Waistbelt pouch, other ranks, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, 1879

Buff leather waistbelt pouch, from a collection of objects relating to Major General R J C Marter, 1st (or King's) Dragoon Guards, who captured the Zulu ruler King Cetshwayo after the Battle of Ulundi in 1879.

This ammunition pouch was part of the standard British Army equipment in use during the Zulu War of 1879. A pair of these pouches, each capable of carrying two parcels of ten cartridges, would be worn on a waistbelt.

This pouch was taken from the possessions of Cetshwayo after his capture in August 1879. It is likely that the king had earlier received it as a war trophy from his army after their victory at Isandlwana on 22 January 1879. Five companies of the 24th Regiment's 1st Battalion and one company from the 2nd Battalion were engaged at Isandlwana. The regiment lost 540 men including the 1st Battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Pulleine.

According to records held by the Regimental Museum of the South Wales Borderers, the regimental accounting number ('2 24/ 413') on the reverse of the ammunition pouch indicate they were issued to Private Thomas Ales of the 1st Battalion of the 24th. Private Ales was born in Liverpool and enlisted on 24 July 1874 at the age of 22. He was awarded the South Africa Medal with 1877 and 1878 clasps but is not listed amongst those killed at Isandlwana.