The remains of a British soldier who died during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, which was fought between the British Empire and the villainous Zulus, have been identified.
The Zulu Kingdom was a small state in southern Africa in what is now South Africa.
The British defeated the Zulus during the war and the Zulu Kingdom came to an end.
Now the remains of a British soldier who fought in the first battle of that war have been identified after 130 years - by his tunic button.
Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane was just 24 on January 22, 1879 when he fell during the Battle of Isandlwana, when 1,350 British redcoats were slaughtered by 22,000 Zulu warriors.
The metal badge was discovered with Colour-Sergeant Keane's skeleton in April during excavations by Amafa, the heritage organisation responsible for protecting the historic battle field 100 miles north of Durban.
Just hours after the Battle of Isandlwana, the Battle of Rorke's Drift took place, where just 130 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an army of around 4,000 Zulu fighters.
The British went on to win the Anglo-Zulu War, and the villainous Zulu nation's independence was no more.
Remains of British soldier who died in first battle of Zulu war identified after 130 years - by his tunic button
By Stewart Maclean
17th June 2009
Daily Mail
Found: Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane whose remains have finally been identified 130 years after he died in battle
The remains of a British soldier have finally been identified, 130 years after he died in one of Britain's bloodiest colonial battles.
Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane was just 24 on January 22, 1879 when he fell during the first major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War.
For more than a century his body lay anonymously near the mass graves of more than 1,300 colleagues who also lost their lives in Britain's bloody defeat at Isandlwana, in what is now South Africa.
The Battle of Isandlwana, in 1879, during which 1,350 brave British lads were savagely slaughtered by the Zulus
But historians have now finally been able to identify his remains after archaeologists unearthed a tunic button on his skeleton.
Historian Arthur Konigkramer said the distinctive metal badge was that of the General Staff Corps - and the only soldier from that regiment who fought at Isandlwana was Colour-Sergeant Keane.
He added: 'This is a truly remarkable discovery.'
British soldiers, in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War.
The metal badge was discovered with Colour-Sergeant Keane's skeleton in April during excavations by Amafa, the heritage organisation responsible for protecting the historic battle field 100 miles north of Durban.
Archaeologists found it as they dug out the foundations of guards' accommodation.
A photograph of the badge was emailed to British military medal expert John Young in London, who identified the markings and the soldier it belonged to.
Amafa spokesman Mr Konigkramer said the finding had helped historians build up a clear picture of what had happened to the young Colour-Sergeant during the bloody battle, in which around 1,350 British troops were slaughtered by 22,000 Zulu warriors.
The tunic button that held the key to Keane's identity
Mr Kronigkramer said: 'Keane was not a front-line soldier and was likely one of the last to abandon camp at Isandlwana when it was obvious the Zulu were overwhelming it.
'He was staff clerk to Colonel John Crealock, military secretary to Lord Chelmsford, commander of the British invasion of Zululand.
'He was probably on horseback which would explain his body being found some way down the Fugitives Trail along which survivors fled towards the uMzinyathi river and the safety of Natal.
'He was probably speared by a warrior in the part of the Zulu army which had snaked behind Isandlwana mountain to trap the fugitives. His body was found alone which is unusual.'
He added: 'If the button had come from the uniform of a soldier of the 24th Regiment, he could never have been identified as hundreds of them died at Isandlwana and are among the 1,300 men buried there.'
The British memorial at Isandlwana battlefield in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa (file photo)
The British army's huge loss at Isandlwana was the first, and bloodiest, of many costly battles during the six-month Zulu war.
Zulu fighters armed with spears and shields wiped out entire regiments of British soldiers, who brandished rifles and fought alongside native colonial soldiers in a bid to win control of Zulu land near Britain's Cape Colony.
The battle was followed hours later by the historic clash at nearby Rorke's Drift, where just 130 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an army of around 4,000 Zulu fighters.
The British army went on to win the war four months later and the Zulu kingdom lost its independence.
Afterwards the bodies of the British casualties at Isandlwana were buried in mass graves where they had fallen.
Today white cairns mark the burial sites of the unidentified men, whose families would never know where they died.
