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Quartermaster Bloomfield was in charge of the reserve ammunition for the 2/24th, represented in camp by only Company G. When bandsmen from 1st Battalion companies tried to get fresh supplies from Bloomfield, he sent them away empty handed. Chelmsford read it shortly after 9.30am, and he returned it to his staff officer, Major Clery, without a word, and would not be deflected from his original plan. An officer on Hamilton-Brownes staff, Captain Duncombe, replied, By orders of the Great White Queen. The exchange was the nearest the Zulu would ever get to a formal declaration of war. The African tribal troops of his own NNC were notoriously inept at handling rifles, and someones gun had gone off by mistake. The Zulus had completely outmanoeuvred their foe. At most there would have been approx 400 native troops. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. [13] He was the inaugural Governor and Commandant of the Church Lads' Brigade, a post he retained until his death. He had however requested a posting overseas in order to benefit from the cheaper cost of living. No doubt this got distorted as these so called drummer boys were found in the same condition. I believe you are mistakenread up on the history properly. She later wrote of her experiences during the siege including extracts from her diary.[15]. But he had powerful supporters. The Queen showered honours on him, promoting him to full general, awarding him the Gold Stick at Court and appointing him Lieutenant of the Tower of London. The Boersdescendants of the original Dutch settlersresented British rule and set up two independent republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State, in the 1830s. But the Zulu conflict was unique in that it was to be the last pre-emptive war launched by the British, prior to the recent campaign in Iraq. On his own initiative a Colonel Harness gave orders for his small force of artillery and infantry to return to camp. I am not a thief and neither is my country. Most of these demandswith the possible exception of the cattle finewere impossible, as Frere well knew. Above: The retreating British cavalry at Hlobane. The evening of January 22 would have a new Moon, a time when evil supernatural forces would be abroad. The British were and continue to be thieves who attacked the innocent peoples! A dramatization of the Battle of Isandlwana, where the British Army met its match against the Zulu nation. Because of the Sihayo homestead skirmish the central or No. But at 4am on 22 January, Chelmsford made the first of a series of blunders by taking two-thirds of his force off to pursue what he believed was the main Zulu army. It was so pitch black soldiers were literally stumbling on the bodies of their dead comrades. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. Stunned beyond words, all he could mutter was: But I left a thousand men to guard the camp.. The redcoat line was broken by the artillery, then there was Captain Wardells H Company, 1/24th, and Lieutenant Popes G company from the 2/24th. 29th March 1879 Following the retreat at Hlobane, Colonel Wood sets up a defensive camp at Kambula with his remaining force of 2,000 men. The culmination of Chelmsford's incompetence was a blood-soaked field littered with thousands of corpses. Queen Victoria In the longer term, the . [10], Lord Chelmsford became lieutenant general in 1882, Lieutenant of the Tower of London (1884 until 1889), colonel of the 4th (West London) Rifle Volunteer Corps (1887), full general (1888), and colonel of the Derbyshire Regiment (1889). By Admin 01/06/2021 Advice. Making camp in the shadow of the rocky promontory, Chelmsford sent out patrols to locate the Zulus. On 23 May, realising that his political future was on the line, Disraeli told the queen that his government was replacing Chelmsford with Wolseley. Boy was a rank in the British Army at the time, applied to lads not yet 18, many of whom were the sons of men serving in the regiment. 4th June 1879 Aware that Chelmsford is preparing a second invasion of Zululand, Cetshwayo sends envoys to discuss peace. )in other words, treat the hail of bullets with the contempt it deserves. Once Durnford reinforced Isandlwana there would be 67 officers and 1,707 men to guard the camp, a number that Chelmsford deemed more than adequate for the task at handnot that he felt the camp would be in any danger. Zulu warriors. The story of Cecil Rhodes, empire builder and founder of the colonies of Southern and Northern Rhodesia. He served as deputy adjutant general to the forces in Bombay from 1861 to 1862, and was promoted to brevet colonel in 1863. He spoke darkly of Cetshwayos faithless and cruel character and atrocious barbarity, even though he had never met the king and most of the stories were hearsay. The ultimatum was a legal faade to mask Freres aggression, but the High Commissioner felt the die was cast. 8 companyhad taken to their heels. Many of their fellow officers were amazed by these two additions. It was said the adulterous wives were clubbed to death. He even released two wounded Zulu to spread the news about how the British make war. Chelmsford still clung to the belief that the Zulu would fade away and conduct a hit-and-run guerrilla campaign; thus his obsession in bringing them to battle. The 24th Regiment was decimated losing 21 officers and 581 other ranks. