Sgt Stratton 2 /24th |
Keith Smith
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Graham
I can't help you with the source of Gon's tale but I can tell you that elsewhere he has misled his readers with regard to witnesses to the Isandlwana eclipse. He says that Lieutenant Wilfred Heaton noted in his diary that the eclipse of the sun began at 11:51 (p. 228). This information was, in fact, printed by the diary publisher. I know this to be a fact as Martin Everett showed me Heaton's diary several years ago. Mr Gon's tales should therefore be treated with some scepticism. KIS |
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Martin Everett
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2-24/1680 Sgt Alfred Stratton is commemorated by name at the Edward Street � Garden of Remembrance in King William�s Town. This cemetery contains the remains of soldiers of the 24th moved there in 1972 from Pirie Bush Post, Fort Jackson, Fort White, Kabousie, Izeli, Bailie�s Post, Fort Murray, Debe Nek, Isidence and Mncoesha. So one can assume that Sgt Stratton was originally buried in one of these places.
As to the cause of death, there are some sources: 1. Norman Holme in The Noble 24th states he died of disease taken from the muster roll (WO16/1579?) and place was Pietermartzburg. Did he get the place wrong? 2. See Philip Gon�s The Road to Isandlwana, page 160. 3. Medal Roll for 2/24th states Died of Disease on 3/4/1878 (?). 4. He is recorded in the casualty roll WO25/3368 � which is often inaccurate over dates and spelling of names � and caused further mis-entries to be carried over into the London Gazette and �Casualty Roll for Zulu & Basuto Wars� 1877-79 by I T Tavender. So all three sources are, are in my view, less than reliable and caused many problems with casual researchers. 5. The key document has to be the Pay & Muster Roll for 2/24th 1878-79 � WO16/1579 � which from memory states �died of disease 30/4/1878�. Remember that 711 men of the 24th Regiment were lost in South Africa during the period 1875-1879 � nearly a battalion�s worth of soldiers. That�s best I can do. |
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_________________ Martin Everett Brecon, Powys |
Thank You. |
Sapper Mason
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, Dear Martin , Thank you for the information on this forum regarding Sgt Stratton . I have only recently received a copy of the GON book and do find it rather alarming that he refers to a headless corpse sitting upright in his grave minus his boots ! , the regimental records having has died of disease !!! , quite a difference in circumstance . I ask myself what source Mr Gon employed to come to this dramatic item on page 160 of his book ? . If i were a descendant of Sgt Stratton i would be quite upset at this quite frankly and hope if there are descendants the fate of their ancestor proved to be the version held by the regiment. It`s quite obvious that an immense amount of research still needs to be carried out by full - time reseachers and the casual ones as well . If there were ever a further reprint of " The Noble 24 th " i hope someone would investigate this particular incident more fully . Thank you again for your detailed response Martin , " Sapper "
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Sgt Stratton 2 /24th |
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