Martini-Henry training for dismounted combat.

Subject: Martini-Henry training for dismounted combat. Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:59 pm

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Hi Littlehand.
Not 100 % sure its a MH in the picture , it also looks like a Colonial Trooper ( was there a caption to the picture ) and from
where or which publication is it from ? .
cheers 90th Idea

Posts : 10 Join date : 2011-10-21

It does look like the MH carbine , I have one on my wall !

Guest

LH, great photograph. It does look like an MH carbine and I thought he looked like a trooper in the Natal Carbineers.

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

He's a Trooper in the 17th Lancers, circa 1890's, the photograph originally appeared in a magazine entitled 'Navy & Army Illustrated'.

Just discovered the original publication names him as Rough-Riding Corporal Long.

kwaJimu1879

Guest

That does explain the MH carbine, as the Natal Carbineers were never issued them. Unless after the Zulu War 1879 ? This is a very interesting photo showing how well the horses must have been trained to the noise of gunfire to be used in such a way, hopefully without moving. I wonder if this method was also used by the likes of the I.M.I., N.C., N.M.P., B.B.G. as well as the men in the Buller's Colonial Irregular units ? I've seen something similar in U.S. Cavalry training.

Guest

I've finally found an image in my book on U.S. Cavalry training - 'Trapdoor Springfield' by Waite & Ernst, page 47. It shows a few troopers, in a well-spaced circle, using the same technique shown in LH's image, kneeling and firing carbines over their horses lying on the ground, 'conditioning horses to gunfire noise under simulated combat conditions'.

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