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Lieut Col John Fordyce (8th Cape Frontier War) - Edrom P Ch

 
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Merseman



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Location: Duns, Berwickshire

PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:55 pm    Post subject: Lieut Col John Fordyce (8th Cape Frontier War) - Edrom P Ch Reply with quote

For 100 years from 1779 a series of 9 Cape Frontier Wars were fought by European forces, against the Xhosa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_frontier_wars

At the end of a "botched" campaign in 1851, Lt Col Fordyce became the most senior officer to die in the conflicts.

74th Regiment = Highlanders.

Quote:

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol134ds.html

Catastrophe
On 6 November occurred the catastrophe that was probably decisive in Somerset calling off the operation. That day began with the most concentrated British offensive yet, the plan being for four divisions to make a simultaneous attack from different directions and converge on Mount Misery. Somerset, with as many mounted troops as he could muster, was to ascend the Waterkloof while divisions of infantry and levies moved in from the Fuller's Hoek and Kroomie directions. Fordyce, with the 74th, 91st, two guns and Mfengu, was to advance from the north, across the plateau.

It was on Fordyce's division that the brunt of the day's fighting fell. This division was the first to arrive at Mount Misery, and was soon being fired upon from all directions from the bush and forests lining the flat. No.2 Company, 74th, which had been instructed to assault the section between the Kroomie and Waterkloof passes, instead began inclining too far to the right and, moving along a hollow, failed to observe the enemy in their front. With his men 'skirmishing in every direction around him ... charging and hurrahing', Fordyce shouted to the straying company to keep to the left, but his voice was drowned in the din of battle. He rushed down the small hillock on which he had been standing and, from an exposed position, waved his cap. It was then that a Khoi marksman shot him through the chest, the ball passing right through him. Within half an hour, he was dead. He is the most senior British officer to have lost his life in all nine Frontier Wars.


Also:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cyberkiwi/soldiers/scenario11.html






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Merseman



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Location: Duns, Berwickshire

PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"The Death of Colonel Fordyce" by WR King.




And again, by Thomas Baines.

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Merseman



Joined: 07 Aug 2013
Posts: 339
Location: Duns, Berwickshire

PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Isn't this UKNIWM 13318, supposedly at Ayton? Identical details.
http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.13318/fromUkniwmSearch/1
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

See also this memorial in Ayton:

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1189

Perhaps someone who sent the information to UKNIWM confused the martial Fordyces?

Thanks

Adam
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Adam Brown
Curator


Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 7312
Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lt Col Fordyce is also commemorated on the 74th Highlanders memorial in St Giles' in Edinburgh

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1098

Adam
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stuartn



Joined: 13 Dec 2016
Posts: 2551

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:20 pm    Post subject: WMR (ex UKNIWM) report Reply with quote

This is now relocated to Edrom Church on WMR 13318
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