TOPIC:

I have two HMS Terrible QSAs in my collection with single clasp Natal. Both are listed in Crowe's The Commission of HMS Terrible as being members of the Zululand Expeditionary Force. The complete list includes 52 men under the command of Lt. Dooner. The only mention in the text is on page 205 viz " Early on the 12th (March 1900), after some eighteen hours' passage on a much congested line, the train steamed into Durban, and during the forenoon the Zululand Contingent, which had had also been recalled, arrived back from their bloodless but adventurous mission." I can find no other reference to this force but would like to know more of the bloodless but adventurous mission. Any thoughts?

Paul Dunn

Paul,

There is a little more information in Chapter 12, where their departure and purpose are briefly explained:

On February 12th, Lieutenant Dooner, Midshipman Kirby, Petty Officers Neil, Sparks, Bicker, another 50 seamen and stokers, left the Terrible with two field guns, and proceeded to Zululand. They travelled by the coast railway to the terminus, then crossed the mouth of the Tugela near by, and marched to Eshowe, 28 miles distant, there joining the composite force protecting the province from Boer incursions.

Best wishes
David

Paul - In his book 'Afloat and Ashore - the Royal Navy During the Boer War 1899-1902' Peter Singlehurst writes:

"During February a second Naval Brigade was landed from the Terrible. This brigade was commanded by Lieutenant Dooner of HMS Monarch and sent to Eshowe in Zululand to join the Melmoth Field Force. This force was commanded by Colonel A.W. Morris and was formed to secure the Zululand border from any possible Boer incursions. The naval brigade built and manned a defensive position at Eshowe, but were withdrawn the following month without seeing the Boers.

He shows only 4 members of Terrible's company as being in the Zululand party. Lt. J.K.P. Dooner (Officer in Command), PO1 H. Bicker (Petty Officer of the Battery), Armourers Crew J. Nash and Ord J. Dean (Bugler). Dooner received a QSA with clasps Tugela Heights & Relief of Ladysmith while the others received a QSA with clasp Natal.

Presumably the QSAs you have are to two of the above in which case you have 50% of a very scarce issue to HMS Terrible!

David

Thank you. I didn't look in Singlehurst having presumed wrongly that he would have drawn his info from Crowe and Jeans. Crowe does list the membership of the Zululand force on pg 364 and there are a lot more than 4! In fact the entire list of names on pages 164 and 165 of Singlehurst are the membership of the Zululand Brigade. I now know that of my two, Stoker J. Smith was with No 2 gun and J Dean was the bugler. Thats a result!
They are both nice groups. Dean has the QSA clasp Natal, WW1 War and Victory medal (star missing), and Naval LSGC. He was on HMS Irresistible when it was sunk by a mine on the 18th March 1915 at the start of the Dardanelles campaign.
Smith has the China medal, no clasp, and WW1 trio. If I get a chance I will post a photo of both groups.

I see Peter Singlehurst gives a reference in the Limpus Collection. I will have to try to get access to that I think.

Regards
Paul

Photo as promised. I think Dean also lacks a no clasp China medal if anyone has it lying about.

dunnboer wrote: Thank you. I didn't look in Singlehurst having presumed wrongly that he would have drawn his info from Crowe and Jeans. Crowe does list the membership of the Zululand force on pg 364 and there are a lot more than 4! In fact the entire list of names on pages 164 and 165 of Singlehurst are the membership of the Zululand Brigade. Regards
Paul

Paul - My oversight. I saw the heading of Zululand Naval Brigade and didn't look beyond the first block of names.

Anyway, glad you got some extra info on your men. Nice groups too!

Regards

David