"(later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 22 and 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Corporal Allan and another man (Frederick Hitch) kept communication with the hospital open, despite being severely wounded. Their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds were dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night. He later achieved the rank of sergeant for"
"The Defence of Rorke's Drift The Defence of Rorke's Drift is an 1880 painting by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1877 to 1879. The battle and the men who fought in it were made famous in the 1964 film ""Zulu"". The Battle of Rorke's Drift caused a wave of patriotic fever in the United Kingdom and the surviving participants, especially the officers, were feted on their return in October 1879, first going to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Victoria before posing for Elizabeth Thompson at Portsmouth"
"Battle of Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, and continued into the following day. Just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defended the garrison against an intense assault by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The massive but piecemeal Zulu attacks on Rorke's Drift came very"
"Private Thomas Collins Private Thomas Collins of Pelcomb, Camrose in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales was a participant in the battle of Rorke's Drift which took place 22-23 January 1879. During this battle, the 24th regiment of foot fought and resisted a force of at least 4,500 Zulu warriors leaving 17 British dead and 10 wounded, along with 450 dead Zulu warriors. Private Collins was born 13 February 1861, Pelcomb, Camrose, near the county town of Haverfordwest, son of Thomas Collins of Roch, Pembrokeshire and Dorothy Lewis of Camrose. His great grandparents were William Collins and Martha Smith of Roch,"
"having fought in the battle from Lady Butler's sketch of him taken at Portsmouth among the other survivors; his name has subsequently been added to the roll of those who fought at Rorke's Drift. The Defence of Rorke's Drift The Defence of Rorke's Drift is an 1880 painting by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift which took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1877 to 1879. The battle and the men who fought in it were made famous in the 1964 film ""Zulu"". The Battle of Rorke's Drift caused a wave of patriotic fever in"
"close to defeating the much smaller garrison, but were ultimately repelled. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders, along with a number of other decorations and honours. Rorke's Drift, known as ""kwaJimu"" (""Jim's Land"") in the Zulu language, was a mission station and the former trading post of James Rorke, an Irish merchant. It was located near a drift, or ford, on the Buffalo (Mzinyathi) River, which at the time formed the border between the British colony of Natal and the Zulu Kingdom. On 9 January 1879, the British No. 3 (Centre) Column, under Lord Chelmsford, arrived and encamped"
"was prepared. At Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879) 139 British soldiers successfully defended the station against an intense assault by four to five thousand Zulu warriors. The Battle of Intombe was fought on 12 March 1879, between British and Zulu forces. The Siege of Eshowe took place during a three-pronged attack on the Impis of Cetshwayo at Ulundi. The Battle of Gingindlovu (uMgungundlovu) was fought between a British relief column sent to break the Siege of Eshowe and the Impis of Cetshwayo on 2 April 1879. The battle restored the British commanders' confidence in their army and their ability to"
"Henry Hook (VC) Alfred Henry ""Harry"" Hook VC (6 August 1850 – 12 March 1905) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Born in Churcham, Gloucestershire, Hook originally served in the Monmouth Militia for five years before enlisting in the regular army in March 1877, aged 26. Previously serving in the 9th Xhosa War in 1877, he received a scalp injury during the battle of Rorke's Drift,"
"of 1878, envoys of the British crown delivered an ultimatum to 11 chiefs representing the then-current king of the Zulu empire, Cetshwayo. Under the British terms delivered to the Zulu, Cetshwayo would have been required to disband his army and accept British sovereignty. Cetshwayo refused, and war between the Zulus and African contingents of the British crown began on January 12th, 1879. Despite an early victory for the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana on the 22nd of January, the British fought back and won the Battle at Rorke's Drift, and definitively defeated the Zulu army by July at the"
"maybe not, but in the long annals of military history, it is difficult to find anything quite like Rorke's Drift, where a beleaguered force, outnumbered forty to one, survived and killed twenty men for every defender lost"". Awarded the Victoria Cross: In 1879 there was no provision for the posthumous granting of the Victoria Cross, and so it could not be awarded to anyone who had died in performing an act of bravery. In light of this, an unofficial ""twelfth VC"" may be added to those listed: Private Joseph Williams, B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot, who was killed during the fight"
"in 2003. Titled ""Rorke's Drift: Empowering Prints"" the book's publisher in Cape Town is Double Storey. Christiane Voith is the current Centre Manager of Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Centre. Rorke's Drift is also the location of the battlefield of the Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), a historical site in the Anglo-Zulu War where British troops defeated a large Zulu army. The nearby battlefield is a major draw for the region's tourists attraction Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Centre Rorke's Drift Art and Craft Centre is a center for arts and crafts, including fine art, printmaking, pottery and weaving, located"
