncombe NNC Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:19 am
Any reason why he is not on the medal roll.
old historian2
Posts : 1095 Join date : 2009-01-14 Location : East London
There were two Duncombe's, Captain Robert Duncombe of the NNC who died in Queenstown in 1898. He was the chap that gave the response 'By order of the Great White Queen' and later served as a Captain with Lonsdale's Horse.
The other chap was 'James Bemister Duncombe' of Woods Irregulars who is often referred to as 'R. Duncombe' or as 'Ronald Duncombe' and was killed at Hlobane. There's much confusion over these men due to the newspapers getting them mixed up. James was a former Kimberley Hotel Manager and was working on the Lydenburg Gold Fields when the war broke out after loosing his business on the Diamond Fields. He also spent some time in Durban as he owned a small yacht there as well. A correspondent wrote in 'The Diamond News' that J. Duncombe formerly of Kimberley was with him at Hlobane and further recorded that Duncombe was completely excausted and stated 'I can go no farther. I will fight as long as I can and sell my life dearly'. These guy's I believe are brothers as Robert's mother was Charlotte Bemister Duncombe.
Cam.
1879graves
Posts : 3097 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon
Subject: Re: Capt Duncombe NNC Sun Jul 26, 2015 9:37 am
What I can't confirm is that J.B.Duncombe was supposedly an ex West York Militiaman. I cannot locate him the London Gazzette, so if true was probably serving in the ranks.
ymob
Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France