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwanata petro employee handbook what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. He propagated the myth that a shortage of ammunition led to defeat at Isandlwana. As indicated earlier, a plain rolled out to the east of Isandlwana Mount, rocky grass-carpeted ground widened to four miles and running for some eight miles. Famous for the bloody battles of Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift, the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 saw over 15,000 British troops invade the independent nation of Zululand in present-day South Africa. It seemsor so the story goesCetshwayo had told his warriors to concentrate on the red soldiers, the others being of little account. Frere had been sent out to to Cape Town with the specific task of grouping South Africa's hotch-potch of British colonies, Boer republics and independent black states into a Confederation of South Africa. After a half-hour bombardment by the Royal Artillery, Chelmsford attacked a Zulu army massed at Ulundi, making full use of concentrated small arms fire from Gatling guns and rifles, leading to the destruction of the Zulu force. With only 150 British and colonial troops to defend the outpost, the protracted engagement lasts some 11 hours before the Zulus retreat. At dawn, Chelmsford led 2,500 men and 4 guns out from Isandlwana to track down the Zulu army. The Empire learnt the lesson and comprehensively defeated the Zulu in every subsequent engagement (Rorkes drift 350 Zulus killed, 500 wounded for only 17 British killed and 15 wounded). 3 column was rightly considered the greatest threat. An 1882 'Illustrated London News' drawing of the aftermath of the battle for Rorke's Drift. The various red-coated companies formed up in front of the tents, but incoming reports did not seem to indicate an immediate threat to the camp. Yet a close reading of the evidence suggests that this incident was simply indicative of the confusion that inevitably prevailed in the camp; Bloomfields reserves were, in fact, earmarked to be sent out to Lord Chelmsford should he need them, and Bloomfield was showing no more than a proper respect for his orders. The way of the world was you generally ran an empire or got conquered by one. . The Battle of Isandlwana, probably the worst defeat the British army ever suffered at the hands of a native foe, was over. NNC units on the right also began to fall back, and soon the entire defensive line was in shambles. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. 15th July 1879 - Sir Garnet Wolesley takes over from Lord Chelmsford. Both were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions and their heroic tale reached mythic proportions back home, resulting in it being relayed in various paintings and artwork. The force was attacked by a Zulu force at Isandlwana, during which the Zulus overran and destroyed the central column of Chelmsford's separated forces. And just when the ammunition crisis was at its peak, narrow-minded obsession with regulations made matters that much worse. If I could add my own impression of the Battle of Isandlwana and then Rourkes Drift, I would say that the British were over-confident, and unprepared for the Zulu onslaught and thus destroyed at the former, and heroically desperate at the latter. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. He felt the wagons had to be free to keep a steady stream of supplies coming up from Rorkes Drift. They were basically marking time, waiting for an auspicious time to attack. The British volleys were still doing terrible execution, and to hearten their comrades some Zulu shouted Nqaka amatshe! (Catch the hailstones! King Edward VII appointed him Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the November 1902 Birthday Honours list,[11][12] and he was invested with the insignia by the King at Buckingham Palace on 18 December 1902. Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand with a British army on 11 January. 8 was Hamilton-Brownes pride and joy; he considered them his best men, and with good reason. No. They were the Spartans of South Africa. When did the Dutch come to South Africa? The Zulus believed they were protecting their sacred lands from foreign invasion. Saul David - historian, broadcaster and author of several critically-acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction - comes on the show to discuss the most brutal and controversial British imperial conflict of the 19th century: the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Lonsdale pulled the reins of his horse, dug in his spurs and rode off as fast as he could, the Zulu in hot pursuit. The battle lasted 4 hours, and for most of that time the British Firing Line held the Zulus at bay. The mutilation was the Zulu way of releasing an enemys spirit. Their timing was perfect, and the case whistled harmlessly over their heads. