Capt John Herbert VANDERZEE [9057]

   Cause of his death was Drowning.

  General Notes:

2077. 1 May 1879. Vanderzee, John Herbert, b 9 Apr. 1868; br of 1923 and 2078; Ath. Sp., steeplechase 1886; l. Jul 1886; 6th & R.M.; RMC Sandhurst 1886; Leinster Regt., 2nd Lt. 14 Sept. 1887; I.S.C., Lt. 3 July 1889; Capt. 1898; 3rd. Inf., Hyderabad Cont.; Burma Mily. Police; Ballygunge (Calcutta) Ath. Sp., ^1/2m., Indian Record 1890; Calcutta Presidency Ath. Sp., ^1/2m., 1894; d 1899, drowned in the R. Nmaikha Burma.
Dulwich College Register NZSOG.

Dulwich College.
The Annual Sports.
440 yard races, class 2. J. H. Vanderzee third.
Bells Life in London And Sporting Chronicle 14 May 1884

Royal Military Academy.
Throwing the Cricket Ball. H. Vanderzee (94 yards)
Ref: Bell's Life in London And Sporting Chronicle 17 May 1884
This item is not placed with any certainty.

Dulwich College Sports.
One Mile Race J H Vanderzee second . . . . .
Norwood News 9 May 1885.

Naval and Military.
Royal Military College Sandhurst.
Infantry Cadetships. J. H. Vanderzee.
Ref: Daily News Friday 13 August 1886 also The Leeds Mercury Saturday, August 14, 1886 The Leeds Mercury reports John's marks were 7710 placing him 14th in approximately 100 successful applicants.

Military Promotions and Appointments
the under mentioned Gentleman Cadets have been promoted to Second Lieutenants from Royal Military College: Prince Wales Leinster Regiment, J. H. Vanderzee succeeding Lieutenant E. Wintle. . . . . .
Ref: extracted from Freeman's Journal & Daily Commercial Advertiser Dublin Wednesday 14 September 1887.

The Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadian) the under mentioned second Lieutenants to be Lieutenants to complete establishment: J H Vanderzee . . . . .
Ref: The Daily News 4 July 1889

Great Britain Army War List Jan 1893, index to Officers on the active list:
J H Vanderzee

Exciting Adventure with a Lion.
An English Officer Badly Injured
By mail from Cape Town particulars have been received of an exciting encounter with a lion, in which an English Officer, Lieutenant Vanderzee, who was on 12 months leave of absence from his regiment in India, was severely mauled. He landed at Beira and went into the interior on a hunting expedition, accompanied by a Mr Janson and a number of Kaffirs. Three lions were seen making across the country, and Lieutenant Vanderzee, anxious to secure the first lion, fired on one of the animals at 400 yards. The lion, wounded in the hind leg, immediately turned and galloped in the direction of the sportsman. Fortunately retaining his presence of mind, the Lieutenant managed to dispatch a couple more bullets at the rapidly advancing beast at 200 yards and 100 yards, each bullet lodging in the lions chest. However the animal still pressed onward, and before Lieutenant Vanderzee could reload the lion sprang on him, bearing him to the ground. Here the Lieutenant was rather badly bitten about the arms and legs; but happily the shots had began to take effect, and deprived the animal of the greater part of his strength, and ere he could inflict further injury he rolled over dead on the bleeding body of the Lieutenant. Mr Vanderzee was very badly hurt, his injuries including a fractured right arm and seriously mangled thighs. He was picked up, and, being a long distance from Fontesvilla, the journey down to that place and onward to Beira was extremely painful. The officer was conveyed down the Pungwe River in a canoe, and, the river being infested with hippopotami and crocodiles, much delay occurred. To aggravate matters, the Lieutenant was attacked with malarial fever. Eventually Lieutenant Vanderzee was landed at Durban and conveyed to the Addington Hospital.
Ref: Pall Mall Gazette 2 October 1895.
See letter by John's father in his "General Notes"


Magazines For a Month.
In the Wide World Magazine Captain Vanderzee who subsequently lost his life in Burma, narrates a thrilling adventure with a lion. The scene is laid in Portuguese East Africa, not far from the Zambezi River, and perhaps no sensational record of adventure could give a stronger impression of the indomitable courage of the Englishman when in pursuit of big game than this simple narrative of a day's lion hunting. At a distance four immense lions are seen crossing the plain to get the shelter of a distant reed bed. They are about half a mile away when Captain Vanderzee, with one gun-bearer, a Makalolo boy, give chase. Imagine running at a sprinting pace with one not very reliable native-for he did not know how to load the rifle-after four lions. As they closed in two of the brutes began to slow down and to growl. Two or three shots are fired with the muzzle very unsteady owing to the jumping character of the run. Then, when within a couple of hundred yards, a male lion is wounded, and Captain Vanderzee, drawing up to within half the distance, waits for a charge. Lions are said not to charge at greater distances than 50 yards, but this one stiffened his tail and came on. Two bullets failed to stop him, and the next thing Captain Vanderzee remembered was finding the lion gnawing his thigh. "I was not conscious of any pain whatever, but remember wondering in a vague kind of way when the brute was going to stop gnawing my legs". Eventually between them the wounded lion received his quietus, but not before 13 wounds had been received, seven in the left thigh, four in the right thigh, and two in the wrist. The canine teeth had made holes big enough to admit the forefinger, and from an inch and a half to two inches deep. Though pain was unfelt at the time there was "many a half hour of torture to be endured before I even partially recovered the use of my right hand and arm, but at the end of about a year a complete recovery was made". Since then poor Captain Vanderzee at the early age of 30, was drowned in Burmah, being upset out of a folding boat in a strong current on the river N'Maikka.
Ref: Jackson's Oxford Journal Saturday 18 November 1899.

Moulsey is presently untraced 2004, however Mary Alston [2980] and other Alstons lived there in 17thC

A Reuter's telegram from Calcutta states that Captain J. H. Vanderzee of the Burma Military Police, was drowned in the Nmai Kha River on the 12th inst. The body has not been recovered.
Ref: The Leeds Mercury 18 February 1899.

Vanderzee - February 12, drowned in the Nmai-Kha River, Upper Burma, whilst on special duty with the Burma Military Police, John Herbert Vanderzee, Capt., India Staff Corps, son of Major-General Francis H Vanderzee, L.S.C., of Woodlands, Gloucester Rd., Bath, aged 30.
Ref: Bristol Mercury & Daily Post 25 Feb 1899.

Vanderzee John Herbert: Death 12 Feb 1899 Umaika river, Burma
Cpt, Staff Corps Drowned
Transcribed by British Library
http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/NonTabBriefDisplay.aspx?SearchType=QuickSearch

  Research Notes:

Vanderzee J H 747 Army.

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1871, St John & St James Kensington Chelsea MDX. John H aged 2 was a scholar boarding at 14 Arundel Gardens with his (Brothers?) born Moulsey Surrey

2. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, No3 Lordship Lane St John Camberwell. John is recorded as a son aged 12 a scholar born East Moulsey SRY