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Date	Original Topic
30th November 2002	Natal Carbineers Photo c. 1885 By Edward Garcia I am attempting to identify the person pictured in a cabinet photograph I recently acquired. The photo (taken around 1885-90) shows a member of the Natal Carbineers wearing the 1879 Campaign Medal and was taken in Natal. There is a partially legible name on the back, which seems to read "Mr. H (or W.) Gar....." If anyone can help me with this mans identity please do. A unit muster list from that time period would probably solve the problem. I can also send a scan of the photo if that will help.
Date	Replies
1st December 2002	John Young Edward, My copy of Stalker's is out at present. According to 'The Times of Natal' for 6th December, 1878. The only men with a surname beginning with a 'G' were Grainger & Greene. The list obviously doesn't take account of any recruits joining after Isandlwana. Somewhere here in my mess of papers, I do have a roll for the campaign. Trooper W. Grainger may well be an option. I have a photograph of him circa 1879, he appears to be a young man, 20's, with fair hair. Does this description fit the bill? Please send me a scan, and I'll see if I recognise the face. John Young, A.-Z.W.R.S.
1st December 2002	Edward Garcia Thanks John. I will forward you a scan of the front of the photo as well as the signature as it appears on the reverse side. Before I purchased the photo on eBay I viewed the scan and thought that it might be a photo of "Offy" Shepstone based upon the watercolor by Lt Fairlie. After I purchased the photo I realized that I was wrong as to this identification but not disappointed since it seem that any photo of a Natal Carbineer from the Zulu War era is pretty rare. There are some other possibilities as to the signature on the reverse. One is that the signature is not that at all but simply the name of the person that the photographee was giving it to or that the Carbineer was a member of a different unit during the war (possibly even a British regular) who joined the Carbineers after the war ended. Thanks again. Ed