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. Three crewmen survived, though wounded. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, Stay up to date with all of our latest news, Few remember that it was fought on the same day that the British Army suffered its most humiliating defeat Few, however, remember that it was fought on the same day that the British Army suffered its most humiliating defeat at nearby Isandlwana. Only thereafter should the historian allow revisionist versions to add colour to the tapestry. Your email address will not be published. the British contingent was about 4 companies of 24th. From left to right there was Captain Younghusbands C Company, 1/24th; some native units; then Captain Mostyns F Company, 1/24th; Captain Cavayes A Company, 1/24th; and Lieutenant Porteouss E Company, 1/24th. Boers in South Africa before the Zulus? Screen Printing and Embroidery for clothing and accessories, as well as Technical Screenprinting, Overlays, and Labels for industrial and commercial applications 3, or center column, was a strong one, composed of some 4,700 men, of whom 1,852 were Europeans. 3rd April 1879 The siege at Eshow ends when Chelmsfords forces arrive. The Zulu burst into the camp like avenging furies shouting Gwas abeLungu ! Sir Henrys greatest fear was a Zulu invasion of Natal, and soon his fevered imagination was conjuring images of Cetshwayos man-killing gladiators descending on Natal to slaughter, pillage and rape. what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. Frere became obsessed by Cetshwayo, and his nearly paranoid suspicions deepened as the months wore on. 11th January 1879 The ultimatum expires and three British columns cross the BuffaloRiver and enter Zululand. 22nd January 1879 A Zulu force of 25,000 makes a surprise attack on the central column who have made camp. Chelmsford's decision to split his force in half, and the Zulus' tactical exploitation of the terrain . Chelmsford placed these men under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Pulleine. Eshowe was a British victory though. The Boer Transvaal Republic became bankrupt, so insolvent it was annexed by Britain in 1877. The zulu people was great warriors. It was war not cricket, Now I am sorry for being late in this conversation. The Zulu army was an undulating carpet of humanity, a black flood that spilled over the plateau and seemed to gain momentum with each minute. The first objective was the homestead of Chief Sihayo kaXongo in the Banshee River valley. 11th December, 1878 The British send an ultimatum to Zulu King Cetshwayo. Chelmsford could have bypassed the stronghold, but he didnt want to have a potentially dangerous enemy at his rear, threatening his communications. A defensive campaign would show the world that the British, not the Zulu, were the true aggressors. And the notion that some revolution might topple Cetshwayo from his throne was also to prove illusory. Mdu it is not audacious in the least to compare military forces in a military history discussion. It would be discovered ten days later further downstream and now hangs in Brecon Cathedral. So he exaggerated the threat posed by the Zulus to the British, and, when the home government refused to sanction war, took matters into his own hands in December 1878 by presenting the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, with an unacceptable ultimatum. Last word, however, should go to the Zulus, many of whom mentioned that the British infantry continued to shoot at them until the final stages of the battle. A number of officers and a journalist, Norris Newman, ventured into the camp anyway. the revenge and defeat of the zulus was always a foregone conclusion and not really great cause for celebration in the annals of british warfare.luckily for the uk the zulu did not want this forced on them war and did not pursue the beaten chelmsford into natal. It was said that the Zulu regiments, scenting victory, began stamping the ground and shouting Usuthu! (Cetshwayos royalist cry) before moving forward at a run. Just before Durnford reached the donga near the camp, the Zulu had scored their first local success by overrunning a rocket battery that had accompanied him. That would have to wait until the aftermath of an even bloodier conflict, that of the Boer War. He had, however, 'after great difficulty carried the day'. In the final pages of Lord of the Flies, Ralph runs through the jungle fleeing both Jack and his pack of savage boys and the fire Jack set on the mountain. At the time Britain controlled the largest empire the world had ever seen and they were facing an enemy trained in tactics very similar to those of an ancient Roman legion. 