SOUTH AFRICA MEDAL BAR 1877-8-9; Private Edmund Morgan, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment.
Both battalions of the 24th Regiment were heavily engaged in the Ninth Cape Frontier War (1877-78) and the invasion of Zululand (1879), and they were attached to the Centre Column under Col. Glyn for the invasion of Zululand. During the iSandlwana operations a company of the 2/24th was left in the camp at iSandlwana whilst several other companies marched out early on the morning of 22 January under Lord Chelmsford to sweep the Mangeni hills. During Lord Chelmsford's absence the camp at iSandlwana was attacked and over-run; in the aftermath B Company of the 2nd Battalion defended the mission station at Rorke's Drift; between them these two actions undoubtedly constituted the most famous incidents in the Anglo-Zulu War. Edmund Morgan was not present at either action, but was probably with those companies of the 2/24th who were out with Lord Chelmsford. As such he would have returned to the devastated field of iSandlwana after the battle and spent the night on the battlefield, and on the following morning returned to Rorke’s Drift.Like the rest of the battalion, he would have spent several weeks camped at the newly-fortified post at Rorke’s Drift (‘Fort Bromhead’), and as such would have witnessed the aftermath of the fighting, and had the opportunity to discuss the battle with members of B Company. Pte. E. Morgan is confirmed on Forsyth's medal roll, and in Norman Holme's 'The Silver Wreath'. One knock to the rim but otherwise in very good/fine condition.