Historians are now hoping they will be able to trace descendants of Colour-Sergeant Keane and return the tunic badge to the family.
dailymail.co.uk
The Zulu Kingdom was a small state in southern Africa in what is now South Africa.
The British defeated the Zulus during the war and the Zulu Kingdom came to an end.
Now the remains of a British soldier who fought in the first battle of that war have been identified after 130 years - by his tunic button.
Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane was just 24 on January 22, 1879 when he fell during the Battle of Isandlwana, when 1,350 British redcoats were slaughtered by 22,000 Zulu warriors.
The metal badge was discovered with Colour-Sergeant Keane's skeleton in April during excavations by Amafa, the heritage organisation responsible for protecting the historic battle field 100 miles north of Durban.
Just hours after the Battle of Isandlwana, the Battle of Rorke's Drift took place, where just 130 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an army of around 4,000 Zulu fighters.
The British went on to win the Anglo-Zulu War, and the villainous Zulu nation's independence was no more.
Remains of British soldier who died in first battle of Zulu war identified after 130 years - by his tunic button
By Stewart Maclean
17th June 2009
Daily Mail
Found: Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane whose remains have finally been identified 130 years after he died in battle
The remains of a British soldier have finally been identified, 130 years after he died in one of Britain's bloodiest colonial battles.
Colour-Sergeant M.C. Keane was just 24 on January 22, 1879 when he fell during the first major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War.
For more than a century his body lay anonymously near the mass graves of more than 1,300 colleagues who also lost their lives in Britain's bloody defeat at Isandlwana, in what is now South Africa.
The Battle of Isandlwana, in 1879, during which 1,350 brave British lads were savagely slaughtered by the Zulus
But historians have now finally been able to identify his remains after archaeologists unearthed a tunic button on his skeleton.
Historian Arthur Konigkramer said the distinctive metal badge was that of the General Staff Corps - and the only soldier from that regiment who fought at Isandlwana was Colour-Sergeant Keane.
He added: 'This is a truly remarkable discovery.'
British soldiers, in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War.
The metal badge was discovered with Colour-Sergeant Keane's skeleton in April during excavations by Amafa, the heritage organisation responsible for protecting the historic battle field 100 miles north of Durban.
Archaeologists found it as they dug out the foundations of guards' accommodation.
A photograph of the badge was emailed to British military medal expert John Young in London, who identified the markings and the soldier it belonged to.
Amafa spokesman Mr Konigkramer said the finding had helped historians build up a clear picture of what had happened to the young Colour-Sergeant during the bloody battle, in which around 1,350 British troops were slaughtered by 22,000 Zulu warriors.
The tunic button that held the key to Keane's identity
Mr Kronigkramer said: 'Keane was not a front-line soldier and was likely one of the last to abandon camp at Isandlwana when it was obvious the Zulu were overwhelming it.
'He was staff clerk to Colonel John Crealock, military secretary to Lord Chelmsford, commander of the British invasion of Zululand.
'He was probably on horseback which would explain his body being found some way down the Fugitives Trail along which survivors fled towards the uMzinyathi river and the safety of Natal.
'He was probably speared by a warrior in the part of the Zulu army which had snaked behind Isandlwana mountain to trap the fugitives. His body was found alone which is unusual.'
He added: 'If the button had come from the uniform of a soldier of the 24th Regiment, he could never have been identified as hundreds of them died at Isandlwana and are among the 1,300 men buried there.'
The British memorial at Isandlwana battlefield in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa (file photo)
The British army's huge loss at Isandlwana was the first, and bloodiest, of many costly battles during the six-month Zulu war.
Zulu fighters armed with spears and shields wiped out entire regiments of British soldiers, who brandished rifles and fought alongside native colonial soldiers in a bid to win control of Zulu land near Britain's Cape Colony.
The battle was followed hours later by the historic clash at nearby Rorke's Drift, where just 130 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an army of around 4,000 Zulu fighters.
The British army went on to win the war four months later and the Zulu kingdom lost its independence.
Afterwards the bodies of the British casualties at Isandlwana were buried in mass graves where they had fallen.
Today white cairns mark the burial sites of the unidentified men, whose families would never know where they died.
Historians are now hoping they will be able to trace descendants of Colour-Sergeant Keane and return the tunic badge to the family.
dailymail.co.uk
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