The unveiling of a monument at Stangar in 1964

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"99th Regiment - Black and white photos of the unveiling of a monument at Stangar in 1964 to four people, some of them possibly from the Battalion, who died in Herwn and Stangar Hospitals in 1879 during the Zulu wars in South Africa."

Person(s): Mason, C E, Lieutenant; Thirkell, J, Lieutenant;Woods, A A, Surgeon; Gough, the N N C, Hon;
Source: Wardrobe.

Hi All .
Three out of four wasnt to bad . :lol: . Captain The Hon . H. Gough hasnt been posted previously so the following is his bio
from Mackinnon & Shadbolt ....... Capt The Hon H Rodolph Gough , who died in the military hospital at Herwen 19 / 4 / 79 , was the third son of the right honourable Viscount Gough , of Lough Cutra Castle , county Galway , and a grandson of the hero of Goojerat . He was born in Ireland 11 / 1 / 1856 and was educated for the army . A commission in the Coldstream Guards being given him by Sir William Codrington , he entered that Regt in 1875 , and served with it until the latter end of 1878 .On preparations being hastened forward at that time with a view to the impending invasion of Zululand , he embarked for Sth Africa ,
and reaching Capetown early in Dec , at once proceeded to Natal . Shortly after arriving there , he was offered by Commandant
Nettleton a Captains Commission in the 2nd Regt NNC - a corps recently raised by that gallant officer in the Cape Colony , and destined to form part of Pearson's column of the army of invasion , then in course of formation at the Lower Tugela Drift .
He at once accepted the offer , and joining the 2nd Btn of the regiment at Durban on the day of its disembarkation , proceeded
with it in its march to the frontier . Capt Gough took part in the advance of the column , in Jan , 1879 , into the enemy's country ,
and was present at the battle of Inyezane on the morning of the 22 / 1 / 79 , and the subsequent occupation at Eshowe . When news of the disaster at Isandlwana reached the garrison on the 28th Jan , the entrenchments were far advanced ; they were , however , of but limited extent . , being only intended for 1,000 infantry , and there being consequently , no space either for the mounted troops or the two battalions of the 2nd NNC , they were ordered back to the Tugela at an hours notice . The country was of the roughest description the distance to be covered was 40 miles , and the probability of an attack being made by an overwhelming force of the enemy , considerable . It is perhaps worthy of record that Gough with characteristic generosity , gave up his horse on the way to non - commissioned officers , marching more than half the distance . The journey was accomplished in less than 15 hrs , the little force reaching the Tugela at 2.30 am on the 29th . In Feb , Gough , having pressing business to transact , obtained a 6 day leave of absence while the regt was being reorganised , and proceeded to Durban ; there he fell ill ,
and was laid up for several weeks . Before he should have left his bed he was met in Durban , and remonstrated with , by General Lord Chelmesford , who , arriving at Stanger shortly afterwards , informed Commandant Nettleton that '' young Gough was going about to early '' . Nettleton immediately wrote to him , telling him not to think of rejoining the regt until his strength was restored , and shortly afterwards bade him to follow the advice of the medical officers and go to Pinetown to recruit . At that time preparations for the departure of the force destined for the relief of Eshowe were being rapidly pushed forward .

The column commenced its advance on the 29th March , and reached the Inyone River on the evening of the same day . To the astonishment of their commanding officer , Gough , Davis ( who had also been sick at Durban ) , and Dawnay arrived at the camp at dusk , having ridden through from Durban - a distance of 82 miles - in less than two days . Gough who had suffered badly ' en route ' was not allowed to take duty , much as he desired to . On 31st March he was again severely attacked with Dysentery , and at the insistance of his commanding officer was ordered to take to one of the wagons ; there he remained until the column reached Ginghilovo stream , all that was possible to be done for his comfort being done . On the morning of the battle which ensued at the position taken up by the column - the 2nd April - it so happened his company was , with part of the 91st Highlanders , close to the wagon in which he was sheltered . '' The moment the alarm sounded '' wrote Nettleton , in a letter to Viscount Gough bearing date June 15th , '' the poor fellow , weak as he was , staggered out and took command of the company .
I need not say how he behaved , but I was astonished to learn after the action that he had actually led his men over the shelter - trench , when the cheer was started and the charge sounded . My own post was some hundred yds to the right of the ground covered by his Co , so that until the action was over and the regt returned from pursuit , I had not the least notion that he had even left the wagon . '' . The excitement and exertion proved to much for his enfeebled frame , and utter collapse followed . He was moved in the first week in April , with the sick and wounded to the Lower Tugela , and thence to the base hospital at Herwen ,
some 12 miles inland ; there he grew worse and worse , and in spite of tender nursing and the solicitous care of Surgeon - Major
Dudley , the Medical officer who attented him , he died 19th April . '' Throughout the force , '' wrote Nettleton in his letter to Viscount Gough , '' All who knew my late friend felt most forcibly that they had lost a right good fellow and pleasant companion , whilst the service had lost a splendid soldier . That was the universal opinion . He was more than true to the soldierly instincts of his race . I never met a man so wedded to the army service , and had his sad fate been a different one , he must have made his mark during this campaign , which affords such scope for dash and gallantry .'' ; Capt Gough's remains were interred in the cemetery at Stanger , a spot where those of many of his comrades had already found a last resting - place .