90th foot help please

Hi,
Great Great Grandad = All I have got is Sgt George George 90th Foot. 108 or 1118 slight wound at Ulundi from the Forces war record.
Any pointers where I can find out more would be gratefully received. Cheers, Jon.

Jon I can verify his regimental number is indeed 108 according to the Forsyth Medal Roll , he was entitled to the South African General Service Medal with Clasp 1879 .
Cheers 90th

Hi
Just a little to add, On the 1871 census George George Corp 90th B.1847 Dudhope Barracks Dundee.
On the British Army Worldwide Index for 1871, George George 90th No 1118 Sgt HQ Edinburgh
Possibly 1851 census B.Glasgow, Father William [a cooper journeyman] B.Renfrewshire.
Rai Keynshamlighthorse

Jon

Welcome to the forum.  I do hope that you are able to find out more about George George here.  Do you happen to have his South Africa Medal?

George George was definitely with the 90th Regiment in the Zulu War.  As Gary stated he is confirmed on the Forsyth Medal Roll as a Sergeant. 108, George, G., clasp “1879”.  The Medal Roll at the National Archives, WO 100/47 lists him as Private, 108 George, G., and showing he was a Sergeant at the time of earning the medal.

The 90th was present at the battle at Kambula (March 29, 1879) and again at the battle of Ulundi (July 4, 1879) where G. George was “slightly wounded.”  His name appeared on the official list of killed and wounded of General Wood’s Flying Column as “No, 1,118, Sergeant G. George, 90th Light Infantry.”

I checked Rai’s lead from the “British Army Worldwide Index for 1871” which has two listing for G. George.  One is for “George George, 1118, Corporal, 90th (Perthshire Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot.” The second is for “George George, 1118, Sergeant, 90th (Perthshire Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot.”  This seems to suggest that he received his promotion to Sergeant that year.  I know little about Army service numbering system from the late 1880s, but it appears that G. George received a different number when he became a non-commissioned officer.  Someone more knowledgeable may explain the 2 different numbers.

As for the reason why he is on the medal roll at the Archives as “private” instead of “sergeant” is because on the 27th of October, 1879 G. George was tried by Court-Martial at Pinetown, Natal for the charge of “Absence” and was sentenced to a “reduction” in rank to private.  The sentence was later “remitted.”

If you would like to read about the 90th in the Zulu War here are a couple of books to start with.
“Blood on Painted Mountain” by Ron Lock” and “Records of the 90th Regiment (Perthshire Light Infantry)” (pages 222 – 260) which is online at:

https://books.google.com/books?id=AYRIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA213&lpg=PA213&dq=hms+orontes+records&source=bl&ots=4CUtNQBYhN&sig=x_x6JMqjI7-sf1qGBaGvbl7wM00&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0riKUYKyHvCJ0QGx2IC4CA&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=hms%20orontes%20records&f=false

Hopefully, this will give you a start in you search for more information about you ancestor.

Tom

Hi all,
many thanks for all the help so far.
George George is my wife's great great Grandad. She is investigating her family tree and he came up.

The coincidence is that my favourite period of military history is the Zulu wars.

It all started when my family moved house when I was a teenager and we found a Martini Henry in the loft!
I then found an old beat up copy of Washing of the Spears and that was that!

Up until that point the English Civil War was my main interest.

I still have the rifle , and received a bloody great original movie poster of Zulu for my 50th!

One day we will get to Natal.


Any more info On G.G. gratefully received.

best wishes , Jon.

From - Casualty Roll for the Zulu & Basuto Wars 1877-79 compiled by I T Lavender - Page 43

At the Battle of Ulundi on 4th July 1879 he was reported slightly wounded.