Anthony Durnford
Encyclopedia
Colonel Anthony William Durnford (Ireland
24 May 1830-Isandlwana
22 January 1879) was a career British Army
officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War
. Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his presence at the defeat of the British army by the Zulu
at the Battle of Isandlwana
.
, Colonel Commandant of Royal Engineers
. His younger brother, Edward, also served in the British military, as a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Marine Artillery
. During his formative years he lived with his uncle in Düsseldorf
, Germany
.
Durnford returned to England to enter the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
and was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the Royal Engineers in 1848. Between 1851 and 1856 he served in Ceylon
, stationed at Trincomalee
, where he provided distinguished assistance in designing the harbour. In 1853 Durnford was instrumental in saving portions of the harbour defences from destruction by fire.
Durnford volunteered for service in the Crimean War
but was not accepted. However, he was transferred in 1856 to Malta
as an intermediate posting. However Durnford did not see active service either in the Crimea or in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. He saw duty in Malta as adjutant until February 1858, when he was posted back to Chatham
and Aldershot
in England. Between 1861 and 1864 Durnford commanded No. 27 Field Company, Royal Engineers, at Gibraltar
. In 1864, promoted to captain, he returned to England in order to take up a posting prepare for a transfer to China, but was invalided back to England while in transit. After his recovery, Durnford spent the next six years at Devonport
and Dublin on routine garrison duties. In 1871 he received a posting to South Africa.
Of the 16 months following his arrival in the Cape, Durnford spent the greater portion at King William's Town
. In a letter to his mother he wrote of the Blacks: . . they are at least honest, chivalrous, and hospitable, true to their salt, although only barbarians. They are fine men, very naked and all that sort of thing, but thoroughly good fellows. He appears to have adhered to his idealistic picture throughout the remaining years of his life.
He was later stationed at Pietermaritzburg
, where he was befriended by Bishop Colenso
. He saw some action during the pursuit of Langalibalele
at Bushman's River Pass, where he showed great courage but received two assegai stabs, one in his side, the other in his elbow; severing a nerve thus paralysing his left under-arm and hand for the rest of his life. Durnford managed to shoot two of his assailants with his revolver and to extricate himself. His Carbineers had abandoned him, but his loyal Basuto
troopers stood by him.
--"commanding presence, untiring energy and undoubted powers of leadership", he was also apt to be headstrong, and was threatened with loss of command by Lord Chelmsford. Assigned to lead the No. 2 Column of Chelmsford's invasion army, Durnford commanded a mixed force of African troops including the Natal Native Horse and a detachment of the 1st Regiment Natal Native Contingent
.
On January 20 Durnford's force was ordered to Rorke's Drift
to support Chelmsford's column. On the morning of January 22 Durnford's troops marched to Isandlwana, arriving at mid-morning. A Royal Engineer
, Durnford was superior in rank to Brevet Lt-Col Henry Pulleine
, who had been left in control of the camp. Durnford was killed during the battle, and was later criticised for taking men out of the camp thus weakening its defence. His policy though, was in effect to ride to the sound of the guns, "and attack the Zulu
wherever they appeared", and was well respected by his native Basutos. It must be added, however, that the actions of Durnford and his command effectively halted the left horn of the Zulu army until their cartridge boxes began to run dry. This was no small accomplishment considering the Left Horn included the inGobamakhosi regiment, "The Benders of the Kings". Their ammunition supply expended, Durnford and his troopers fought their way back to the "saddle" that separated the wagon park from the rest of the camp. In one last valiant effort, Durnford perished with a handful of his beloved troopers as the horns of the Zulu army engulfed the camp.
Among the causes of the disaster were the ill-defined relationship between Durnford and Pulleine, brought about by failures of Lord Chelmsford's command and control, a lack of good intelligence on the size and location of Zulu forces which resulted in Chelmsford splitting his force and, most decidedly, Chelmsford's decision not to entrench the camp which was in direct violation of his own standing pre-campaign orders.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
24 May 1830-Isandlwana
Battle of Isandlwana
The Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom...
22 January 1879) was a career British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
. Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his presence at the defeat of the British army by the Zulu
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
at the Battle of Isandlwana
Battle of Isandlwana
The Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom...
.
Background
Durnford was born in to a military family at Manor Hamilton, County Leitrim, Ireland. His father was General E.W. DurnfordElias Walker Durnford
Major General Elias Walker Durnford R.E was the builder of the Citadel, Quebec City.Durnford was born in 1774 in Lowestoft, Norfolk. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers on April 24, 1793. Durnford married Jane Sophia Mann on October 30, 1798...
