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Natal Native Contingent

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363:. Three formed the Zikhali Horse squadron, named after their chief. The troopers fought well against the Zulus and were dismissed late in the battle by Colonel Durnford who was eager to save as many of his men as possible from the chaotic battle. The mounted NNH soldiers escaped quickly from the battlefield, and many black NNH troopers are credited with stopping to give rides to native and British soldiers struggling to escape the battlefield on foot. Most notably, 133: 36: 306:, the NNC officers, NCO's, and soldiers who possessed firearms were deployed along the barricade. The rest of the NNC, stripped of their command and armed only with spears, were posted outside the mealy bag and biscuit box barricade within the stone-walled cattle kraal. They broke and fled as soon as the Zulu force came into sight, some NCOs and Captain Stephenson joining them. Lieutenant 278:
in January 1879, the NNC's commander, Colonel Durnford, frequently voiced his opinion that the NNC troops should be used as scouts for the advancing British army, as their appearance (similar to Zulu warriors) would confuse Zulu scouts. The NNC was, in his view, particularly well-adapted to
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The Natal legislature established the Natal Mounted Police in 1873 and appointed Major J. G. Dartnell as commander. However, they were slow to appropriate funds for the organization. The first trooper enrolled in March 1874. The first headquarters were at Fort Napier in
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Primarily due to logistical and budget constraints, but also due to the European population's fear that arming the black population would create a severe security risk, initially fewer than one in ten NNC troopers were issued rifles; the rest made do with traditional
349:, and other tribes, as well as black Christians from Edendale Mission. The NNH were much better-equipped than their infantry counterparts; they wore tan-colored European uniforms, rode horses with full equipment, and bore a 253:
and cowhide shields. The officers and NCOs, about 90 men per battalion, carried rifles, ammunition and bayonets. In addition, soldiers who were issued a musket firearm were provided only four rounds of
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was rescued and ridden to safety by an NNH trooper. Around 200 NNH troopers survived Isandlwana, but unlike the NNC infantry, were recommitted to the war; the remainder of the NNH saw action at the
798: 302:, NNC units fought alongside British counterparts and sustained heavy casualties. Many NNC were killed in hand-to-hand combat while trying to retreat across the Buffalo River. At the 229:
and three European officers per company. Units received rudimentary training at best. Elements of standard British infantry training were not added until after the Zulu War.
333:, where several NNC troops and a small British force were ambushed and killed by Zulu troops. After the war, the NNC was disbanded and the troops returned to civilian life. 291:
and illness resulting from over-exposure to the sun in the South African summer) and were not encumbered with heavy equipment. Instead, the commander of the British forces,
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After Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, British commanders in South Africa worried about the loyalty of their NNC detachments, and many were incorporated into the
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Due to budget constraints, the British were unable to provide NNC troops with uniforms. Instead, soldiers wore traditional tribal apparel with a red cloth
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force. Formed of six troops of approximately fifty men each, the NNH was largely recruited from the amaNgwane, a Natal tribe traditionally hostile to the
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force in conquered Zululand and saw action during the Zulu civil wars which began in the early 1880s. The NNH was finally disbanded during the 1899–1902
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10 captains, 20 lieutenants, 30 sergeants, 30 corporals and some 100 soldiers, or about 20% of the total each battalion had some sort of firearm.
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in addition to traditional spears. Units of the NNH were led by European officers dressed in conspicuous sky-blue uniforms.
