Posted on 06/29/2014 7:34:22 AM PDT by bd476
Wales Online
June 29, 2014 06:00
By Robin Turner
His role in the battle of Rorke’s Drift was immortalised in the 1964 movie Zulu, yet James Owen’s grave is marked with just a few rotten pieces of wood bearing his name.
Now a campaign is underway to re-dedicate and refurbish the overgrown cemetery plot in South Wales, which is the last resting place of this hero of yesteryear.
Private Owen was portrayed by singer Ivor Emmanuel in the Stanley Baker produced movie about the 1879 battle in South Africa. There, some 150 British soldiers – a number of whom were Welsh – successfully held off a force of 4,000 Zulu warriors.
In the film, Emmanuel, as Pte Owen, leads the weary British soldiers in singing to raise their morale and to match the spiritual songs of the Zulu forces. At the end, he leads the stirring singing of Men of Harlech.
Pte Owen survived the battle and died in Swansea aged 87 in 1938 while living with his son in Kemble Street, Brynmill.
His grave is now in Bethel Cemetery in the city’s Sketty area. Royal Marines bugler Sgt Tim Needham, who has worked to restore a number of graves of Rorke’s Drift survivors, wants Pte Owen’s last resting spot to be given greater attention.
He said: “I’m hoping to bring some attention to the fact a few rotten fragments of a fallen wooden cross bearing the name James Owen are all that remains to mark the plot, and that given his part in such a legendary action there should surely be something a little more fitting to mark this soldier’s final resting place.
“I’m sure most people will be familiar with the legendary battle which took place during the Zulu War of 1879 and resulted in the award of 11 Victoria Crosses and later depicted in Zulu.
“Given the increased interest in marking Rorke’s Drift graves in the past few years, it would be fantastic to stir some local interest in finally resolving this sad situation.”
Born in Swansea and initially a tin worker, James Owen used the alias David Lewis on joining the British Army for reasons that are not clear but it was not unusual for men to give false names when joining the army at that time.
He signed on with 25 Brigade at Brecon and was posted to 2nd Battalion 24th Foot in 1877.
He served for two years and eight months, including a year and eight months in South Africa and was discharged in August 1879.
An Injury Assessment Board held at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, in the same year confirmed he was suffering from Valvular Disease of the Heart – caused by being under canvas for six months and constantly exposed to “climatic vicissitudes”.
He was awarded a pension of six pence per day for six months and was eventually buried with military honours.
At the time a wreath was sent by former comrades at Rorke’s Drift, including Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne, portrayed in Zulu by Nigel Green.
Deborah Owen-Smith, who lives in Snowdonia, is the great great great granddaughter of James Owen.
She said: ”Over the years our family has spread far and wide but a number of family members know of the role James Owen played at Rorke’s Drift.
“We hope to re-dedicate the grave and raise more attention for his last resting place and hope to raise some money to restore it.
“It would be nice to get a headstone to ensure his bravery at Rorke’s Drift is not forgotten.”
Well apparently the families travelled back and forth a few times..following the better weather and harvest during starving times..
In that final family who left County Down in 1861 and went to Ayrshire for 2, 3 years where the Dad worked in the iron mines, and then onto New Zealand, there were the blood of the Campbell’s, the Hunters and Irvines and the McClimonts..
Yes Campbells born in County Down, Ireland..
:)
and yes I have read where the families may have been in Ireland that long..back to the 17th century..
as for the first 2,3 older siblings of my grandfather, they were born in Dalry, Ayrshire and not County Down
And for more Ayrshire pride, that McClimont grandfather married a Harris ..
My Harris grandmother was born in NZ but her father was born in Irvine, Ayrshire and his Harris/Ewart parents were from Kilmarnock..
They lived in St Quivox and Riccarton and were coal miners for generations..
The “hometown” area my grandfather’s parents went to for 2,3 years before they left for good to New Zealand was Dalry but the families came from that general area..
There are lots of McClimonts and McClymonts buried in the cemeteries near there dating from that time and earlier...
Plus the wife was an Irvine..
As a Brit, my favourite Caine roles will probably be slightly different to an American fan or a foreign Caine fan.
Bromhead in Zulu, obviously. Peachy. Harry Palmer. Steiner in The Eagle Has Landed. Caine’s two most Brit-iconic roles however are Charlie Croker and esp. Jack Carter.
Or needlepoint.
That's a neat story. Who owns it now?
Thanks for reply.
I was born and raised in Irvine, lol. Partly raised in Kilmarnock, living for a few years in Riccarton!. Educated partly in Kilmarnock as well.
Dad is from North Ayrshire, so I know Dalry very well. I live now in Ayr, and pass St Quivox all the time, still a lovely wee village literally now on the tip of north Ayr.
Mum is a Campbell as well.
You really trust me with a sharp object?.
LOL
A tapestry needle is blunted ;-). Good thing, because my 2-year-old is always finding mine.
In the mid eighties, I spent some time with the Royal Welch Fusiliers exchanging training techniques. They were in the field and after a day on the range with one of the companies, they took me took to the impromptu mess for a drink. They introduced me to their Colonel, “here’s our visiting Yank”. “David Bromhead” he said. The same, I asked? He confirmed that it was and that it ran in the family. He also personally knew every soldier in the battalion and knew many of their parents as well having been to their homes.
David de Gonville Bromhead was his full name.
I like Caine and I think he’s a wonderful actor but I never followed his career closely; I was more into Steve McQueen. I think my favorite role of his is still Zulu. He’s very handsome in that movie and he lost his looks pretty quickly.
After the discovery of its real worth, the Chard Victoria Cross was purchased by Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, who already had the world's largest collection of VC medals. It is unclear if he has given or loaned the collection, but it is currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.
Thanks! It would be fascinating to see them ... to learn the stories, not that the medals themselves are anything spectacular.
This is a satisfying and rewarding way of learning geography; about out-of-the-way places worldwide.
Caine was a handsome devil in Zulu. And so what if Baker was a bit of a red, it was a great role.
Thanks for the sources. Had not known of these.
Bookmark
It's an impressive gallery - and also hosts George Crosses.
There are some incredible stories. The one I found most interesting when I was last there was that of Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg VC DFC, of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The standards for awarding the Victoria Cross require the recommendation of an officer and the testimony of people who witnessed the incident. The regulations are silent as to the nationality of the officer or witnesses - and FO Trigg's VC was recommended by the German Captain of the submarine he died attacking and sinking, and all of the witnesses were German sailors who survived the attack.
Wow, amazing.
Has he any plans to complete the trilogy with Ulundi?
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