Lt Gen Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Richard Thomas Glyn (23 December 1831 – 21 November 1900) was a British Army officer. He joined the

82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) The 82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot to form the Prince of Wales' ...

by purchasing an ensign's commission in 1850. Glyn served with the regiment in the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

and rose in rank to captain before transferring to the

24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In ...

in 1856. He served with that regiment in the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

and was appointed to command it in 1872. In 1875 he accompanied the 1st battalion of the regiment on service in the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...

and fought with them in the 9th Cape Frontier War of 1877–78. He was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

after the war. Glyn commanded No. 3 Column, including men from both battalions of his regiment, during the first British invasion of Zululand in 1879. Whilst Glyn was accompanying Lieutenant-General

Lord Chelmsford Viscount Chelmsford, of Chelmsford in the County of Essex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for Frederic Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford, the former Viceroy of India. The title of Baron Chelmsford, of Chelm ...

on a reconnaissance, the column's camp was attacked and almost wiped out in the

Battle of Isandlwana The Battle of Isandlwana (alternative spelling: Isandhlwana) on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British commenced their invasion of Zulul ...

. Glyn commanded the post at

Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the ...

in the aftermath of the

Battle of Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission (station), mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants ...

. Though suffering from depression and a mental breakdown he made orders to recover the missing

Queen's Colour In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some ...

of the 1st Battalion and to bury the bodies of his men. He was excluded from a court of enquiry held by Chelmsford into the defeat at Isandlwana and survived an attempt by Chelmsford's staff to blame him for the disaster. Glyn commanded a brigade in the successful second invasion of Zululand that brought the war to the close. He returned to the United Kingdom after the war to command the regimental depot at Brecon, Wales, and superintended the change of the 24th Regiment into the

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In ...

. Glyn was appointed

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

for his service in the Zulu War. He was promoted to general rank before his retirement, after which he served in the ceremonial role of

colonel of the regiment Colonel (Col) is a rank of the British Army and Royal Marines, ranking below brigadier, and above lieutenant colonel. British colonels are not usually field commanders; typically they serve as staff officers between field commands at battalion ...

of the South Wales Borderers until his death.

Early career

Glyn was born in 1831. He joined the

as an ensign by purchasing a commission on 16 August 1850. Glyn received promotion to lieutenant, by purchase, on 24 June 1853. He served with the regiment in the

from 1855 to 1856. Vacancies in the field could be filled without purchase and Glyn was promoted in this manner to the rank of captain on 7 September 1855. For his service in the Crimea he received the

Crimea Medal The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved on 15 December 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units (land and naval) which fought in the Crimean War of 1854–56 against Russia. The medal was awarded with the British version of th ...

, with a clasp indicating service at the Siege of Sevastopol, and the Ottoman Empire's

Turkish Crimea Medal The Turkish Crimean War Medal ( tr, Kırım Harbi Madalyası) is a campaign medal issued by Sultan Abdülmecid I of the Ottoman Empire to allied military personnel involved in the Crimean War of 1854–56. It was only awarded to those who survived ...

. Glyn transferred to the

on 30 September 1856. Glyn served with the regiment during the

, from 1857 to 1858, and received the

Indian Mutiny Medal __NOTOC__ The Indian Mutiny Medal was a campaign medal approved in August 1858, for officers and men of British and Indian units who served in operations in suppression of the Indian Mutiny. The medal was initially sanctioned for award to troops ...

. He was promoted to the rank of major by purchase on 23 July 1861 and to lieutenant colonel, also by purchase, on 13 February 1867. Glyn received command of the 24th Regiment in February 1872 and on the 13th of that month was granted the

brevet rank In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

of colonel.

Southern Africa

The 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment was posted to the

in Southern Africa in 1875 and Glyn accompanied them. The battalion served in the 9th Cape Frontier War of 1877–78, during which Glyn commanded the British troops in

Transkei Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ban ...

against the

Xhosa people The Xhosa people, or Xhosa language, Xhosa-speaking people (; ) are African people who are direct kinsmen of Tswana people, Sotho people and Twa people, yet are narrowly sub grouped by European as Nguni people, Nguni ethnic group whose traditi ...

. After the conclusion of the war Glyn was appointed a

. Historian Donald Morris described Glyn as "a short, grouchy officer" who frequently fell out with his subordinates. The 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment was posted to the Cape to join the 1st Battalion in preparation for the 1879

Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coup ...

. At this point Glyn was the second-most-senior British officer in Southern Africa, after

Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Frederic Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford, (31 May 18279 April 1905) was a British Army officer who rose to prominence during the Anglo-Zulu War, when an expeditionary force under his command suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of a ...

, who commanded British forces in the war. Chelmsford gave Glyn command of his No. 3 Column, the principal British invading force, but allowed him little independence of command, as Chelmsford accompanied the column in the invasion of Zululand. Glyn commanded the troops in the opening action of the war, at Sihayo's Kraal on 12 January 1879. No. 3 Column afterwards advanced to the mountain of

Isandlwana Isandlwana () (older spelling ''Isandhlwana'', also sometimes seen as ''Isandula'') is an isolated hill in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is located north by northwest of Durban. The name is said to mean abomasum, the second s ...

on a slow march towards the Zulu capital,

Ulundi Ulundi, also known as Mahlabathini, is a town in the Zululand District Municipality. At one time the capital of Zulu Kingdom in South Africa and later the capital of the Bantustan of KwaZulu, Ulundi now lies in KwaZulu-Natal Province (of which, ...

