Location of dead at isandLwhana

Posts : 12 Join date : 2011-09-25

I am interested in any reference sources regarding location of the dead at isandlwhana especially key figures such as Pulleine. This info must say so much about the climax of the battle. Was it ever mapped?

Any thoughts welcome.

Subject: Re: Location of dead at isandLwhana Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:42 am

Tomozulu
In March 1883 Alfred Boast was tasked with cleaning up the battlefield. He spent a month on the battlefield collecting bones and intering them into, I think close to 300 cairns. Each cairn held 4-6 bodies. His team walked the battlefield and filled bags with bones when the bag was full a cairn was built. Thats why the positions of the cairns do not indicate an exact position where a soldier died but only an approximate location. He mapped the cairn positions, there is a map on this forum.
In terms of Pullein there is no suving record of his burial point. There were sightings of his body, Hamilton Brown and Glynn were two such instances. Its generally held his final resting place was between trhe tents and the mountain around half way between the 2/24 lines and the saddle. That Im afraid is as close as your going to get. Again there wa a discussion not to long ago on this topic. Take a wander through the archives there is a rather good discussion on this very point.
Hope that helps

Regards

Subject: Re: Location of dead at isandLwhana Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:31 pm

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Posts : 12 Join date : 2011-09-25

Many thanks. Most helpful.

I also wondered about accounts of the evening back at Isandlwhana. They seem very thin on the ground. Clearly key personnel were not identified at this point. I guess there was a haste to get away from there ASAP.

Looking forward to scanning the discussion boards as a newcomer to this forum.

Posts : 1998 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 23

Hi Tomozulu,
If u want to learn about the posistions of the dead at Isandlwana then i would recomend How can men die
better my Mike Snook. Apart from Snooks opinion of Colonel Durnford the book is amazingly wrote and
containes a section at the back as to where most the bodies where found.

Regards DB14 Idea

Posts : 12 Join date : 2011-09-25

Many thanks. I have read this book and really enjoyed it. I will check the references once again.

Guest

Quote :: I am interested in any reference sources regarding location of the dead at isandlwhana especially key figures such as Pulleine. This info must say so much about the climax of the battle. Was it ever mapped?

As far as I'm aware, the only person who had claimed to have seen "Pulleine's" body was Brown. It is very unlikely that the exact location will ever be known.

Posts : 12 Join date : 2011-09-25

Do you have a quote or source for Brown's reference. Thanks

Subject: Re: Location of dead at isandLwhana Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:06 am

Hi Elizabeth
Im a few thousand miles from by books at present but I do recall a mention by Glyn on Pulleines body.

regards

Subject: Location Of Dead At Isandlwana Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:23 am

Hi Tomozulu.
( Maori ) Hamilton - Browne mentions it in his book . ' A Lost Legionary In South Africa ' . I have posted these references
on the Forum Previously but not sure where although I would guess it's in the ' General Discussion Area ' . There was a thread
posted previously about the whereabouts or sighting of Pullein's body. Fairly positive one of the Colonials also mentions seeing
Pullein's body but cant remember whether he's NMP or N Carbineer . Hopefully someone may come across it .
cheers 90th. Idea

Subject: Re: Location of dead at isandLwhana Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:31 pm

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Source: A lost legionary in South Africa