The finding and burying of Col.Durnfords body

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

From Surgeon Longhusrt to Edward Durnford

On the morning of the 21st May, 1879, I marched with the K.D.Gds from our Camp at Rorke’s Drift to Isandhlwana, & when on the neck of the Hill Between the two Koppies we dismounted our horses & commenced to inspect the scene of the disaster which occurred about four months before. After having walked some considerable distance in the long Tambooki grass (leading my horse) among the dead, the first Officer’s body I saw was that of your Brother, wearing his scarlet vest under his coat & whilst looking at him & being struck with the well preserved condition of his features, Captain Shepstone of the Natal Carabineers came up to me with your Brother’s native Servant, the latter immediately indentifying the body as that of his late master. Capt S remarking to me “that is poor Durnford” & I replied “yes it is”. We then noticed & remarked what a stand his men had made to defend themselves, & the great number of Zulus which had fallen around them. Whilst we were conversing the native servant picked up the remnant of an old tent to lay your Brother’s body in, & before it was rolled round it, Capt S searched the Body & saw him distinctly take it two finger rings, a pocket knife with your brother’s name engraved on the metallic handle, also a packet of letters from his coat pocket. After the above were removed, the body was carefully placed in a large crack in the ground & stones laid over it, & part of a bullock yoke put at the head with the Colonel’s name scratched on it.

Cheers

Guest

And the ball he had in the heart, it was recovered?

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

Pascal MAHE wrote:: And the ball he had in the heart, it was recovered?

There is no report of a ball being found in his Heart, its just a rumour.

Longhurst was there the whole time and he doesn't mention it neither does any of the other burial party, he was killed by spear stabbs.

Cheers

Guest

Sorry, but given the state of the corpse, it's impossible to know this ...

Guest

There are no eyewitnesses to the death of Durnford !
And it was not decapitated either, this is not a Zulu custom...

Subject: The finding and burying of Durnford Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:50 pm

Hi Pascal .
Apparantly not Pascal , the body / bodies of some werent as badly mutilated or decayed as others . I'm sure this has been posted
previously , Durnford's body's decomposition wasnt at the advanced stage as compared to others . I'm certain someone gave a detailed description of what they found regarding Durnford and what state his body was in .
cheers 90th.

Subject: The finding and burying of Durnford Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:53 pm

Hi Pascal .
If you are to believe the reports from those who were at the battlefied you will read that Decapitations had indeed taken place !.
And many other what we would call atrocities .
cheers 90th.

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

its in his biography

Guest

Good evening or good morning Gary

Come on, four months later, in the countryside?

Subject: The finding and burying of Durnford Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:00 pm

Hi Pascal .
Yes , I'm sure there are reports that have been posted previously on the forum referring to this . And yes its morning 4.00 to be exact . !!!. :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: .
cheers 90th.

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

Captain Wardle, and the majority of the Carbineers were reconized in June, 6 months later.

Guest

Well good night Gary, in Brittany it is 06.04 pm

Guest

DB 14
And this is from where these differences, the officers keep better?

The officers would have been much easier to identify from their uniforms and their known positional dispositions. The enlisted men, not possible unless they were in possession of an identifying object.

Guest

Yeah say that this is still a social injustice ... Even in death ...

Gents we seemed to wandering of topic. The topic is: The finding and burying of Col.Durnfords body. Perhaps DB14 could bring us back on track.

Pascal Decapitation did take place at Isandlwana. Read witness accounts by the Zulu's.

Also Durford body was covered with a canvas sheet, thus helping to preserve if from the elements.

Guest

Deleted Off Topic.

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

I find this part very suspicious

also a packet of letters from his coat pocket.

For Captain Shepstone's always denied removing papers, but he did have 3 very good motives for doing so.

Cheers

Posts : 2357 Join date : 2011-09-12

Letters from Frances Colenso, I think you'll recall, which were returned to her.

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

Hi Julian

Wasn't that Gubbin's papers he took from Durnfords portmanteau ??

Cheers

Posts : 2357 Join date : 2011-09-12

Quite right! I stand corrected!