His Army Record

• December 1877

Edmund signs up to Frontier Light Horse at Kingwilliamstown, South Africa. Cecil D'Arcy also signed up at the same time.

Jager Medals and Militaria has a tunic for sale which is similar to the one worn by Edmund O'Toole VC when he was in the Frontier Light Horse.

THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT - website about Captain Henry Cecil Dudgeon D'Arcy, Cape Frontier Light Horse

• 3rd July 1879

The day before the Battle of Ulundi. The act for which he received the Victoria Cross along with Lord William De La Poer Beresford.

• August 1879

        At the end of the Zulu War units were disbanded.

Edmund is discharged from Baker's Horse, at the end of the Zulu War.

• 9th October 1879

War Office

Catalogue Reference : WO/98/4

Image Reference: 24

Sergeant Edmund O'Toole

Frontier Light Horse

VC presented 16th January 1880.

For his conspicuous courage and bravery on several occasions during the campaign, and especially for his conduct on the 3rd July 1879, at the close of the reconnaissance before Ulundi, in assisting to rescue Sergeant Fitzmaurice, 1st Battalion 24th Mounted Infantry, whose horse fell and rolled on him, as the troops retired before great numbers of the enemy. When lifted up behind him by Lord William Beresford, the man, being half stunned by the fall, could not hold on, and he must have been left had not Sergeant O'Toole, who was keeping back the advancing Zulus, given up his carbine and assisted to hold Sergeant Fitzmaurice on the horse. At the time the Zulus were rapidly closing on them, and there was not armed men between them and Sergeant O'Toole.

Available from The National Archives website   link to citation.

• 16th January 1880

Presentation of VC award given to Edmund O'Toole at Fort Napier by General Clifford. See The Irish Times page.

• 15th October 1880

Edmund joins the Herschel Native Contingent. Edmund is promoted to Captain from being a Sergeant.

• 1890

Edmund joins "Troop A" entered Rhodesia with Mashonaland Pioneer Column.

Reference: CHAPTER 17:02, FREDERICK CLAYTON TRUST ACT, Ord.10/1918, Page 6, Schedule D.

• December 1890 - January 1891

Heavy rains.

Edmund had been given land as part of the Pioneer Column. He called his plot of land "Toole Farm" at Hatfeild Hill, Salisbury.

He had planted crops which he tried to save when the rains came.

Mentioned in "A Scantling of Time by G.H. Tanser".

He later sold his farm and moved on to work at Cloudlands owned by Lionel Cripps. 

G.H. Tanser says that Edmund became drunk at Cloudlands and was later dismissed. 

Edmund is then thought to have returned to Salisbury and it was thought he had died shortly afterwards. 

"Darter's statement in "Pioneers of Mashonaland" that Edmund died in 1891 is incorrect" says Tanser. 

• 1891

The Northward Trek by Stanley Portal Hyatt

Death of Edmund O'Toole VC recorded in book - died of natural causes.

• 17th March 1891

Edmund is present at St. Patrick's Day's celebration at Pioneer Column, Salisbury.

Mentioned in "A Scantling of Time" G.H. Tanser's book. 

• 1900 Army List 

Edmund O'Toole is listed as discharged from army duties.

• 4th August 1900

Edmund O'Toole is listed as part of an article in the Black and White Budget Newspaper - printed at the time of the Boer War.

"He is too old to fight and is resident of the Cape".

• • 1913        

Edmund O'Toole is mentioned in the book by William Charles Scully.

"It has been years since Edmund checked out of his earthly account".

William says that Edmund had been a sailor before joining the Zulu War.

That he had become a Cab Driver in Cape Town after he left Salisbury.

So he did not emigrate to America or die in 1891.