Lieutenant-General C.F. Clery was born on 13 February 1838.
He took part in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879) and was at Isandlwana.
He was with Lord Chelmsford on 22 January 1879, looking for the main Zulu army, and thus missed the massacre.
During the South African War 1899-1902, amongst many battles where he was involved, the most significant was the Battle of Spioen Kop.