5th April 1879 The central and right columns evacuate Eshowe. For over 300 years, the coastlines of the English Channel and south west of England were at the mercy of Barbary pirates. Dartnell had perhaps 1,400 men, but the bulk of his troops were the ill-trained and thoroughly demoralized NNC. Durnford placed his men on the lip of the donga, and soon his entire command was blazing away. View this object . Without orders the impi formed the impondo zankomo, the beasts or buffalos horns. His men hadnt eaten in two days, and he was riding back alone to the main camp at Isandlwana in the hope of procuring some supplies for his famished troops. Isandlwana Hill today, with a white cairn in the foreground highlighting a British mass grave. . Within days of Rorke's Drift, Chelmsford was urging the speedy completion of the official report because he was 'anxious to send that gleam of sunshine home as soon as possible'. The hunt was on for a scapegoat, and Chelmsford was the obvious candidate. Chelmsford also raised native levies, an intelligent move that was squandered by mishandling and white apprehension. Chelsmfords own field regulation mandated laagers on campaign, but at Isandlwana the instructions were ignored. Spectacular waterfalls lay along the river, but nature appreciation was the last thing the British had on their minds. NCOs barked the command Load-Present-Fire with clockwork regularity, Martini-Henrys spitting death with every disciplined volley. a mismatched contest though and all the aggression orchestrated and set up by britain. Pulleine had a screen of cavalry vedettes posted on the Nquthu Plauteau as well as a few on the conical kopje that rose about a mile from camp. It was the decisive moment of the battle, because just at this time Durnfords men ran out of ammunition and were forced to abandon the donga . War began in January 1879, when a force led by Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand to enforce British demands. When the British Empire declared war against the Kingdom of Zululand in January 1879, many believed the war was a foregone conclusion. 12th January 1879 The central column destroys Sihayos camp. Chelmsford dictated a flurry of orders to his military secretary Col. John Crealock. The British had unknowingly sown the wind; now they were going to reap the whirlwind. The following day, a mounted force under Major Charles Dartnell encountered a strong Zulu force. Denied their own leaders, ill-trained, buffeted and scorned, used as cannon fodder by contemptuous whites, the NNC could never live up to its potential. Read what happening at Weenen, heartbreaking. His impis would drive the invaders from Zululand, but under no circumstances would they cross into Natal. June 1879 Chelmsford quickly reorganises his forces, swelled by reinforcements from Britain, and advances again into Zululand. Chelmsford left Isandlwana about 4:30 am on January 22, confident he was going to make contact with the main impi and defeat it. This required, among other things, the disbandment of the Zulu Army, and war was the inevitable result. It was said that the green grass was red with blood, and littered with the brains and entrails of the fallen. To the north and northwest a range of hills formed an escarpment of the Nquthu Plateau. Chelmsford had, in any event, another weapon to use against his critics - that of Rorke's Drift. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. Did any British survive Isandlwana? Tak Berkategori . Around 60 Europeans survived the battle. In 1844, after unsuccessfully trying to obtain a place in the Grenadier Guards, he purchased a commission in the Rifle Brigade. The Isandlwana camp garrison consisted of five companies of the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment (1/24th), one company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment (2/24th), over 100 mounted Infantry and volunteers, and four companies of the NNC. All avoided the sailors sharp blade until a warrior crawled under the wagon and stabbed him from behind. Britain is made up of England Scotland Ireland and Wales. Durnford dismissed his Natal Native Horse and gave them permission to save themselves. But all notions of auspicious times were quickly forgotten when the Zulu caught sight of Raws patrol gazing down on them from the valley lip. The horns and chest of the impondo zankomo had been formed without direction, but Chief Ntshingwayo and other officers successfully formed a loins reserve. Savages Emma!! They paid the price. In December 1878, the Zulu were presented with what amounted to an ultimatum. [8] However, he was severely criticised by a subsequent enquiry launched by the British Army into the events that had led to the Isandlwana debacle,[9] and did not serve in the field again. About five hundred head of cattle were taken, and the homestead put to the