trooper CLARKE N.M.P - trooper PARSONS/ 21/01/1879

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

hi all,

In Donald MORRIS "The washing of the spears" you can read : " ... and a trooper in the NMP named PARSONS accidentally fired his revolver and was thrown when his horse shied. Young John CLARKE had just reached the camp (i.e Isandlwana) from a night vedette, but he was ordered to replace PARSONS, because his horse was so fresh".

This story is it true? (CLARKE initially wasn't with DARTNELL in the Mangeni area ?)

Thanks for help.

Regards

YMOB

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 27

Hi ymob

Here is is South Africa Medal

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Cheers

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi ymob,

In answer to your question. There were two troopers in the NMP at Isandlwana with the name Clark/e.
The one who was sent back to the camp was Tpr John Clark, he died in the battle.
The other was Tpr William Clarke who was in the Mangeni area with Dartnell and Chelmsford but spent the night in the wrecked camp after the battle. He was the NP/NMP historian and after finishing his career there joined a British military unit and saw further service in Russia in1918. He finally retired in 1919.

regards

barry

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

Were they related.

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

barry wrote:: Hi ymob,

In answer to your question. There were two troopers in the NMP at Isandlwana with the name Clark/e.
The one who was sent back to the camp was Tpr John Clark, he died in the battle.
The other was Tpr William Clarke who was in the Mangeni area with Dartnell and Chelmsford but spent the night in the wrecked camp after the battle. He was the NP/NMP historian and after finishing his career there joined a British military unit and saw further service in Russia. He finall retired in 1919.

regards

barry

[quote]

Hello Barry,

Thank you for your answer.

The man who was sent back to the camp after the incident with DARTNELL wasn't trooper PARSONS, indeed?

Tomorrow, I shall reaserch in my books who is the CLARK(e) (William ?) who had forgotten his spurs at Isandlwana (before the battle) and had spent the night in the wrecked camp after the battle (incident with MANSEL "robbing the dead" about trooper STIMSON).

Regards
YMOB

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi YMOB and CTSG,

No, there was no family relationship.

Correct , it was Tpr Will Clarke who was spurless and he tried to get a pair from Tpr Stimson NMP. Mansel reprimanded him for trying to doing this. It was also Mansel who refused to allow the NMP Troopers to free a bellowing ox which had survived the battle but was still tethered to a wagon wheel .
It eventually died in its tether.

barry

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

Quote :: It was also Mansel who refused to allow the NMP Troopers to free a bellowing ox which had survived the battle but was still tethered to a wagon wheel .
It eventually died in its tether.

Still trying to get me head around why Mansel done this. Any Ideas scratch

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi John,

No, I do not know what motivated Mansel to dissallow the freeing of a stresssing animal.
What I do know however is that Mansel continued to give problems in his service with the NMP/NP and was later "urged" by the PM of Natal to "move on". He did take over the commissionership from Col Dartnell of the force for a short while before his sudden demise. There was some suggestions that there were not enough sandwiches for the picnic.
The ertswhile Tpr William Clarke, then major, took over from him to become CC NP.
Of course the incident of the missing spurrs begs the next question. Would the same rules have applied if Tpr William Clarke had lost his carbine and ammunition and needed Tpr Stimsons ? Perhaps Tasker could give us a view of a current parrallel situation in the British Army.

regards

barry

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

barry wrote:: Hi YMOB and CTSG,

No, there was no family relationship.

Correct , it was Tpr Will Clarke who was spurless and he tried to get a pair from Tpr Stimson NMP. Mansel reprimanded him for trying to doing this. It was also Mansel who refused to allow the NMP Troopers to free a bellowing ox which had survived the battle but was still tethered to a wagon wheel .
It eventually died in its tether.

barry

[quote]

Hi Barry and DB 14

Thanks for all.
(DB: very interesting photographs, indeed!).

YMOB

Subject: Colonial Regt's in the zulu war Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:48 am

Hi Barry.
I hadnt heard of the Mansel incident with the ox till I read the post . Does seem strange that he wouldnt free it.
The only thing I can think of , he may have been worried it would have taken off and caused injuries to those
unlucky enough to have been in it's way !!. Shocked

.
cheers 90th. Idea

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi 90th,

Good to hear from you. I havn't managed to work that one out either. But judging from later writings of Sub Insp Clarke , Mansel was making "funny" decisions, inluding a very bad one where civilians were killed in the '06 rebellion. Following that, his tenure was a matter of weeks.

regards,

barry

» Private G Panter 3rd Grenadier Guard SAGS clasp 1879 and SAG 1879 to Trooper GW Jones NMP
» The Natal Mounted Police have almost been forgotten.
» Trooper J May served in Zulu and Basuto Wars, KIA at Hlobane 28 March 1879