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Natal Native Contingent

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122: 352:. 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, 25: 295:, 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 267:
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
338:, 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 242:
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
291:, 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 218:
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.
322:, 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. 280:
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
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The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation Under Shaka and its Fall in the Zulu War of 1879
46: 549: 304: 752: 82: 782: 684: 215: 189: 161: 420: 35: 284:, frequently assigned NNC troops to menial tasks, refusing to credit their fighting abilities. 705: 611:. Historical dictionaries of war, revolution, and civil unrest. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. 534: 369: 288: 757: 353: 157: 8: 414: 164:
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
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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
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 175: 764: 485: 483: 481: 214:of 100 black soldiers each, with six European 703: 478: 192:as part of the Zululand expeditionary force. 152:. The Contingent saw action during the 1879 710:. Men-at-Arms 388. Osperey Publishing Ltd. 639:The 100 Worst Military Disasters in History 364:. After the war, the NNH was retained as a 287:Battlefield performance was uneven. At the 502: 500: 498: 773:1878 establishments in the British Empire 311:for his gallantry in the ensuing battle. 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 566: 506: 120: 704:Castle, Ian; Ruggeri, Raffaele (2003). 495: 348:Five troops of the NNH were present at 307:, remained with the latter winning the 765: 724: 682: 608:Historical dictionary of the Zulu wars 604: 585: 525: 489: 465: 325: 653: 453: 441: 412: 318:instead. The NNC last saw action at 47:adding citations to reliable sources 18: 13: 531: 14: 799: 731:. Combat 3. Oxford: Osprey Pub. 258: 23: 560: 511:. University of Alabama Press. 34:needs additional citations for 567:Thompson, Paul Singer (2006). 507:Thompson, Paul Singer (2006). 459: 447: 435: 406: 386: 176:Establishment and organisation 1: 419:. London: J. Murray. p.  399: 647:10.5040/9798400605413.ch-056 303:corporal of the contingent, 221: 7: 746: 416:The Mounted Police of Natal 305:Christian Ferdinand Schiess 10: 804: 778:British colonial regiments 753:Natal Native Pioneer Corps 586:Morris, Donald R. (1988). 206:consisted of two to three 535:The Washing of the Spears 58:"Natal Native Contingent" 548:: CS1 maint: location ( 379: 263:At the beginning of the 202:units at the time. Each 190:Anthony William Durnford 293:Battle of Rorke's Drift 131:Natal Native Contingent 538:. 1998: Da Capo Press. 126: 605:Laband, John (2009). 370:Second Anglo-Boer War 289:Battle of Isandhlwana 133:was a large force of 124: 16:British military unit 758:Natal Mounted Police 725:Knight, Ian (2013). 683:Knight, Ian (2003). 413:Holt, H. P. (1913). 354:Horace Smith-Dorrien 158:Natal Mounted Police 43:improve this article 210:, divided into ten 654:Lock, Ron (2017). 532:Morris, Donald R. 326:Natal Native Horse 316:Natal Border Guard 135:auxiliary soldiers 127: 738:978-1-78200-365-6 686:The Zulu War 1879 667:978-1-5267-0742-0 641:: 202–206. 2020. 618:978-0-8108-6078-0 578:978-0-8173-5368-1 358:Battle of Kambula 119: 118: 111: 93: 795: 742: 721: 700: 679: 650: 630: 601: 582: 554: 553: 547: 539: 529: 523: 522: 504: 493: 487: 476: 475: 463: 457: 451: 445: 439: 433: 432: 410: 393: 390: 362:Battle of Ulundi 183:Pietermaritzburg 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 803: 802: 798: 797: 796: 794: 793: 792: 783:Colony of Natal 763: 762: 749: 739: 718: 697: 668: 633: 619: 598: 579: 563: 558: 557: 541: 540: 530: 526: 519: 505: 496: 488: 479: 474:(348): 297–309. 464: 460: 452: 448: 440: 436: 411: 407: 402: 397: 396: 391: 387: 382: 328: 282:Lord Chelmsford 261: 224: 178: 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 801: 791: 790: 785: 780: 775: 761: 760: 755: 748: 745: 744: 743: 737: 722: 716: 701: 695: 680: 666: 651: 631: 617: 602: 596: 583: 577: 562: 559: 556: 555: 524: 517: 494: 477: 458: 446: 434: 404: 403: 401: 398: 395: 394: 384: 383: 381: 378: 327: 324: 309:Victoria Cross 297:Gert Adendorff 274:light infantry 270:reconnaissance 265:Anglo-Zulu War 260: 257: 223: 220: 177: 174: 154:Anglo-Zulu War 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 800: 789: 786: 784: 781: 779: 776: 774: 771: 770: 768: 759: 756: 754: 751: 750: 740: 734: 730: 729: 723: 719: 717:9781841764849 713: 709: 708: 702: 698: 696:9781841766126 692: 688: 687: 681: 677: 673: 669: 663: 659: 658: 652: 648: 644: 640: 636: 632: 628: 624: 620: 614: 610: 609: 603: 599: 597:9780747401940 593: 589: 584: 580: 574: 570: 565: 564: 551: 545: 537: 536: 528: 520: 518:0-8173-5368-2 514: 510: 503: 501: 499: 492:, p. 297 491: 486: 484: 482: 473: 469: 462: 455: 450: 443: 438: 430: 426: 422: 418: 417: 409: 405: 389: 385: 377: 375: 371: 367: 363: 359: 355: 351: 346: 344: 341: 337: 333: 323: 321: 317: 312: 310: 306: 302: 298: 294: 290: 285: 283: 279: 275: 271: 266: 259:Effectiveness 256: 254: 250: 246: 241: 235: 233: 229: 219: 217: 213: 209: 205: 201: 198: 193: 191: 186: 184: 173: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 140: 136: 132: 123: 113: 110: 102: 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 727: 706: 685: 656: 638: 635:"Isandlwana" 607: 590:. Cardinal. 587: 568: 561:Bibliography 533: 527: 508: 471: 467: 461: 456:, p. 19 449: 444:, p. 15 437: 415: 408: 388: 347: 329: 313: 286: 262: 236: 225: 194: 187: 179: 142:South Africa 130: 128: 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 360:and at the 767:Categories 490:Smith 2008 400:References 350:Isandlwana 278:heatstroke 245:ammunition 208:battalions 69:newspapers 676:991077017 627:276930370 544:cite book 454:Holt 1913 442:Holt 1913 429:458059621 222:Equipment 212:companies 99:July 2008 747:See also 240:assegais 228:bandanna 204:regiment 200:infantry 343:carbine 332:cavalry 320:Hlobane 253:shields 197:British 139:British 83:scholar 735:  714:  693:  674:  664:  625:  615:  594:  575:  515:  427:  366:police 340:rifled 299:and a 249:spears 166:Basuto 156:. The 146:colony 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  380:Notes 374:Boers 336:Zulus 301:Swiss 170:Zulus 150:Natal 90:JSTOR 76:books 733:ISBN 712:ISBN 691:ISBN 672:OCLC 662:ISBN 623:OCLC 613:ISBN 592:ISBN 573:ISBN 550:link 513:ISBN 425:OCLC 272:and 251:and 232:Zulu 216:NCOs 162:NCOs 129:The 62:news 643:doi 148:of 137:in 45:by 769:: 670:. 637:. 621:. 546:}} 542:{{ 497:^ 480:^ 472:86 470:. 423:. 421:15 376:. 185:. 172:. 741:. 720:. 699:. 678:. 649:. 645:: 629:. 600:. 581:. 552:) 521:. 431:. 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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"Natal Native Contingent"
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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
NCOs

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