James Langley Dalton

Acting Assistant, Commissary. Commissariat and Transport Department

VC
Register No.
296 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
Rank
Acting Assistant (register: Assistant Commissary) all Assistant Commissarys →
Unit
Commissary. Commissariat and Transport Department all Commissariat and Transport Department VCs →
Date of action
22–23 January 1879 on this day → all of 1879 →
Conflict / campaign
Zulu War
London Gazette
17th November, 1879 on this day → all of 1879 →
Born
in December 1832 (actual date not known) in London
Died
8th January, 1887 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Memorial / grave
grave in Russell Road Cemetery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Digest of citation

On 22nd January, 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal , South Africa, Acting Assistant Commissary Dalton actively superintended the work of defence and was amongst the foremost of those who received the first attack at the corner of the hospital, where the deadliness of his fire checked the mad rush of the enemy. He saved the life of a man in the Army Hospital Corps by shooting the Zulu who was attacking him. Although wounded himself this officer continued to give the same example of cool courage throughout the action

From Alf Askin's research notes

Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.

DALTON, James Langley. (reg No. 296).

Acting Assistant Commissary. Commissariat and Transport Department. (Royal Army Service Corps).

London Gazetted on 17th November, 1879.

Born in December 1832 (actual date not known) in London.

Died on 8th January, 1887 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Memorial at grave in Russell Road Cemetery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Digest of Citation reads: On 22nd January, 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal , South Africa, Acting Assistant Commissary Dalton actively superintended the work of defence and was amongst the foremost of those who received the first attack at the corner of the hospital, where the deadliness of his fire checked the mad rush of the enemy. He saved the life of a man in the Army Hospital Corps by shooting the Zulu who was attacking him. Although wounded himself this officer continued to give the same example of cool courage throughout the action .

(Royal Army Service Corps).

Visit the grave or memorial

Alf recorded the memorial as: grave in Russell Road Cemetery, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

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