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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Glamorganshire => Topic started by: LyndonRees on Friday 14 December 12 12:35 GMT (UK)
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I'm looking for some info on my ancestor Will Rees who was in the South Wales Borderers and fought during the Zulu War in 1879 at Rorke's Drift. My cousin has a velvet cover with a South Wales Borderers badge on it but i can't find any info about him at all. He may have been at one of the other major battles of the time against the Zulus but he's been difficult to trace.
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Can you give any more information ,year of birth and place of birth?
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Ancestry have many entries for Rees's in The Boer War. Below is one, - but with no dates or full name, it's a bit like looking in the proverbial haystack(!)
Romilly. :)
W J Rees
Casualty Type: Died
Casualty Date: 4 Nov 1900
Casualty Place: Germiston
Rank: Sergeant
Force: South Africa Field Force
Regiment: Welsh Regiment
Battalion: 1st Battalion
Number: 7323
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I'm not really sure what his birth year is but my father once told me he died in about 1879 during the Zulu Wars. We have a William Rees that i already know about born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1858 but he was a brickmaker and didn't fight in any war. Most of my Rees ancestors were born in Merthyr or Dowlais and my great-great grandfather Evan Rees had several brothers one David Rees had a son William born 1855 in Merthyr. Sorry it's not much help but could it be him? Thank you Romilly for your info, i'll check that up. Thank You.
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Hello :)
This could be him:
1411
Private William Rees
2nd Bn 24th Foot (2nd Warwickshire)
Killed in Action
Isandlwana
22 January 1879
Kind Regards
Morgan
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Thank you Morgan for your info. I'll check that up.
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Hello :)
This could be him:
1411
Private William Rees
2nd Bn 24th Foot (2nd Warwickshire)
Killed in Action
Isandlwana
22 January 1879
Kind Regards
Morgan
You might be interested to know more about this battle, LyndonRees.
See:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0slp/
Best Wishes, Romilly. :)
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Thanks for that Romilly. It made interesting reading.
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http://www.victoriacross.co.uk/Rorke's%20Details.html#An Alphabetical List Of All Personnel That Actually Took Part In The Battle of Rorkes Drift On The 22nd and 23rd January 1879. The above site may be of some help to you.
Christine :-\
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Hello :)
William died at the Battle of Isandlwana rather than Rorke's Drift itself.
"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 Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, and continued into the following day, 23 January."
Best Wishes
Morgan
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This site has some interesting stories, including eye witness testimony:
http://www.historyofwaronline.com/ZuluWar.html
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Thank you Ruchca and Morgan for your help, will look those websites through.