Kwazulu-Natal, ESHOWE district, Eshowe, Battle of Nyezane, memorial

09 November 2021 7 images Share: Facebook , Twitter , Google+

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Cemetery information:- Album complete. eGGSA captions by: Riana le Roux The GGSA Cemetery DVD only has information on the cemetery location. Cemetery ID: 6370 Google Earth Cemetery Initiative Information:- GPSID: 7600 GPS: -28 56.923, 31 32.369 Nyezane Memorial Site The battle at the Nyezane was fought on the same day as the battle of Isandlwana – 22 January, 1879. The British and colonial forces won the day at the minor Nyezane skirmish but suffered a massive defeat at Isandlwana. The colonial troops who were killed at the battle of Nyezane are buried on a site marked by only a memorial with a list of their names. No individual graves are currently visible. The site is located not far from the left hand side of the R66 as you head north from Gingindlovu to Eshowe, just as you start to climb the first major hill. There was a sign board marking the historical site of the battle of Nyezane, however, this has now vanished, so you need to watch carefully to select the correct minor turn off onto a dirt road to the left. The turn off is located at S 28o 59’ 59”, E 31o 32’ 33”. Follow this winding road for a couple of hundred meters, then take the road up the slope to the right for about 50 m and the site will be clearly visible at S 58o 56’ 59”, E 31o 22’ 24”. Currently there is a fence of 9 m by 12 m surrounding the site with a gate, front centre. The first photo (1) is a general view of the site. The flat (horizontal) memorial stone on the left of this photo is a memorial to the Zulu troops who fell. The inscription is shown in photo 2. In the centre is an information board. Inscriptions are shown in photos 3 and 4. Finally, there is the memorial to the British and colonial troops that fell. These are shown in photos 5, 6 and 7. The memorial stone to the fallen Zulu warriors (Photo 2) starts with a tribute in isiZulu. The English version is inscribed below and reads: “BATTLE OF NYEZANE, 2201/1879. IZINGULUBE, IQHWA, UMXHAPHO, IZINGWEGWE, INSUKAMGENI. THE NAMES OF MOST OF THE BRAVE DEFENDERS OF THE OLD ZULU, ORDER WHO DIED DURING THIS BATTLE ARE LOST TO HISTORY. SOME 300 WARRIORS, REPRESENTING THE REGIMENTS ABOVE, AND UNDER THE COMMAND OF MATHIYA, PERISHED HERE.” The inscription on the information board has an English version on the left and an isiZulu version on the right – photos 3 and 4. The English version reads: “BATTLE OF NYEZANE. The first attack on the British in the Anglo Zulu war occurred on 22 January 1879 while about 3 000 British soldiers of the Coastal Column under Colonel Charles Pearson were taking a breakfast break, before beginning the climb from the coastal plain towards the higher ground of Eshowe. The British called it the Battle of the Nyezane after the nearby river which they had just crossed. Zulus know it as the Battle of Wombane after the mountain which was key to their surprise attack on the British. Twelve British soldiers, including two officers, were killed in the battle and buried on the battlefield close to the memorial which now marks the site of the battle. Between 400 and 500 Zulu warriors were killed in the battle. After the battle the British soldiers made their way to Eshowe and turned the abandoned mission station into a makeshift fort. The disastrous defeat of the British at the battle of Isandlwana was fought on the same day several 100 kilometres to the northwest.” The memorial to the British troops (photos 5,6 and 7) reads: “IN MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS AND MEN KILLED ON 22ND JANUARY 1879 AT THE BATTLE OF NYEZANE (OMBANE) & WHO ARE BURIED HERE. LIEUT. J.L. RAINES N.N.C. LIEUT. GUSTAV PLATTNER “ “ “ SERGT. EMIL UNGER “ “ “ CPL. CARL GOESCH “ “ “ CPL. WILHELM LIEPER “ “ “ CPL. EDWARD MILLER “ “ “ PTE. JOHN BOUGH 3RD REG (BUFFS) PTE. JAMES KELLERKER “ “ “ FIVE PRIVATES OF THE NATAL NATIVE CORPS” All notes, diagrams, photos and communication with locals were by Gavin Peckham Transport pkfo Albert van Jaarsveld.