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1362 Pte Frederick Hitch VC. Died 13th Jan 1913, Buried St Nicholas Churchyard, Old Chiswick. His death occurred unexpectedly on January 7, 1913, at his home in Cranbrook Road, Chiswick, following an attack of pneumonia. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
SURGICAL EXPERIENCES OF THE ZULU WAR.
1362 PRIVATE FRED HITCH 2/24TH , was hit at rorkes drift in the right shoulder, the bullet entered near the base of the scapula, having been fired from the hills opposite to which he was fighting. The bullet made its exit over the bicipital groove in the humerus. There was great swelling of the whole shoulder when seen by me on the 26th and also ecchymosis. the tract of the wound was sloughing. poultices and cold water sufficed to allay this, and the case did well.
Article provide by forum member 90th
Last edited by ADMIN on Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:28 pm; edited 3 times in total
"Frederick Hitch was born a shoemaker's son In Southgate, a hamlet to the north of London It was eighteen fifty-six on a November day Born to a large Victorian family as was the way
Fred didn't wish to follow in his father's trade So as a builders laborer his way was made But when he was barely twenty years of age He was finding it tough to earn a decent wage
So to petty crime as extra income he sought But he soon found himself up before the court To the judge he pleaded guilty for his crime His sentence join the army or serve prison time
A Victorian prison was the harshest punishment So as hobsons choice he chose to join a regiment Two days later private Frederick Hitch was put In the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment of Foot
Very soon they were on their way to South Africa And they all set sail on the Troopship Himalaya Reaching Simon's Bay and East London town They were sent on trains to King William's Town
This was known locally as "White Man's Grave". The regiment marched from here for several days To find the Galekas and the rebellion crush Soon they skirmished in the dense Petrie Brush
There were further battles on that day before Chief Sandili was defeated in the last, Kaffir War. For several months stationed at Mount Kempt There were few things, for a young man to temp
It was a tough way of life to earn a penny a day But Fred still sent some home to mother anyway By this time the Zulu nation had reached its peak No other African tribes had any strength to speak
Only the "red soldiers could ever be a threat And soon the 24th foot would there orders get Lord Chelmsford led the army to the other side To wage a war across the buffalo river wide
Defeat at Isandhlwana and Chelmsfords shame Then too Rorkes Drift the victorious Zulu's came At the drift a hospital and Swedish mission stood To be defended by only a few if they could
Less than one hundred and fifty made the stand To fight the Zulu impi of more than four thousand Young private Frederick Hitch was one such man Who with his comrades stood fast and never ran
Fred was ordered to the roof to act as a lookout Firing the first three shots at the enemy without During the fray comrade's fell to left and right As wave upon wave of warriors came to fight
Private hitch was shot through his shoulder blade And a comrade helped him as his dressing made Doing his best to help his soldier brothers He then began serving ammunition to the others
Then exhaustion washed over him like a flood And finally he collapsed from loss of blood He awoke confused finding himself in a stable With victory won and awaiting the surgeon table
After Durban hospital care neath the southern star, He was finally sent home aboard the ship Tamar He was at Netley Hospital on his return to England His Victoria Cross was given by Victoria's own hand
But yesterdays hero was tomorrows unemployed A medical boards decision Fred could not avoid Unfit for duty and discharged from his regiment With his medal and a pension he had to be content
In July of eighteen eighty one he married Emily They move to Portchester Square to raise a family Working at the Imperial Institute as Commissionaire His V.C. was stolen while his tunic hung on a chair
After twenty years and just as many occupations Fred with his family growing changed vocations He invested in a hackney carriage and horse Then a little later he owned a motor car of course
Fred finally received his replacement Victoria Cross Three pounds, seven shillings and sixpence the cost Only the second person ever to receive a duplicate But the first to be charged a fee even to this date
On January 5th 1913 Fred Hitch died in his sleep Leaving behind eight children and a wife to weep At his funeral his coffin on gun carriage borne With dignity and reverence the people mourn
Thousands came despite the cold and the biting rain To say goodbye to the hero and remember him again The gun carriage was flanked by Army outriders Fred's cab came next manually pulled by taxi drivers
A boy scouts troop and the Chiswick firefighters And a firing party from the South Wales Borderers Two thousand cab drivers bringing up the rear Respects and Tributes to pay from far and near
A memorial was erected to mark Fred's Grave At Chiswick cemetery befitting a soldier brave On top of granite block some seven-foot in height The Union Jack carved with a sun helmet in site
The helmet bears the badge of Hitch's old regiment Finally in bronze the cross and palm leaf represent After more than eighty five years of standing sentinel The magnificent monument fell victim to a criminal
The memorial found vandalized when visitors went Even the sun helmet stolen that adorned the monument Also years had left stonework lackluster on the edifice And the once bright bronze work tainted by verdigris
Thanks to Chiswick Council and the British Legion The monument restored and fit for rededication In Nineteen ninety nine on Rorkes Drifts day of glory The gathered crowd remembers the Fred Hitch story"
ADMIN
Posts : 4167 Join date : 2008-11-01 Age : 61 Location : KENT
Subject: Re: 1362 Pte Frederick Hitch VC. Thu Nov 23, 2017 7:27 pm
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Pte. F. Hitch VC 'B' Coy 2nd Btn 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, present at the Defence of Rorke's Drift - Memorial VC Plaque (Hounslow)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Pte. F. Hitch VC 'B' Coy 2nd Btn 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, wounded at the Defence of Rorke's Drift - Victoria Cross Memorial (Union Jack Club, London)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Pte. F. Hitch VC 'B' Coy 2nd Btn 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, wounded at the Defence of Rorke's Drift (Chiswick)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Pte. F. Hitch VC 'B' Coy 2nd Btn 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, wounded at the Defence of Rorke's Drift - Memorial Plaque (Chiswick)