Major-General William Penn Symons was born on 17 July 1843 in Cornwall and saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879).
He was in charge of all British forces in Natal before the South African War (1899-1902) commenced, but with the additional forces sent out by Britain, Lieutenant General Sir George White who accompanied the troops took over command.
Penn-Symons commanded the garrison set up at Dundee where the first battle, the Battle of Talana, was fought.
He was mortally wounded whilst leading his troops in the old fashioned military tactics of close order, dying three days after the battle.