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roles, as NNC soldiers were generally in better physical condition than British regulars (some of whom were hampered by
315: 383:, under a government initiative to disarm all-black units in South Africa out of fear that they could side with the 68: 763: 599:
The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation Under Shaka and its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879
793: 226: 200: 172: 46: 545: 380: 299: 768: 364: 168: 93: 695: 554: 431: 326: 222: 295:, frequently assigned NNC troops to menial tasks, refusing to credit their fighting abilities. 743: 722: 716: 701: 682: 672: 633: 623: 602: 583: 523: 435: 368: 330: 622:. Historical dictionaries of war, revolution, and civil unrest. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. 653: 372: 303: 193: 160: 425: 175:
and natives. The infantry was created in 1878. Most enlisted troops were drawn from the
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was created in 1873 to bolster the defenses of Natal. It enlisted European officers,
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While the bulk of the NNC consisted of infantrymen, the Natal Native Horse added a
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Members of the Natal Native Contingent (NNC) armed with assegais and shields, 1879
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Black soldiers of the queen: the Natal native contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War
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Black soldiers of the queen: the Natal native contingent in the Anglo-Zulu War
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Smith, Keith I. (2008). "Major Graves and the Natal Native Contingent".
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at any one time. The bulk of the NNC fought with traditional African
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around their foreheads, the only item that distinguished them from
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and Mpondo tribes, which had had long experience fighting the
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British infantryman versus Zulu warrior: Anglo-Zulu War, 1879
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warriors. NCO's and officers wore Khaki and black uniforms.
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The Anglo-Zulu War-Isandlwana: the revelation of a disaster
582:(Rev. ed.). Tuscaloosa, Ala: Univ. of Alabama Press. 199:
The infantry was created in 1878 under Lieutenant-Colonel
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The structure of the NNC followed the pattern of regular
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and only about 20% of the unit had some sort of gun.
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Military units and formations of the British Empire
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Zulu War - Volunteers, Irregulars & Auxiliaries
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Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 496: 494: 492: 225:of 100 black soldiers each, with six European 203:as part of the Zululand expeditionary force. 8: 163:. The Contingent saw action during the 1879 721:. Men-at-Arms 388. Osperey Publishing Ltd. 650:The 100 Worst Military Disasters in History 375:. After the war, the NNH was retained as a 298:Battlefield performance was uneven. At the 513: 511: 509: 784:1878 establishments in the British Empire 322:for his gallantry in the ensuing battle. 120:Learn how and when to remove this message 715:Castle, Ian; Ruggeri, Raffaele (2003). 416: 396: 359:Five troops of the NNH were present at 318:, remained with the latter winning the 619:Historical dictionary of the Zulu wars 552: 500: 7: 464: 452: 329:instead. The NNC last saw action at 58:adding citations to reliable sources 25: 742:. Combat 3. Oxford: Osprey Pub. 34: 522:. University of Alabama Press. 45:needs additional citations for 578:Thompson, Paul Singer (2006). 518:Thompson, Paul Singer (2006). 187:Establishment and organisation 1: 430:. London: J. Murray. p.  658:10.5040/9798400605413.ch-056 314:corporal of the contingent, 427:The Mounted Police of Natal 316:Christian Ferdinand Schiess 815: 789:British colonial regiments 764:Natal Native Pioneer Corps 597:Morris, Donald R. (1988). 217:consisted of two to three 546:The Washing of the Spears 69:"Natal Native Contingent" 559:: CS1 maint: location ( 274:At the beginning of the 213:units at the time. Each 201:Anthony William Durnford 304:Battle of Rorke's Drift 142:Natal Native Contingent 549:. 1998: Da Capo Press. 137: 616:Laband, John (2009). 