, Colonel Commandant of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. His younger brother, Edward, also served in the British military, as a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Marine Artillery
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. During his formative years he lived with his uncle in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Durnford returned to England to enter the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
and was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Engineers in 1848. Between 1851 and 1856 he served in Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, stationed at Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, where he provided distinguished assistance in designing the harbour. In 1853 Durnford was instrumental in saving portions of the harbour defences from destruction by fire.
Durnford volunteered for service in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
but was not accepted. However, he was transferred in 1856 to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
as an intermediate posting. However Durnford did not see active service either in the Crimea or in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. He saw duty in Malta as adjutant until February 1858, when he was posted back to Chatham
Chatham, Medway
Chatham is one of the Medway towns located within the Medway unitary authority, in North Kent, in South East England.Although the dockyard has long been closed and is now being redeveloped into a business and residential community as well as a museum featuring the famous submarine, HMS Ocelot,...
and Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
in England. Between 1861 and 1864 Durnford commanded No. 27 Field Company, Royal Engineers, at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. In 1864, promoted to captain, he returned to England in order to take up a posting prepare for a transfer to China, but was invalided back to England while in transit. After his recovery, Durnford spent the next six years at Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
and Dublin on routine garrison duties. In 1871 he received a posting to South Africa.
South African duty
On January 23, 1872, he arrived in Cape Town, still never having seen active service.Of the 16 months following his arrival in the Cape, Durnford spent the greater portion at King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
. In a letter to his mother he wrote of the Blacks: . . they are at least honest, chivalrous, and hospitable, true to their salt, although only barbarians. They are fine men, very naked and all that sort of thing, but thoroughly good fellows. He appears to have adhered to his idealistic picture throughout the remaining years of his life.
He was later stationed at Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, where he was befriended by Bishop Colenso
John William Colenso
John William Colenso , first Anglican bishop of Natal, mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar and social activist.-Biography:Colenso was born at St Austell, Cornwall, on 24 January 1814...
. He saw some action during the pursuit of Langalibalele
Langalibalele
Langalibalele , also known as Mtetwa, was king of the amaHlubi, a bantu tribe in what is the modern-day province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He was born on the eve of the arrival of European settlers in the province. During the diamond rush, many of his young men worked on the mines in...
at Bushman's River Pass, where he showed great courage but received two assegai stabs, one in his side, the other in his elbow; severing a nerve thus paralysing his left under-arm and hand for the rest of his life. Durnford managed to shoot two of his assailants with his revolver and to extricate himself. His Carbineers had abandoned him, but his loyal Basuto
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
troopers stood by him.
Anglo-Zulu War
He was one of the most experienced officers of the Anglo-Zulu WarAnglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
--"commanding presence, untiring energy and undoubted powers of leadership", he was also apt to be headstrong, and was threatened with loss of command by Lord Chelmsford. Assigned to lead the No. 2 Column of Chelmsford's invasion army, Durnford commanded a mixed force of African troops including the Natal Native Horse and a detachment of the 1st Regiment Natal Native Contingent
Natal Native Contingent
The Natal Native Contingent was a large force of auxiliary soldiers in British South Africa, forming a large portion of the defence forces of the British colony of Natal, and saw action during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. The NNC was originally created in 1878 out of the local black population in order...
.
On January 20 Durnford's force was ordered to Rorke's Drift
Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
to support Chelmsford's column. On the morning of January 22 Durnford's troops marched to Isandlwana, arriving at mid-morning. A Royal Engineer
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Durnford was superior in rank to Brevet Lt-Col Henry Pulleine
Henry Pulleine
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Burmester Pulleine was an administrator and commander in the British Army in the Cape Frontier and Anglo-Zulu Wars. He held the acting rank of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel....
, who had been left in control of the camp. Durnford was killed during the battle, and was later criticised for taking men out of the camp thus weakening its defence. His policy though, was in effect to ride to the sound of the guns, "and attack the Zulu
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
wherever they appeared", and was well respected by his native Basutos. It must be added, however, that the actions of Durnford and his command effectively halted the left horn of the Zulu army until their cartridge boxes began to run dry. This was no small accomplishment considering the Left Horn included the inGobamakhosi regiment, "The Benders of the Kings". Their ammunition supply expended, Durnford and his troopers fought their way back to the "saddle" that separated the wagon park from the rest of the camp. In one last valiant effort, Durnford perished with a handful of his beloved troopers as the horns of the Zulu army engulfed the camp.
Among the causes of the disaster were the ill-defined relationship between Durnford and Pulleine, brought about by failures of Lord Chelmsford's command and control, a lack of good intelligence on the size and location of Zulu forces which resulted in Chelmsford splitting his force and, most decidedly, Chelmsford's decision not to entrench the camp which was in direct violation of his own standing pre-campaign orders.
External links
- The South African Military History Society Journal - Vol 6 No 5 - Col A W Durnford
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers biographies (Anthony William Durnford)