PAINTING OF PRIVATE WASSALL

Hi Everyone,

This is my first ever message on this site and I hope someone out there can help me.

I am hoping to complete a large drawing and finally a full size painting of Private Wassall winning his VC at Isandlwana.

I know he was in the 80th Regiment (Mounted Infantry) and I've seen only one painting (by Ashew?) of him about to pull Private Westwood up on to his horse. In the painting he is wearing his red jacket with two bandoliers one going over his shoulder and one around his waist. And his cuffs and collar are the regimental Yellow but shouldn't it just be the collar that is yellow and the cuffs Red? Also I have seen photos and models of Wassall and sometimes he is just wearing just a shirt and one bandolier or the red jacket and one bandolier. Does anyone know what is the most accepted view of what he was actually wearing that day? I've also read somewhere that the horse he was riding was a Bustuto pony and was of an usual colour.
I am hoping to complete the most realistic and factually correct picture I can.

I would be very grateful for any help whatsover however small.

Regards

Die Art

Hello die art and welcome to the forum.

You could contact the Staffordshire Regiment Museum for the details you need...I'm sure that they will be able to help you, there is also a thread on Private Wassall on this forum.

Kind Regards

Waterloo50

Many Thanks Waterloo50

Dear waterloo50

I just wanted to show you a copy of the email I sent the research department at the Staffordshire Regiment to see what you and other members think:

Dear Sir/Madam

I am looking for detailed information on what Private Samuel Wassall would have been wearing on the day he won his VC at Isandlwana.

I am hoping to complete a large full size drawing and finally painting of Wassall clinging on to the arm of his comrade Private Westwood as they wade across the Buffalo River. I have seen the painting by Jason Ashew of Wassall wearing his red tunic and two bandoliers but is there any written proof that this is exactly what he was wearing that day? And I know his collar would have been the regimental Yellow but would'nt the cuffs have been Red like they are in every other picture I've seen of Mounted Infantry including one of the 80th? Just as I've never seen a photograph or any other type of picture come to think of it of a Mounted Infantry man wearing two bandoliers (more likely in the Boer War).

I have this great picture in my head of Wassall wearing just the grey shirt and single bandolier going over his left shoulder while Private Westwood clings on to dear life wearing his full tunic and bandolier.
If I could reproduce this picture I have in my head on to canvas I know it would result in a very dramatic picture indeed. If there was an eyewitness account which states what he was wearing can you please tell me where I might find it.
Isn't it probably the case that like many of these moments in war that no one truly knows for sure what he was wearing at that exact moment he was crossing the river and "just dress them up" in the full uniform of the regiment forgetting the confusion and haste of battle? With thousands of Zulus killing everything in sight I don't think I would have worried too much about putting my tunic on! and that for the sake of dramatic impact a little bit of artistic licence is ok?

Please let me know what you think and any information no matter how small would be very gratefully excepted.

Kind Regards

Paul

Hi die art .
Good luck with your project , I hope it comes to fruition , I've sent the Staffordshire Research Department previous requests and didn't hear back , hope you have better luck .
90th

Die Art,

I know this doesn't help you at all, but I picked this version of events up this morning.

Published in The Pictorial World of 26th July 1879.

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Private Samuel Wassall saving Private Westwood, 22nd January 1879.
John Young Collection.

John Y.

Many thanks to 90th and John Y for your replies and especially for the picture which is one I've never seen before. I will let you know if the museum gets back to me but if they don't I will still complete the picture.

Regards

die art

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Here's another that may be of interest.

Neil

Many thanks nthornton1979

I didn't know there were so many sketches done of this one incident
I've just found out that in his own account of the battle Wassall wasn't wearing either his red tunic or his helmet its also very likely that Westwood wasn't wearing them either because the Zulus were concentrating on any soldier that was wearing red.

Die art