381:Second Anglo-Boer War 300:Battle of Isandhlwana 144:was a large force of 135: 27:British military unit 769:Natal Mounted Police 736:Knight, Ian (2013). 694:Knight, Ian (2003). 424:Holt, H. P. (1913). 365:Horace Smith-Dorrien 169:Natal Mounted Police 54:improve this article 221:, divided into ten 665:Lock, Ron (2017). 543:Morris, Donald R. 337:Natal Native Horse 327:Natal Border Guard 146:auxiliary soldiers 138: 18:Natal Native Horse 749:978-1-78200-365-6 697:The Zulu War 1879 678:978-1-5267-0742-0 652:: 202–206. 2020. 629:978-0-8108-6078-0 589:978-0-8173-5368-1 369:Battle of Kambula 130: 129: 122: 104: 16:(Redirected from 806: 753: 732: 711: 690: 661: 641: 612: 593: 565: 564: 558: 550: 540: 534: 533: 515: 504: 498: 487: 486: 474: 468: 462: 456: 450: 444: 443: 421: 404: 401: 373:Battle of Ulundi 194:Pietermaritzburg 125: 118: 114: 111: 105: 103: 62: 38: 30: 21: 814: 813: 809: 808: 807: 805: 804: 803: 794:Colony of Natal 774: 773: 760: 750: 735: 729: 714: 708: 693: 679: 664: 644: 630: 615: 609: 596: 590: 577: 574: 569: 568: 551: 542: 541: 537: 530: 517: 516: 507: 499: 490: 485:(348): 297–309. 476: 475: 471: 463: 459: 451: 447: 423: 422: 418: 413: 408: 407: 402: 398: 393: 339: 293:Lord Chelmsford 272: 235: 189: 126: 115: 109: 106: 63: 61: 51: 39: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 812: 810: 802: 801: 796: 791: 786: 776: 775: 772: 771: 766: 759: 756: 755: 754: 748: 733: 727: 712: 706: 691: 677: 662: 642: 628: 613: 607: 594: 588: 573: 570: 567: 566: 535: 528: 505: 488: 469: 457: 445: 415: 414: 412: 409: 406: 405: 395: 394: 392: 389: 338: 335: 320:Victoria Cross 308:Gert Adendorff 285:light infantry 281:reconnaissance 276:Anglo-Zulu War 271: 268: 234: 231: 188: 185: 165:Anglo-Zulu War 128: 127: 42: 40: 33: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 811: 800: 797: 795: 792: 790: 787: 785: 782: 781: 779: 770: 767: 765: 762: 761: 757: 751: 745: 741: 740: 734: 730: 728:9781841764849 724: 720: 719: 713: 709: 707:9781841766126 703: 699: 698: 692: 688: 684: 680: 674: 670: 669: 663: 659: 655: 651: 647: 643: 639: 635: 631: 625: 621: 620: 614: 610: 608:9780747401940 604: 600: 595: 591: 585: 581: 576: 575: 571: 562: 556: 548: 547: 539: 536: 531: 529:0-8173-5368-2 525: 521: 514: 512: 510: 506: 503:, p. 297 502: 497: 495: 493: 489: 484: 480: 473: 470: 466: 461: 458: 454: 449: 446: 441: 437: 433: 429: 428: 420: 417: 410: 400: 397: 390: 388: 386: 382: 378: 374: 370: 366: 362: 357: 355: 352: 348: 344: 336: 334: 332: 328: 323: 321: 317: 313: 309: 305: 301: 296: 294: 290: 286: 282: 277: 270:Effectiveness 269: 267: 265: 261: 257: 252: 246: 244: 240: 232: 230: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 209: 204: 202: 197: 195: 186: 184: 182: 178: 174: 170: 166: 162: 158: 154: 151: 147: 143: 134: 124: 121: 113: 102: 99: 95: 92: 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: –  70: 66: 65:Find sources: 59: 55: 49: 48: 43:This article 41: 37: 32: 31: 19: 738: 717: 696: 667: 649: 646:"Isandlwana" 618: 601:. Cardinal. 598: 579: 572:Bibliography 544: 538: 519: 482: 478: 472: 467:, p. 19 460: 455:, p. 15 448: 426: 419: 399: 358: 340: 324: 297: 273: 247: 236: 205: 198: 190: 153:South Africa 141: 139: 116: 107: 97: 90: 83: 76: 64: 52:Please help 47:verification 44: 371:and at the 778:Categories 501:Smith 2008 411:References 361:Isandlwana 289:heatstroke 256:ammunition 219:battalions 80:newspapers 687:991077017 638:276930370 555:cite book 465:Holt 1913 453:Holt 1913 440:458059621 233:Equipment 223:companies 110:July 2008 758:See also 251:assegais 239:bandanna 215:regiment 211:infantry 354:carbine 343:cavalry 331:Hlobane 264:shields 208:British 150:British 94:scholar 746:  725:  704:  685:  675:  636:  626:  605:  586:  526:  438:  377:police 351:rifled 310:and a 260:spears 177:Basuto 167:. The 157:colony 96:  89:  82:  75:  67:  391:Notes 385:Boers 347:Zulus 312:Swiss 181:Zulus 161:Natal 101:JSTOR 87:books 744:ISBN 723:ISBN 702:ISBN 683:OCLC 673:ISBN 634:OCLC 624:ISBN 603:ISBN 584:ISBN 561:link 524:ISBN 436:OCLC 283:and 262:and 243:Zulu 227:NCOs 173:NCOs 140:The 73:news 654:doi 159:of 148:in 56:by 780:: 681:. 648:. 632:. 557:}} 553:{{ 508:^ 491:^ 483:86 481:. 434:. 432:15 387:. 196:. 183:. 752:. 731:. 710:. 689:. 660:. 656:: 640:. 611:. 592:. 563:) 532:. 442:. 123:) 117:( 112:) 108:( 98:· 91:· 84:· 77:· 50:. 20:)

Index

Natal Native Horse

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auxiliary soldiers
British
South Africa
colony
Natal
Anglo-Zulu War
Natal Mounted Police
NCOs
Basuto
Zulus
Pietermaritzburg
Anthony William Durnford
British
infantry
regiment
battalions
companies

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