torch. Shamed, the uKhandempemvu and umMxhapo rose and renewed the assault. Ulundi was about 70 miles from the border, over primitive tracks that could well be inundated by rain. To augment this early-warning screen, an infantry picket line was posed in a curve about 1,500 yards from camp. Meanwhile Lord Chelmsford was urgently burying all the evidence that could be used against him. There are a number of eye witness accounts by men who had been part of Lord Chelmsford's reconnaissance and who returned to the camp just after the battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, or who had returned later with the various burial and salvage details. The wives had been killed without trial or due process, another violation of Britishthough not Zulumoral principles. One story that circulated widely in the horrific aftermath of the battle was that Lord Chelmsford's men, returning to the devastated camp on the night of the 22nd, had seen 'young drummer boys' of the 24th Regiment hung up on a butcher's scaffold and 'gutted like sheep'. Who were the savages, those who forcibly subjugated other people, or those who were peacefully living in their own country and minding their own business? But could the whole issue have not been decided over a couple of beers, for Gods sake? Lonsdale was also exhausted and hungry, but he took his command responsibilities seriously. In 1867 Thesiger married Adria Fanny Heath (1845-1926). Of the 1200 killed at Isandlwana, over 2/3rds were blacks. What followed was a bloodbath. I think I can guess why. At this point, only the left column is militarily effective with Chelmsfords central column having being destroyed, and Pearsons right column being under siege at Eshow. The allegation is fantasy; the lids of the Mark V and Mark VI ammunition boxes were secured by a single brass screw. After this separate Zulu force had successfully outmanoeuvred the British, Pulleine and his men found themselves attacked on multiple sides. The Rorke's Drift Men Author: James W Bancroft Publisher: The History Press ISBN: 0750980605 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 224 Get Book. It is thus very important to try to obtain eyewitness accounts from the period being studied, from both sides of any given situation, and to then seek the unbroken thread of truth therein. The British had taken South Africa in 1806; it had little intrinsic value at the time, but was considered an important port for the route to India. Mkhosana was killed instantly when a Martini-Henry slug tore a bloody hole through his skull, but his words had taken effect. The overextended defense line was also a factor; the reserve ammunition wagons, for the 2/24th, for example, was in the center of camp about a thousand yards from Lieutenant Popes Company G position. All in all Chelmsford was well pleased with the site; it afforded good views to the east, toward Ulundi, where Cetshwayos main impi must be lurking. 23rd January 1879 The right column is besieged within their mission fort near Eshow. Earlier the colonel had sent Captain Cavayes A Company, 1/24th up to a spur of high ground on the Nquthu Plateau, and then sent Captain Mostyns F Company, 1/24th, in support. This misjudgement led to thousands of deaths - and an unsavoury, high-level cover-up - as Saul David explains. Its the same thing as stating that Hitler escaped his bunker because of possible written evidence to this fact. At Isandlwana the induna ekulu (field commander) was Chief Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza. In Battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift the British commander in chief, Lord Chelmsford, crossed the Buffao (Mzinyathi) River at Rorke's Drift, where it established a depot, and moved cautiously eastward into the Zulu kingdom. It was Dalton who persuaded Chard and Bromhead to remain at Rorke's Drift when their first instinct was to abandon the post, and it was Dalton who organised and inspired the defence. It was around 8 oclock when the British approached their stricken camp, and night had fallen. For one thing, the wagons were all clustered in a park, not arranged in a defensive laager . Rorke's Drift by Adrian Greaves (Cassell, 2002), The National Army Musuem Book of the Zulu War by Ian Knight (Sidgwick and Jackson, 2003), Military Blunders by Saul David (Robinson, 1997), Zulu Victory: The Epic of Isandlwana and the Cover-Up by Ron Lock and Peter Quantrill (Greenhill, 2002), The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation by John Laband (Arms and Armour, 1995). British .450-caliber bullets scythed down warriors with grim impartiality, leaving survivors hugging the ground with mounting frustration. Some decapitated British heads were found neatly arrayed in a circle, and a drummer boy was discovered lashed to a wagon wheel upside down with his throat cut. The guns discharged case (a kind of shrapnel), but little execution was done. Above: The burning of Ulundi 8th July 1879 - Lord