William Penn Symons' first combat experience was in South Africa during the Ninth Xhosa War, 1877-78. In 1879 he took part in the Zulu war. He then served during the Burma Expedition (1885-89). In 1889 he received the Companion of the Order of the Bath. In 1898, following other campaigns, he was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. In 1899, Symons was given the staff rank of brigadier general and was to be General Officer Commanding of Natal. He was asked by the War Office to advise on the number of troops required to safely garrison the Natal from the threat of invasion from the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and Orange Free states. Cabinet decided to send ten thousand extra troop abut they also appointed Lieutenant General Sir George White to supersede Symons as Generat Officer Commanding in Natal. Penn Symons, on his own authority deployed one of his brigades to Dundee, a town north of Ladysmith. The position of Ladysmith anad Dundee was precarious as they stand in a triangle of Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. White wanted to recall the Dundee garrison to Ladysmith but because of political pressure from Sit Walter Hely-Harrison, the Governor of Natal, he agreed to leave them there. The Boers declared war on 11 October and began crossing the Natal borders the following day. On 20 October 1899 Boer troops on the nearby Talana Hill proceeded to open fire on the town. The British guns moved to return fire as the general surveyed the Boer positions and gave orders to his commanding officers. Symons believed in old fashioned military tactics of close order but these formations were not designed to be used against lonf range bolt action rifles and Symons' brigades would be the first of manyin this war to pay the heavy cost ofthe mistake, as many generals would repeat it. The infantry battalions set off from the east of the town. The first part of the advance went well and they reached a small wood at the foot of the hill where they found shelter. Beyond the wood was a wall and then open ground. Symons rode up to the wood to find out why the attack had halted. He ordered the men to proceed, rode through the wood then walked through the gap in the wall. After a few moments he returned and was helped to remount his horse. He rode back from the front lines until he was out of sight of his troops before he asked for assistance from the Indian stretcher bearers. He had been shot in the stomach. Symons was taken to the field hospital at Dundee. After a few wasted days Symons' replacement, Brigadier General Yule, decided to abandon the town and the worst-wounded to the Boers and steal away at night to Ladysmith. Symons became a prisoner of war along with many others. He felt betrayed by Yule and just before he died he implored the medical officer, Major Donegal, to "tell everyone I died facing the enemy". Individual image from photographed poster of tobacco and cigarette cards.william penn symons, south africa, ninth xhosa war, companion of the order of the bath, knigt commander of the order of the bath, general officer commanding in natal, dundee, ladysmith, orange free state, transvaal, sir walter hely-harrison, governor of natal, boers, brigadier general yule