Pioneers of the Natal Native Contingent.

Guest

Hello all ...

But what kinds of firearms equipped the pioneers of the Natal Native Contingent ?

They changed theirs uniforms ,weapons or equipment during the war ?

Cheers

Pascal

Guest

Deleted. Unnecessary comment!!

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

Pascal,

There is a wonderful photograph of Corporal Umdayi, of No. 3 Company, Natal Native Pioneers, which appears on page 128 of "The Zulu War and the Colony of Natal" published in 1979.

The photograph shows the corporal in uniform. The tunic is based on a Sapper's uniform of the period, but it has had the collar removed. He wear a pillbox hat again based on a Sapper's headgear of the period. The tunic is buckled with a dark leather belt with a metal buckle, rather than a military style belt. He wears white trousers that extend below his knees. An illustration based on the photo appears Ian Castle's "Zulu War - Volunteers, Irregulars & Auxiliaries" published by Osprey in 2003.

As to weapons he is armed with a Swinburn-Henry rifle.

'Jim

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

Pascal click on link. See images from books below from left top row 4th book along.

http://www.antiquarianauctions.com/lots/the-zulu-war-and-the-colony-of-natal

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

Guest

Bravo and thanks kwajimu1879 and Chard1879

So it is likely that they had the oldest British coat (as the 99th Foot) and they had removed their collars after Castle and Ruggeri and had kept their collars, after the photos ...

Unless this is an eccentric corporal or this photo does not date from before the first invasion, but from after the the reorganization of the infantry of the NNC for gingindlovu ...

The NNC infantry possed also sometimes MH, for the first invasion, but not the pioneers who have carbines ...

It should be known that the invasion is what this picture and find other, because there seems to sacred differences between what was done before each invasion as for the NNC infantry ...

Cheers

Pascal

Subject: Pioneers Of The Natal Native Cont. Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:04 am

Hi Rascal.
Not much detail , but here is part of a letter written by Lt Col A.Durnford to his mother not long before the Invasion .
'' also 300 pioneers , natives , dressed in Royal Engineer Caps , Red Tunics , and White Knickerbockers , each
man carrying a tool slung , and Rifle and Bayonet ''.

cheers 90th.

Guest

Hi Last specimen of your species ,the"marsupials hominids" :p;:

Thank you to you and very well, but what types of guns ?

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

Subject: Pioneers of the NNC . Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:46 am

Rascal .
Kwajimu has previously posted that they used Swinburn - Henry's .
90th

Guest

I know that Marsupial , but there are so many different versions ...

Now if all the informations are correct, they are registered on the forum ...

And the day I began making my figures for the NNC and NNPC, I more than any reread from the beginning ...

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

Subject: Re: Pioneers of the Natal Native Contingent. Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:02 am

90th :p;:

Guest

Yes Marsupial ,Our research is a good start to better apprehend the exact uniformology of theZulu War ...

Normal is a team work ...

Thanks to this forum, I could do things that we will never commercially ...

For now, to wash my brain of the history of the colonial war in South Africa , I am with my plains Indian...

But you will see that the day I'll take care of men of the NNC and NNPC, all that good guys like you we could post on the forum and I will be much more valuable than any other documentation that can be found commercially ...

I started all this, at the time when I came on this forum and when I finish in a few years, I would put it all on the forum, if I have the courage to take pictures ... (it will absolutely, when this is the moment that I am a volunteer for photography, because I hate taking pictures for computer ect ...)

In the meantime, any forum member who stayed in Brittany is welcome in my house, to pass the review, but I'll check before his Identifiy with Pete, because I do not have time to waste with mutt people ...

Cheers

Pascal the Rascal

» Looking for Information. Natal Native Pioneers
» Natal Native Contingent at Gingindlovu .
» Natal Native Contingent
» Natal Native Contingent photograph
» Lt. Thompson, Natal Native Contingent