Ignominious endings for heroes.

25B/1176 Private Thomas Lockhart B Company 2/24th and defender of Rorkes Drift

Following an examination by an invaliding board at Colchester on 30/1/82 his epilepsy was found to be of a permanent nature, being introduced by an injury to the head received at the hands of soldiers from the Colchester Garrison who waylaid and maliciously ill treated him without provocation and notice. It was considered that his disability would very seriously interfere with his powers of supporting himself. He was found unfit for future service and discharged on 6/2/82.
24 years old and a hero but dumped without means of support.

Sad really

Cheers

25B/ 1497 Private lohn Wall B Company 2/24th and Defender of Rorkes Drift

At a medical examination in Netley on 25/11/81 he was found to be insane as a result of intemperance and discharged on the 27/12/81 and committed to a Lunatic Asylum in Barming Heath Maidstone Kent.

Literally drank himself to death, Possibly Post traumatic Stress?

25B/1181 Private William Camp B Company 2/24th and a defender of Rorkes Drift
Suffered from melancholy and aggravated by 'self abuse'. At Netley on the 25/11/81 his illness was found to be permanent and so was declared insane and discharged as being unfit for service.

More PTS ?

Here's another one....
25B/104 Private Henry Turner 1/24th
Discharged 'unfit' in May 1880, having been hit on the head by a bottle whilst on piquet duty four years earlier. This resulted in repeated epileptic seizures
Turner later found employment as a labourer on a farm in Surrey. Early one morning in May 1883, and whilst working alone in a field, he suffered from an epileptic seizure and collapsed. He was not discovered until late evening when the farm bailiff came out to look for him, but by then it was too late to help him. Cause of death was 'congestion of the lungs'

Although Thomas Lockhart's army career ended abruptly in 1882 he lived on until the ripe old age of 85 before his death in South Africa in June 1943. He also saw service with the Corps of Cattle Rangers during the Anglo-Boer War.

"Henry Hook was the son of a farm worker. He joined the Army in 1877 and was sent to South Africa. On 22 January 1879 he was in camp at Rorke's Drift when it was attacked by a large force of Zulu warriors in one of the major battles of the Zulu War. Hook and a number of other soldiers defended the army hospital and its patients with great courage for several hours. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award given to members of the British armed forces for bravery in action.

Hook bought himself out of the army and returned to England. By 1881 he was working as a casual labourer at The British Museum. He wanted to be taken onto the permanent staff, and was recommended by his former commanding officer and by the Prince of Wales, but he could not be accepted at once because he was illiterate. The notes about him in this envelope were made by Museum officials. However, he taught himself to read and write, and in December 1881 he joined the staff of the Museum as one of the Library Dusters. Later he became one of the Museum's cloakroom attendants.

Hook's health was permanently damaged by his years in the Army, and from the 1890s he suffered from 'consumption' (tuberculosis). At the end of 1904 his illness forced him to retire from work. He went to live in Gloucestershire, near to his birthplace, and died there in March 1905."

"Fred Hitch joined the army in 1877, giving his trade as a bricklayer's labourer. He was severely wounded at Rorke's Drift with a bullet wound in the right shoulder. He was sent home to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley, near Southampton. It was here that he received his Victoria Cross from Queen Victoria on 12th August 1879. Shortly after this he was invalided out of the army.  Whilst working as a commissionaire at the Royal United Services Institute, his VC was stolen from his coat and a replacement was awarded to him in 1908. After this he became a cab driver in London and the 'Fred Hitch Gallantry Award' for cab drivers is still presented today. He lived at 62 Cranbrook Road, Chiswick and died there of pleuro-pneumonia and heart failure in 1913"

I know of a member of the Natal Mounted Police who was so disturbed by what he saw on the Isandlwana battlefield that he had what I would call a 'nervous breakdown'. He returned to Britain where he spent the rest of his life in an insane asylum. A descendant family member wrote up his story, but I do not know if it has appeared in the public domain.

Brett

And the curious case of 2/24 /1812 Private William Tasker. On the 31/1/85 he was discharged prematurely 'for the benefit of the Public Service.'

Brett it would be interesting to read the account, do you have access to the family?

Regards

I do, Springbok. I will have to search for the correspondence and I will pm you the contact details.

Regards
Brett

Hi Brett
If it isnt to much to ask , I , also would like the information you have on that individual ?
Cheers 90th

Brett Hendey wrote:

I know of a member of the Natal Mounted Police who was so disturbed by what he saw on the Isandlwana battlefield that he had what I would call a  'nervous breakdown'.  He returned to Britain where he spent the rest of his life in an insane asylum.  A descendant family member wrote up his story, but I do not know if it has appeared in the public domain.

Brett

Hello,

The member of the NMP was James WALKER. ("Zulu Rising" p. 466 / interview between Ian Knight and Tim Coghlan a relative of James Walher).
Regard

I did not want to reveal Tim Coghlan's identity on a public forum without his permission. I contacted him yesterday and he is happy to have James Walker's sad story made public - as it already has been told, as ymob has pointed out. Perhaps the story can yet be retold on this forum.

In the meantime, I will pm Tim's e-mail address to Springbok and 90th.

Regards
Brett

Brett thanks for that, I have written to Tim and asked that I be allowed to write an article and post on the forum, hopefully he will agree.

Cheers

Brett
Ive had a reply from Tim. I think he is looking to write up an article himself. So for the time being Im going to try and help him with some research.

Regards

Brett Hendey wrote:

I did not want to reveal Tim Coghlan's identity on a public forum without his permission. Regards
Brett

Brett,

I am really sorry....
Cheers