discussion Rorke's Drift

[scottie3158]

On Sky TV Channel 174 now, is a 5 part documentary on the true story of the Royal Welsh at Rorke's Drift.

 

[spanner570]

On Sky TV Channel 174 now, is a 5 part documentary on the true story of the Royal Welsh at Rorke's Drift.

I don't watch t.v., (It's when something like this crops up that I wish I did!)..... but I'm sure it will be interesting.

Let's hope the makers don't refer to it being a Welsh Regiment at the battle. It was mainly the 24th ( 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. The unit became The South Wales Borderers two years after the battle.

Nerd now switched off!

Ron

 

[Guest]

One of the travesties of the film 'Zulu' with it's Men of Harlech and all that. The traditional recruiting ground for the 24th, originally a Warwickshire regiment, was the Black Country, the industrial Midlands, though it had moved it's headquarters to Brecon in 1873, which accounts for the high number of Welshmen in the regiment at the time.

I'll get me anorak.....

 

[Steve Jones]

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead was described by Lieutenant Henry Curling, who fought alongside Bromhead at Rorke's Drift, as "a stupid old fellow, as deaf as a post." It was this, as well as his later commissioning date (Bromhead in fact commissioned three years later than Lieutenant Chard, rather than the mere three months suggested in the film), that led to him relinquishing power to Chard during the battle. Major Francis Clery, who spent time with Bromhead after Rorke's Drift, described him as "a capital fellow at everything except soldiering", while his commanding officer said in private that Bromhead was "hopeless". Bromhead did, however, receive the Victoria Cross for his part in the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

In the film Zulu, Private Henry Hook (James Booth) is placed under arrest for insubordination. He is seen lounging around in the shade and trying to pilfer free booze as his comrades prepare for battle in the stifling heat. In reality, Private Hook was an exemplary soldier and teetotal, who was also awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. Hook's daughter walked out of the film's premiere in disgust at this inaccurate portrayal.

A remarkably well deserved 11 British soldiers won the Victoria Cross, but 12 were nominated. Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne (played by Nigel Green in the film), requested a commission rather than the Victoria Cross. He was duly granted this wish and went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel. When he died in 1945, he was the last surviving British soldier from the battle.

 

[Guest]

A remarkable 11 British soldiers won the Victoria Cross

That’s probably because of rising standards for awards like this. Back when they were created, they got awarded more easily than later on, when they became ever more compared to the exploits needed before — my guess is that if you didn’t appear to exceed what was needed in the last war, you were unlikely to get one.