Major William Henry O'Dell Nyazane and Khambula?

Recently came across this:

Major William Henry O'Dell of ROOKWOOD, FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK
Born at Fredericton, 16th May 1852
Entered the ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE at Sandhurst, 1869 from which he was gazetted to a commission in the 52nd LIGHT INFANTRY 30th December 1871.

Promoted to CAPTAIN - 11th March 1882
Promoted to MAJOR - 16th March 1892

Served in South Africa, receiving the S.A.MEDAL & CLASP in 1879 and was mentioned in Depatches.
Battles of KAMBULA - INYANZANE 1879

Died in 1894 in Rawalpindi, India, leaving wife and only son Thomas.

-- from BURKES ANCIENT & EXTINCT PEERAGE, BLOEMFONTEIN, ARCHIVES, S.A.,O'DELL

His gravestone at Rawalpindi: "In memory of Major William Henry Odell. 2nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry. born 6th May 1852. Died 8th November 1894. Erected by the officers of his regiment."

I can't find any evidence of the 52nd being involved at Nyazane or Khambula.
I would have thought that any company engaged at Nyazane would subsequently have been "tied up" at Eshowe and therefore excluded from action at Khambula
It is also possible that he had been assigned to some unit other that the 52nd ...
Any thoughts?
- Steve

Steve,

Lieutenant William Henry Odell, 52nd (Oxfordshire Light Infantry) Regiment, according to The South African Campaign of 1879 (along with two officers): ‘Proceeded to Natal on Transport Service, and were employed during the war on lines of communication and at the base.’

There is no mention of Nyezane or Khambula.

A check of Hart’s Army List of 1882, gives no indication of Odell’s service in 1879, however, Captain Charles John Boyle, also of the 52nd L.I., one of the two others I mentioned above states that Boyle was the Senior Commissariat Officer at Pinetown from July to December 1879.

So I progressed with Hart’s to 1883, where I found the answer - contemporary spelling retained:
Captain Odell was  employed with the Commissariat Department during the Zulu War of 1879. Was Transport Officer to the Head Quarters Staff under Sir Garnet Wolseley during the operations against Sekukuni, and was present at the capture of the stronghold. (Medal with Clasp.)

Again, no mention of Nyezane or Khambula.  If we can determine when he embarked for the campaign it might well dispel that assumption.

Regards,

JY

Hi Steve & JY
I checked the Forsyth Medal Roll listed under the 52nd Regt ,  there were 3 Lt's ; Boyle , O'Dell & Hutton , underneath Boyle's name is stated ' See also Commissariat and Transport Staff ' ( wonder if this refers to all 3 officers if as JY states O'Dell was found to be in the Commissariat Dept ? , there are also 2 privates listed . Boyle , O'Dell & one of the Privates were issued the 1879 Clasp.
90th

Gary,

Does his name appear as O’Dell - as you have written it - on the Medal Roll or as Odell, as it appears elsewhere?

JY

JY  
In Forsyth and Dutton  ' Odell ' .
90th

It appears that the Reverend Jonathan Odell, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, played an interesting part in the American Revolution.

JY

Lieutenants C. J. Boyle, W. H. Odell, and C. M. Hutton of the 52nd Foot sailed from Portsmouth aboard HMS Euphrates on 30 May 1879 for South Africa.  They arrived at Port Durban, Natal on 3 July.

Tom

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Army and Navy Gazette 17 November 1894

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The New York genealogical and biographical record, VOLUME XXVI., 1895

Tom & Andy,

All of this rather puts the kibosh on the suggestion of Odell’s involvement at Nyezane and Khambula, nor is there any indication of a Mention in Dispatches.

I like the hint in the New York obituary above about the Odell family’s involvement in the American War of Indepence. Closer study reveals their involvement in the matters relating to Major John Andre and Major-General Benedict Arnold.

JY

Brilliant stuff - many thanks to all - you are a collective fountainhead of knowledge

So it's pretty clear what his role in South Africa was. From John and Tom's findings it seems that the three officers (and some men no doubt) were sent out on special assignment. The 52nd was not actually present as a regiment.

The Nyezane and Khambula references may or may not be accurate.Who knows where they came from in the first place. Possibly those officers were part of the transport support operation for those battles?

Yes, Rev Jonathan Odell was his great grandfather - a staunch loyalist during the revolution, who moved (fled?) from New Jersey to New Brunswick when the cause was lost. Subsequent Odells became public figures in Fredericton and NB. Hence the means to send William Henry to Sandhurst.

Steve,

The Nyezane and Kambula references are definitely not accurate.  The battle of Nyezane took place on 22 January 1879.  The battle of Kambula took place on 29 March 1879.  Odell did not arrive in Natal, South Africa until 3 July 1879.  The clasp “1879” was awarded for his participation in the Sekukuni Campaign which was fought in late 1879, after the Zulu War.  I hope this clears things up for you.  

I will send a copy of the Medal Roll page, containing his name, to someone else for them to post.

Tom

Brilliant, thanks Tom - I should have picked that up - very clear now - many thanks Steve

Hi steve.333 & JY
Yes..certainly no mention of THIS Odell in Despatches , and as Tom has pointed out he couldn't possibly have been at Hyezane , or Kambula .
90th

Very good to clear this up!

steve.33
Agreed , it's always good to clear things up , if they can be ! hahahahaha
90th

True enough - with these events of old we never really know if they are fully cleared up
(probably even applies to events of yesterday and today!)

Tom & Andy,

The Medal Roll clearly shows that Odell played no active role against the Zulu.

Looks like the Ancient and Extinct Peerage, was indeed written by a Burke.

JY

Many thanks Tom and Andy - the issue nicely wrapped up!

For non-UK dwellers you can find the meaning of JY's reference in the Urban Dictionary

Steve,

Rather than somewhat offensive version cited in the Urban Dictionary, in my somewhat older dictionary it cites the meaning as: A stupid person.

JY

OK, thanks John we will strike the offensive meaning from the record

JY shades of 1828 possibly?

Frank,

I wondered that myself, or whether it had any connotations to 1861 in Gary’s neck of the woods?

JY