Rosary Notables: Arthur W. Hall (1842–1979)
Arthur William Hall is not buried at the Rosary but commemorated on his parent’s headstone. He was born in Heigham, Norwich on 20th August 1841and educated at the Blue-Coat School in the city before working in his father’s coach building business. Just before his 17th birthday he enlisted in the British Army and was deployed to India where joined the Medical Corps. In 1878 he became part of Colonel Glyn’s column in Helpmekaar, South Africa.
Tensions had been growing in South Africa between the British government and the Zulu King, Cetshwayo, as the British tried expand their possessions. The High Commissioner of South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere attempted to provoke a war by presenting the King with an ultimatum. When the ultimatum expired, the British invaded Zululand. The British army had well trained soldiers using Martini-Henry rifles and field guns whilst the Zulus were a militia force equipped with assegai spears, cowhide shields and some muskets. This seems to have lulled the British into a sense of supremacy, which resulted in the commanders not following normal defensive procedures when they pitched camp at Isandlwana on 20th January 1879.
Two days later an army of 20,000 Zulus launched an attack. The British were taken by surprise, 1,300 British troops and African auxiliaries were annihilated. It was one of the worst disasters to befall a British regiment. Arthur Hall was one of the British soldiers caught up in the battle, and, as he was attempting to take wounded soldiers to safety, his ambulance wagon was attacked by Zulu warriors. He was found in the wagon having been killed with an assegai spear. He is buried at Isandlwana where a monument commemorates the battle.
Later the same day, 3,000 Zulus attempted to overwhelm a small outpost at Rorke’s Drift defended by some 150 British and Imperial troops. They were able to repel numerous Zulu attacks and their heroism allowed the British government to deflect attention from the humiliation of the disaster at Isandlwana. Arthur William Hall left behind a wife, three daughters and two sons. The Friends are grateful to Angela Page for the information in this article.
Nick Williams