"George Smith (chaplain) 'Padre' George Smith (8 January 1845 – 26/27 November 1918), Army Chaplain, was a defender of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1879, an action which saw the winning of eleven Victoria Crosses. Born in Docking in Norfolk in 1845, 'Padre' George Smith served as a missionary in South Africa from 1870. However, he is best remembered for his part in the famous defence of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1877–79 which won him the praise of several officers involved in that action in their reports. As an assistant army chaplain, and therefore a"
"and red beard) distributing ammunition to the defenders. George Smith is also honoured at The Museum of Army Chaplaincy. George Smith (chaplain) 'Padre' George Smith (8 January 1845 – 26/27 November 1918), Army Chaplain, was a defender of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1879, an action which saw the winning of eleven Victoria Crosses. Born in Docking in Norfolk in 1845, 'Padre' George Smith served as a missionary in South Africa from 1870. However, he is best remembered for his part in the famous defence of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1877–79 which won him the"
"matinée performance on 22 January (the anniversary of the battle) towards a fund for a fitting memorial to Frederick Hitch. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh, Brecon, Powys, Wales. Hitch was portrayed by David Kernan in the 1964 film ""Zulu"". Frederick Hitch Frederick Hitch, VC (29 November 1856 – 6 January 1913) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Born in Southgate, in"
"place on 22/23 January 1879, at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, for which he was awarded the VC: Surgeon Reynolds also had by his side the whole time during the battle his fox terrier named Dick. Dick never wavered as shots and spears continued falling around them. He only left his side once to bite a Zulu who came too close. Dick was specially mentioned in the citation for ""his constant attention to the wounded under the fire where they fell."" For his conduct in the battle, Reynolds was also promoted to Surgeon-Major (promotion dated 23 January 1879). The battle"
"Frederick Hitch Frederick Hitch, VC (29 November 1856 – 6 January 1913) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Born in Southgate, in Middlesex, he joined the British Army and served as a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers). Frederick Hitch was illiterate, and when he joined the army he signed the official enlistment forms with a cross [X]. During the Anglo-Zulu"
"Robert Jones (VC) Robert Jones VC (19 August 1857 – 6 September 1898) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Jones was born at Penrhos, near Clytha, between Raglan and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. Jones was 21 years old, serving as a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army din the Anglo-Zulu War. At Rorke's"
"Battle of Isandlwana and Battle of Rorke's Drift took place between the Zulus and British soldiers. He and his wife, Nicky, established and operated the Fugitives' Drift Lodge. He gained considerable knowledge about the conflicts between the Zulus and British in South Africa as a child as he accompanied his father, a keen amateur historian himself, as he interviewed Zulus in the local community to obtain their accounts of the conflict, some of whose forebears had fought in those wars. He provided tours of the historic battle sites of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift, and his tours are estimated to have"
"William Allen (VC 1879) William Wilson Allen, VC (""circa"" 1843 – 12 March 1890) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He had joined the 24th Regiment at Aldershot in 1859. He was about 35 years old, a sergeant who had recently been reduced in rank to corporal for being drunk on duty. He was in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot"
"untrained Zulu to take full advantage to inflict British casualties at Rorke's Drift. The Oscarberg is the subject in the famous painting of the battle, ""The Defence of Rorke's Drift"" (1880), by Alphonse Marie de Neuville. Oscarberg The Oscarberg, called by the Zulus ""Shiyane"" (""The Eyebrow""), is the name given by the Reverend Otto Witt to a large hill 350 yards to the southeast (and rear) of the two buildings which formed the trading post at the Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879). The post was established by the British in 1845, was sold to the Norwegian Missionary Society in 1878,"
"War, aged 22, he fought at the Battle of Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), and was awarded the VC for his actions. The citation was published in the ""London Gazette"": The soldiers were assisted in passing out ammunition by Padre George Smith. Hitch was severely wounded during the action, and was still in the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley, Southampton when he received his medal from Queen Victoria. He was one of the eleven recipients of the VC awarded for their part in the battle. Hitch's wounds were so severe that they led to his discharge from service. He then"
"Zulu Dawn Zulu Dawn is a 1979 American war film about the historical Battle of Isandlwana between British and Zulu forces in 1879 in South Africa. The screenplay was by Cy Endfield, from his book, and Anthony Storey. The film was directed by Douglas Hickox. The score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. ""Zulu Dawn"" is a prequel to ""Zulu"", released in 1964, which depicts the historical Battle of Rorke's Drift later the same day, and was co-written and directed by Cy Endfield. The film is set in British South Africa, in the province of Natal, in January 1879. The first"
"Frank Bourne Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Edward Bourne OBE DCM (April 1854 – 8 May 1945) was a decorated British soldier who participated in the defence of Rorke's Drift during the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. He was the last known survivor of the battle. Born in Balcombe, Sussex, England in 1854, Bourne enlisted in the Army at Reigate on 18 December 1872, aged 18 years 8 months. Four years later he had been promoted to colour sergeant, becoming the youngest NCO of this rank in the entire British Army. This earned him the nickname 'The Kid'. On 22 and 23 January 1879, Bourne"
