Another one of those mystery photo.

Subject: Another one of those mystery photo. Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:35 am

Fairly sure they are holding. MH's with bayonet.

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Posts : 2581 Join date : 2009-04-24

Is the front rank a different regiment, from the men in the rear rank.

Posts : 527 Join date : 2009-02-28

Littlehand anymore details. This photo could have been taken just about anywhere.

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

I think you'll find it is a section of men from 2nd/21st at the time of the 1st Boer War, 1880-1, part of the Pretoria garrison and the building in the background is Fort Tullichewan. The cannon to the left is a 4-pounder Krupp's Rifled Breech-Loader, that was 'acquired' from the Transvaal Republic's Battery Dingaan at the time of the 'Confederation' of the Transvaal in 1877.

kwaJimu1879

Guest

kwaJimu, I had been looking at an image yesterday in Barthorp's The Zulu War, page 149, because I thought the building and terrain looked familiar in LH's photo. In the book, perhaps at a different angle is a fort with 2/21st men in two lines with sun helmets on. As the forts at the time probably all looked the same, I thought I might have been wrong. Then again, it could have been another fort garrisoned by 2/21st men.

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

Colin,

There are a couple of other 2nd/21st photographs in Barthorp which are actually 1st Boer War rather than Zulu War see pages: 54 & 91.

kwaJimu1879

Guest

I've had a look at the pages you mention. Page 54 Mounted Infantry, Page 91 Infantry with heliograph. Neither give captions confirming 2/21st. Do you have originals of these images that give details of who they actually are and date taken ?

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

Colin,

In both photographs the flaming grenade of the 21st is apparent on the helmets. The tell-tale rank chervons on both sleeves indicate Fusiliers; Light Infantry, Rifles or Highlanders - the last three can be discounted.

The signalling party photograph was reproduced as an engraving in 'The Graphic' and relates to the Siege of Pretoria. The 21st didn't have a mounted infantry section until 1880 in South Africa.

I don't have original copies of the photographs, but I have seen them.

Page 27, the Royal Engineers group, again 1st Boer War.

kwaJimu1879

Guest

kwaJimu, you've got good eyesight sir. Thanks for the detailed reply. A bit cheeky of Barthorp using Boer War photos in a Zulu War book Suspect

Although I do like the image of the Mounted Infantry on page 54, helping visualise what the group of I.M.I. looked like at Isandhlwana.