capt george anthony durnford

The following article appeared in the Natal Witness February 3, 1879.  Thank you to the Fort Durnford Museum in Estcourt, Natal, Africa where the original article can be found.  The article was kindly sent to me by Rosemary Dixon-Smith, great-great-granddaughter of Captain Bell, first Port Captain of Natal. 

CAPTAIN GEORGE [ANTHONY] DURNFORD (later Colonel, and an uncle of Anthony William Durnford of Anglo-Zulu War fame) was in command of a company of the 27th Foot which went to the assistance of the British garrison besieged by rebellious Dutch trekboers at Port Natal in June 1842.

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF EVENTS: This grenadier company happened to be the only troops present in Grahamstown when news of the siege was brought by Natal colonist Dick King, who had ridden 600 miles in ten days to alert the authorities and to fetch reinforcements.

Anchored in Algoa Bay was the Conch, under Captain William Bell, who was experienced in the coastal waters and volunteered the services of himself and his ship to carry the available troops to Port Natal. Captain Durnford's men were duly packed into the little schooner, which left without delay, reaching Natal a fortnight later.

Meanwhile, five companies of the 25th Foot had been dispatched from Cape Town in the frigate Southampton, and when the besieged garrison at Natal, who had undergone great privation and were by this time reduced to eating horseflesh, saw the rocket flares of the two vessels outside the port, they knew that relief was at hand.

There was a large sandbank at the entrance to Natal harbour, which made it impossible for the frigate to enter. She therefore gave covering fire while the Conch, her decks and hold laden with Durnford's men and also towing boatloads of the other troops from the Southampton, sailed under heavy fire from enemy guns, over the Bar and into the Bay. The Conch was soon anchored, and the men disembarked and went into action, successfully raising the siege, releasing the garrison, and causing the enemy to withdraw inland.

The result of this conflict was the end of the Boer Republic of Natalia and the final annexation by Britain of Natal to the Cape Colony followed in 1844.

BELL'S NARRATIVE: Captain Bell, in the"Narrative of the Conch", described the events of 1842 in his own inimitable, salty style, including the fact that the soldiers "were no sooner landed than they rushed into the bush like so many bloodhounds, Captain Durnford at their head...." Bell was rather more critical of other parts of the action, viz.: "On our passage from Algoa Bay, Captain Durnford informed the officers under his command that, when they entered Port Natal, they must wear shell-jackets and their side-arms, by this arrangement their double-barreled guns would be unemployed. The captain proposed to Mr.......that as he must be a good shot, he might have the use of his gun when entering the harbour. She was cleaned up and put in good order and loaded, but not discharged. To relate the particulars of this would be contrary to the wish of my deceased friend, Major Durnford; we must, therefore, lower it down into the lower hold of oblivion...."

Sources:
"Narrative of the Entrance of the 'Conch' at Port Natal" by Capt. William Douglas Bell, printed by the Natal Mercury, Durban 1869.
"Annals of Natal" Vol 1 & 11 : J. Bird

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