Could Sherlock Unravel A Complex Military Defeat ?

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Sherlock,being Queen`s Messenger, would be acting in the interests of Buckingham Palace alone. Mycroft would have no choice in the matter. In this Sherlock would be his superior. Exactly as Sherlock took charge in Scandal In Belgravia. All Sherlock had to say is that he needed equipment and Mycroft didn`t hesitate. Anything his brother needed it was to be supplied. Even an equarrey could not refuse him. Sherlock said it. He is not the commonwealth.

[Truthhunter]

Thanks for that interesting info. What an excellent explanation of the matter in hand.

 

The Queen could only know she was told, the data usually corrupted or misleading.

 

Even she was led to believe that Col. Durnford had been enticed out of the camp, leading to its fall.

 

Disraeli was most displeased with the necessity to go along with Frere's pre-emptive strike into Zululand, in order to prevent knowledge that a British Governor had over-stepped his authority and declared war without Government approval, resulting in massive loss of life and cost.

 

Sherlock and Mycroft therefore, could definitely be seen as acting in the Queen's interest and that of the country, when it is apparent that some areas of politics and military were undertaking decision-making and fatal action independently of home government.

 

With the Holmes brothers working together, progress could have been made to expose the conspiracy, allowing details then and now to be known of exactly what had been covered up and that Isandhlwana, for all its tragedy was just part of a larger plot.

 

Col. Durnford and all others killed in the initial stages of the invasion, would clearly have been seen to have died on a battlefield in a territory, where they never should have been to begin with.

 

The logic in your last post opens this up into a fascinating scenario.

 

I appreciate all your replies in this topic.

[Truthhunter]

There is an interesting sort of sub-plot to all this as well, regarding Col. Durnford.

 

He was part of the Boundary Commission which ruled in the favour of the Zulus, regarding an area called the disputed territory between them and the Boers, the latter having encroached on some of the Zulu territory creating farms, etc.

 

When this happened, Frere withheld the result and instead drew up an ultimatum, which made numerous demands on the Zulu King Cetshwayo, to be acted upon within a very short period of time, which the king couldn't possibly comply with, or war would be declared.

 

Col. Durnford was a champion of the African peoples, but his duty as a soldier meant he had to follow orders to the letter.

 

His death at Isandhlwana, ugly though it sounds, was convenient to certain individuals, as had he survived, the evidence he would have given at any Court Of Inquiry, would have been damning to many, exploding onto the headlines of every newspaper in Britain.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Of course his death was convenient. Since he was champion to the cause of native rights he was counter to the ambitions of Frere. How unfortunate that one man could blackmail England into such an unnecessary conflict.

[Truthhunter]

Well, whether it's because I joined this forum, started this topic, or just about finished reading the tome of the Holmes complete stories, I was inspired to seek out a new angle connected to this conspiracy subject, which led to another dark place of investigation, which compounds the already damning illegal act of war, and takes the story into the true horror of conflict. So much so, I was compelled to pass on the info about what I found out, that may or may not reflect badly on a so-called heroic era, to those whom I know in the Anglo-Zulu War 1879 research community. Time will tell what the reaction, if any, is.

 

Additionally, made contact with a historian in contact with the family whose ancestor was the innocent victim to the scapegoating by the powers-that-be in 1879, my hope being to obtain an image I know exists, of two people intimately involved with him, being his wife and daughter, never yet been seen in books, etc.

 

This hopefully would be the second (unseen) image to be made public, the first being a portrait photo of his loyal brother Edward.

 

So, my thanks to this forum, in particular the member so directly involved in this particular discussion with myself, which motivated me to seek other areas of research/data, which Sherlock himself would do.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Best of luck to you. I sincerely hope that all your efforts prove to be fruitful indeed.

[Truthhunter]

Thanks for that. Historian/researcher got back with info of meeting the descendant at some stage soon, so hopefully photo might be produced and shown to AZW community as a first. I was very pleased when I got Edward's photo a couple of years ago. In connection to other data I found, a topic has been started on another military forum, to bring it to their members attention, in order to get a debate/discussion going on the controversial subject it refers to.

 

So, the game's afoot !

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Sweet. I hope you will keep us posted on your progress.

[jesskayding]

I think I'm too stupid to aide in theory for this thread. Way over my head.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I doubt that you're stupid, Jesskay but I know that military logistics isn't easy. Heck no. How can it be when even the military can't always get it right.

[Truthhunter]

Well, the first case involving the ill-advised use of a famous Rorke's Drift painting on the cover of a controversial book, led to contact by a friend to the author to make enquiries. Additionally, to a gallery in Australia, then back to a company in the UK.

 

No satisfactory response as yet, regarding it's cause to be used in such fashion.

 

As for the scapegoating of Col. Durnford after the defeat at Isandhlwana being investigated by Holmes, suggested it as a topic starter in a Zulu War 1879 forum for discussion.

 

Hopefully it is used as such and replied to.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

So, there has been no progress made in that direction as yet?

[Truthhunter]

What once was a hugely debated subject going against Col. Durnford, has been reactivated recently on a Zulu War 1879 forum, and has made a complete U-turn in his favour, once members started looking more closely at the facts, even my name made a small appearance in a post, referring to a time I constantly confronted Durnford's biggest critic, and now I appear to be seen as correct.

 

I was once told I was Col. Durnford's (modern day) champion, by a descendant of him, which was incredibly flattering.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I can see why it would be flattering. Good on you for sticking to your guns and believing in the innocence of the man.

[Truthhunter]

Thank you.

 

Fortunately, my total belief in such made me wish to do something to draw positive attention to him last year, on the anniversary of Isandhlwana, when, with the huge help of a battlefield tour guide based nearby to it, organised a wreath to be laid on Col. Durnford's grave at Fort Napier cemetery in Pietermaritzburg, by a serving Major in the modern Natal Carbineers, a unit which lost several men who fought and died beside Col. Durnford in his last stand.

 

Several photos were taken of the private ceremony and added to a Zulu War forum.

 

It was historical, in the fact that nothing had been done like this in the whole time since he was first interred.

 

Now that enthusiasts are seeing him in the right light finally, it is all the more timely and apt.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Sometimes a generation or two has to pass before the truth can be approached logically and without emotions clouding the more important issues.

[joanneta1]

Make that several hundreds of generations, Bakerstreet Irregular. It is a repeat of the battle of Atuatuca Tungorum, when the Eburones surrounded the retrenched Roman camp under Ambiori x and massacred fifteen cohorts, when the Romans made a desperate stand, before Caesar could arrive to save the surviving commander, Quintus Tullius Cicero, another younger brother. As Sherlock remarks in Scandal, nothing is ever new under the sun!

Anyway, for this particular story, there must be transcripts in the Imperial War Museum and definitely in the History Archive of the University of London, while the Disraeli papers are here, there and everywhere, British Library Manuscript section to start with.

Good luck with that research!

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

War is war and there are always those ready and willing to fan the flames. Provoking no matter how many generations do or do not pass. We are seeing it every day in the news. But any way, someone has those papers. Maybe tucked away in a bank vault, perhaps. Unless they were lost in a fire, which seems to happen a lot....or at least that is what researches are often told.