. Glyn accompanied Chelmsford on a reconnaissance in force to Mangeni on the morning of 22 January, leaving the 1st Battalion's Lieutenant-Colonel

Henry Pulleine Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Burmester Pulleine (12 December 1838 – 22 January 1879) was an administrator and commander in the British Army in the Cape Frontier and Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Em ...

in command of the camp. Pulleine was later joined by the more senior Colonel

Anthony Durnford Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony William Durnford (24 May 1830 – 22 January 1879) was an Irish career British Army officer of the Royal Engineers who served in the Anglo-Zulu War. Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his defeat by the Z ...

, with additional troops. During Glyn's absence, a large Zulu force attacked the camp, wiping out the command and killing Pulleine and Durnford in the

. Glyn and Chelmsford's force passed through the battlefield later that day on the way to

, where a small British garrison had successfully fought off a Zulu attack. Glyn's post-battle report on Isandlwana was emotional and, because there were so few British survivors, is based partly on his own speculation. It was written, in part, as an attempt to vindicate the actions of his officers in the battle. It was the first official record of the actions of Lieutenants

Teignmouth Melvill Teignmouth Melvill VC (8 September 1842 – 22 January 1879) was an officer in the British Army and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British ...

and

Nevill Coghill Nevill Henry Kendal Aylmer Coghill (19 April 1899 – 6 November 1980) was an English literary scholar, known especially for his modern English version of Geoffrey Chaucer's ''Canterbury Tales''. Life His father was Sir Egerton Coghill, 5th ...

, who had made a fatal attempt to save the

of the 1st Battalion of the 24th Regiment. This colour had been received by Glyn as a young officer on parade at

Curragh Camp The Curragh Camp ( ga, Campa an Churraigh) is an army base and military college in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces and is home to 2,000 military personnel ...

in 1866 from the Countess of Kimberley (wife of

John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (7 January 18268 April 1902), known as The Lord Wodehouse from 1846 to 1866, was a British Liberal politician. He held office in every Liberal administration from 1852 to 1895, notably as Secretary of Stat ...

). After reading a report on the event from eyewitness Lieutenant Walter Higginson of the

Natal Native Contingent The Natal Native Contingent was a large force of auxiliary soldiers in British South Africa, forming a substantial portion of the defence forces of the British colony of Natal. The Contingent saw action during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. The Natal ...

, Glyn ordered a party to Isandlwana to bury the bodies of Melvill and Coghill and then a second party to attempt to recover the remains of the colour. The damaged colour was retrieved and later repaired by Glyn's wife Anne; it remained in use by the regiment until 1933. Glyn was left in command at Rorke's Drift by Chelmsford. He led a demoralised force, isolated from any immediate assistance and in fear of an imminent second Zulu attack. Rainy conditions and the outbreak of disease did not help matters, nor his orders that confined most of the garrison to the interior of the post. Glyn arranged the strengthening of the post into Fort Bromhead and, later, established a new fort near the Buffalo River, Fort Melvill. His command was dysfunctional due to Glyn suffering from depression; he suffered a mental breakdown, but recovered. Despite parties from other units recovering wagons and burying bodies at Isandlwana, Glyn requested their commanders not touch his men, whom he wanted buried by their comrades. Surviving detachments from the regiment began this work, which took several months, on 20 June. Glyn was not called as a witness to Chelmsford's court of enquiry following Isandlwana. The court served principally as a means of exonerating Chelmsford and blaming Durnford for the defeat. Glyn's posting to Rorke's Drift served as a means of isolating him from the enquiry. Chelmsford's staff attempted to deflect criticism from their commander onto Glyn and sent him requests to account for his interpretation of Chelmsford's orders relating to the camp at Isandlwana. Glyn maintained a general silence on the matter, noting that Chelmsford knew better than him what his orders were and that it was his duty to carry them out. Glyn's wife was indignant at his treatment and robustly defended him, which forced Chelmsford's staff to cease this line of action. In the victorious second invasion of Zululand from May 1879, Glyn commanded the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division. He commanded the infantry brigade at the

Battle of Ulundi The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi (Zulu:''oNdini'') on 4 July 1879 and was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British army broke the military power of the Zulu nation by defeating the main Zulu army ...

, which sealed the British victory in the war.

Later career

After the Zulu War Glyn returned to the United Kingdom to command the 24th Regimental District and the regiment's depot at

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

, Wales. He spent a period on retirement

half pay Half-pay (h.p.) was a term used in the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service. Past usage United Kingdom In the Eng ...

from 19 May 1880. Glyn was appointed a

on 30 October 1880 for his services in the Zulu War. Glyn superintended the change of his regiment's name from the 24th Regiment of Foot to the South Wales Borderers under the 1881

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation was ...

. Glyn was promoted to major-general on 30 September 1882. His appointment as commander of the South Wales Borderers' regimental district ended on 6 December 1882. He was promoted to the

honorary rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

of lieutenant-general shortly before his retirement on 30 September 1887. Glyn was appointed to the ceremonial role of

of the South Wales Borderers on 29 May 1898.

Death and legacy

Glyn died at his home, Chequers, in

Stratfield Saye Stratfield Saye is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane and the English county of Hampshire. The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross. Etymology The name means 'Street-F ...

, Hampshire, on 21 November 1900, not long after witnessing his regiment return to Southern Africa for service in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

. He is buried in his family's plot at Ewell, Surrey. A hoof from his horse, Yellow Rose, serves as an ash tray in the officers' dining room of the

Royal Regiment of Wales The Royal Regiment of Wales (24th/41st Foot) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of the South Wales Borderers and the Welch Regiment. The 1st Battalion, Th ...

, the successor of the South Wales Borderers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glyn, Richard Thomas 1831 births 1900 deaths British Army lieutenant generals Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George British Army personnel of the Crimean War British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War