Coghill's injured knee

Posts : 1093 Join date : 2009-01-14 Location : East London

Is there a definite answer to how Coghill injured his knee? The Injury kept him at Isandlwana, when he should have been with Chelmsford column. Had he injured his Knee at Isandlwana or before they arrived.

The reason I’m asking this, if he had injured his knee before Isandlwana surly he would have remained at Rorke’s Drift to recover. And if injured while at Isandlwana should he not have returned to Rorke’s Drift.

Posts : 527 Join date : 2009-02-28

I believe his injury was sustained while playing football some years prior to Isandlwana.
It is thought that he aggravated the injury whilst trying to catch a fowl for the Generals dinner.

Posts : 3380 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Old H
The following is from a book called
The family of Coghill. 1377 to 1879. With some sketches of their maternal ancestors, the Slingsbys, of Scriven Hall. 1135 to 1879 (1879)

THE FAMILY OF COGHILL.
The following: sketch of Lieutenant Coo-hill was at our
request sent to us by a member of his family : —
Lieut. Nevill Josiah Aylmer Coghill was born in Dublin, January
25, 1852, and wanted but two days to be twenty-seven years old when
he met his death. He was educated at Hailebury College, in Hertfordshire,
England, and passed his examination for the army and received
his commission in 1873. He went through the Gaika and Gallka war
in 1877 as aide-de-camp to General Sir Arthur Cunnynghame, Bart., and
was mentioned by him in dispatches for efficiency and coolness under
fire. In the spring of 1878 he returned with that general to England,
but went out again almost immediately, and on his arrival at the Cape
was appointed aide-de-camp to the Lord High Commissioner, Sir Bartle
Frere, Bart., and accompanied him to the Transvaal. Upon the declaration
of war against the Zulus, at his own request, he was allowed to
go to the front as extra aide-de-camp to Colonel Glyn, commanding the
column.
A few days before the battle of Isandula he unfortunately twisted his
knee, which he had injured some years before at foot-ball, so that when
Lord Chelmsford marched out of camp on the 22d January, he was
obliged to remain behind.

Subject: Re: Coghill's injured knee Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:05 pm

Here is another account regarding Coghill Knee. Which is account from Coghills diary.

By Doreen Barfield
Revised and edited by Major R.J. Southey, ED.

According to Lieut. Coghill's diary, miraculously recovered on the battlefield after the carnage was over, and quoted by his nephew Sir Patrick Coghill in his memoir "Whom the Gods Love", he had injured his knee when on reconnaissance with Lord Chelmsford the previous afternoon. After a hasty lunch, the General had set out with a few mounted men to see for himself if enemy elements were concentrating in the vicinity of the newly-established camp. It was on the way back that the high-spirited Coghill chased some fowls in a deserted kraal, and in trying to capture them put his knee out. (This did not happen after the sacking of Sihayo's kraal during the previous week, as has been incorrectly stated elsewhere.) It was this injury which kept him in camp on the day of the fatal Zulu attack, for though he could manage to ride, he was unable to walk, and so did not accompany Lord Chelmsford on his second reconnaissance, this time in force, which included Colonel Glyn, the Column Commander, to whom Coghill had been extra-Regimentally appointed as Orderly Officer.

By Doreen Barfield
Revised and edited by Major R.J. Southey, ED.

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

Greaves Isandlwana says that Coghill was speared in the knee by Pat Dally, but gives
no source.

Anyone know if this is true ?

Cheers

Subject: Coghills injured knee Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:55 pm

Hi DB .
Along with the chicken story ; I also have read this somewhere but for the life of me dont ask me where !!!!!!.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: You need to study mo

cheers 90th. Salute

Subject: Re: Coghill's injured knee Sat Apr 28, 2012 2:11 pm

"Coghill had seriously injured his knee in a Zulu village while trying to catch a fowl for supper. The sprain was so bad that he could not mount a horse unassisted"

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