"William Jones (VC) William Jones (1839 – 15 April 1913) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross for his action at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Jones attestation papers list him as being born at Evesham, Worcestershire. He may have been of the family of shoemakers by the name of Jones that lived in Cowl Street, Evesham in mid-1840s but he was actually born on 16th August 1839, at 5 Lucas Street, Castle"
"Battle of Minisink The Battle of Minisink was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought at Minisink Ford, New York, on July 22, 1779. It was the only major skirmish of the Revolutionary War fought in the northern Delaware Valley. The battle was a decisive British victory, as the colonial militia was hastily assembled, ill-equipped, and inexperienced. Although British forces were largely concentrated on Manhattan Island, Joseph Brant, a Mohawk war chief and a Captain in the British Army, was sent along with his Brant's Volunteers on a quest for provisions, to gather intelligence on the Delaware in the"
"running away from home). On 22–23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Private Williams and two other men held a distant room of the hospital for more than an hour until they had no ammunition left, when the Zulus burst in and killed one of the men and two patients. Meanwhile, Private Williams had succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and took the two remaining patients through into the next ward. He was there joined by Alfred Henry Hook, and working together (one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more"
"decoration and even with the Coat of Arms off centre, such as the one depicted. The John Chard Decoration is an oval medallion struck in silver, 39 millimetres wide, 51 millimetres high and 3 millimetres thick. It depicts a tree, the river and the mission station at Rorke's Drift in Natal, the scene of the 1879 battle in which Lieutenant Chard and ten of his men won the Victoria Cross (VC), and is inscribed ""RORKE'S DRIFT 1879"". The scene is surrounded by the inscriptions ""JOHN CHARD"" at the top and ""DECORATION : DEKORASIE"" at the bottom. The reverse has the"
"in a large number of colonial wars, most notably the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. The rifle was used in the Battle of Isandlwana, and by the company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot at the battle of Rorke's Drift, where 139 British soldiers successfully defended themselves against several thousand Zulus. The weapon was not completely phased out until 1904. The rifle suffered from cartridge-extraction problems during the Zulu War, mostly due to the thin, weak, pliable foil brass cartridges used: they expanded too much into the rifle's chamber on detonation, to the point that they stuck or tore"
"battles demonstrating the superior effectiveness of Western military practices. The sixth track of the Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton's 2016 studio album ""The Last Stand"", titled “Rorke’s Drift”, depicts the events of the battle. ""The Tale of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift"" is an account written by H. Rider Haggard in ""True Story Book"" by Andrew Lang. While being a true account of the battle and naming many important figures, the writing omits Surgeon Reynolds, who played a crucial role in the defence. Battle of Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was"
"single action is seven, to the 2nd/24th Foot, for the defence of Rorke's Drift, 22–23 January 1879, during the Zulu War. The greatest number won in a single conflict is 628, being for the First World War. There are five living holders of the VC—one RAF (WW2), three British Army (Confrontation, Iraq and Afghanistan) and one Australian Army (Vietnam). Eight of the then-twelve surviving holders of the Victoria Cross attended the 150th Anniversary service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey on 26 June 2006. In the 1990s, Australia and New Zealand created their own highest award with both named in honour"
"Lochry's Defeat Lochry's Defeat, also known as the Lochry massacre, was a battle fought on August 24, 1781, near present-day Aurora, Indiana, in the United States. The battle was part of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), which began as a conflict between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies before spreading to the western frontier, where American Indians entered the war as British allies. The battle was short and decisive: about one hundred Indians of local tribes led by Joseph Brant, a Mohawk military leader who was temporarily in the west, ambushed a similar number of Pennsylvania militiamen led by Archibald"
"reverse and with the suspender struck as an integral part of the medal, such as the one depicted. The John Chard Medal is an oval medallion struck in bronze, 39 millimetres wide, 51 millimetres high and 3 millimetres thick. It depicts a tree, the river and the mission station at Rorke's Drift in Natal, the scene of the 1879 battle in which Lieutenant Chard and ten of his men won the Victoria Cross, and is inscribed ""RORKE'S DRIFT 1879"". The scene is surrounded by the inscriptions ""JOHN CHARD"" at the top and ""MEDALJE : MEDAL"" at the bottom. The reverse"
"James Henry Reynolds Lieutenant-Colonel James Henry Reynolds VC (3 February 1844 – 4 March 1932), born Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), County Dublin, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was educated at Castleknock College and Trinity College, Dublin. Reynolds was 34 years old, and a Surgeon in the Army Medical Department (later Royal Army Medical Corps), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took"