Chelmsford resigns. One warlike empire defeated by another warlike empire. Chelmsford had a seizure and died while playing billiards at the United Service Club in London on 9 April 1905 in his 78th year. His befuddled senses could barely make out their surroundings, but he was reassured by the sight of British soldiers in their distinctive red tunics going about their business. What Was the Atlantic Wall and When Was It Built? Gwas Inglubi! (Stab the white men! what happened to lord chelmsford after isandlwana. In early September, shortly after his return from South Africa, Lord Chelmsford was given an audience with the Queen. Stab the pigs!). The British were taught a bitter lesson. There was some heavy skirmishing, and even an episode of hand-to-hand fighting as the Zulu of No. Dartnell had encountered perhaps 1,500 Zulu. What happened to the British at Isandlwana? Chelmsford did have his excuses. Rowlands had a kind of dual mission. Most of what Chelmsford told the Queen was a pack of lies. He ensured that potential witnesses to his errors were unable to speak out. Only one man in four was given a rifle, usually an obsolete model, and was issued only four rounds of ammunition. By 20 January - hampered by minor skirmishes and poor tracks - Chelmsford's column had only advanced 11 miles to the rocky lower slopes of a distinctive, sphinx-like hill called Isandlwana. Durnford, as we have seen, did not disobey orders. This siege would last for two months. The Boers in South Africa before the Zulus???? Cinema Specialist . 'We must not forget,' Disraeli told the House of Lords on 13 February, 'the exhibition of heroic valour by those who have been spared.'. So tell me, which has more truth, the Eye or the Pen? The true story of 22 January 1879 - the Empire's longest day - is one of unprovoked slaughter, of heroes being ignored and of the guilty being protected. Theres plenty of Keyboard worriers on here!!! Britain has fought countless battles where they were the underdog, I get tired of judging the actions of people in the past against modern standards. Standing upright amid the rain of bullets, he shouted The Little Branches of Leaves That Extinguished the Great Fire (an honorific title of Cetshwayos) did not order you to do this!. He didnt want war with the abeLungu , the white men, yet war was being forced upon him. They felt this a prudent course as all of Quebec was held by around 600 regulars and intelligence indicated that the French-speaking population would be favorably inclined towards . 5621230. I was Google-alerted to this discourse by Mels mention of my name, above. [6] However, this order could not be implemented until the arrival of Wolseley, and in the meantime Chelmsford ignored diplomatic overtures from King Cetshwayo[7] and made plans to capture Ulundi, aiming to defeat them in a decisive engagement and salvaging his reputation before Wolseley's arrival. Copyright Historic UK Ltd. Company Registered in England No. Lord Chelmsford is most famous for having lost the battle of Isandlwana where the British Army was wiped out by the Zulus. Egged on by supposedly superior arms and technology, drunken on a brew of arrogance and unproven superiority towards native peoples, they got taught by savages on how not to be condescending. The massed rifle fire was a different story. Defeat at Isandlwana. Since the defense had lost all cohesion, it was simply a matter of groups of men or even individuals selling their lives as dearly as possible. Death. Since the British government did not have the funds or the desire to fully garrison colonial outposts, units like the Natal Volunteer Corps filled the void. Eleven days have passed since Lt. Gen. Lord Chelmsford's column crossed the border from Natal into Zululand. Thank you I stand corrected on Hlobane and the small engagement at Ntombe Drift; I am always keen to learn. Such unilateral action by an imperial pro-consul was not unusual during the Victorian period. The Martini-Henry (MH in some accounts) was a single-shot breechloader that fired a heavy .450 bullet. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Durnford himself led part of his forces along the base of the Nquthu escarpment, while other horsemen were sent to scout the plateau. 2nd April 1879 Chelmsfords force, marching to relieve Eshow, are attacked at Gingindlovu. The Zulu attackers also suffered they lost somewhere between 1,000 and 2,500 men. I would suggest anyone who would like to know the true history of the Anglo-Zulu war should read the acclaimed historian Saul Davids book Anglo Zulu war. What Does the Ending Mean? A bullet suddenly zipped past Londales ear, but he took it in stride. Five Boys were killed at Isandlwana, most of them in the 24ths band, and the youngest was 16 not quite the innocent lads immortalised in sentimental paintings of the time. As his men fired, Durnford walked all along the line, talking, laughing and encouraging their marksmanship with a hearty, Well done, my boys!.