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Wednesday 23 January 2019

Whatever happened to the men who won a Victoria Cross at Rorke's Drift?

At the end of the film ZULU, they roll-call of those who were awarded the Victoria Cross is read out by Richard Burton. What it doesn't do is tell what happened to them afterwards.

Lieutenant John Chard VC
Chard was promoted to the rank of Captain (brevet Major) after the battle, and served all over the world during the rest of his career. He eventually reached the rank of Colonel in January 1897, just three months before died from cancer of the tongue, aged 49.

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead VC
Bromhead was promoted to the rank of Captain (brevet Major) after the battle. He continued to serve in the Army, being posted to Gibraltar and then the School of Musketry, Hythe, Kent. Bromhead then served in India and Burma (where he took part in the Third Anglo-Burmese War), and eventually reached the rank of Major. He died of typhoid fever in India at the age of 45.

Corporal William Wilson Allen VC
He became an instructor in the Army after the war, reaching the rank of Sergeant. He married, had seven children, and never again took part in combat. He died of influenza in Monmouth, Wales in 1890, aged 46.

Private Frederick Hitch VC
Due to his injuries, he was invalided out of the Army and became an odd-job man. He fathered eight children and his VC was stolen whilst he was in hospital recovering from injuries sustained when he fell off a ladder. He eventually became a London cab driver, but died suddenly in 1913, aged 56.

Private Alfred Henry Hook VC
'Hookie' was the hospital cook, and won his VC helping to ensure that as many of the occupants of the hospital at Rorke's Drift were saved from certain death. He left the Army after the war, and when he returned home, he discovered that his wife had remarried as she had been told that he was dead. He subsequently served for 20 years in 1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, reaching the rank of Sergeant-Instructor. He remarried and thanks to the intervention of Gonville Bromhead, Lord Chelmsford and the Prince of Wales, he obtained work at the British Museum, firstly as an 'inside duster' and later being placed in charge of readers' umbrellas. He died of tuberculosis in 1905, aged 54.

Private Robert Jones VC
Private Robert Jones also helped to defend the hospital at Rorke's Drift, and was badly wounded during the fighting. He left the Army after the war and became a farm labourer in Herefordshire. He was married and had five children. He suffered from poor mental health as a result of his experiences during the Zulu War, and committed suicide in 1898, aged 41.

Private William Jones VC
He was discharged from the Army after contracting chronic rheumatism, and on his return to the UK he took any job that was going. This included acting in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, where he took part in a recreation of the defence of Rorke's Drift. He was unable to find regular work and became so poor that he had to pawn his VC. He eventually he ended up in a workhouse in Manchester, where he died in 1910, aged 69. He was buried in a pauper's grave in Philips Park Cemetery, Manchester, by the local authorities.

Private John Williams VC
Another of the defenders of the hospital, he eventually achieved the rank of Sergeant in the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, South Wales Borderers. When the Great War broke out, he volunteered for further service and worked as a member of the Regimental Depot staff at Brecon throughout the war. He had married and he and his wife had six children (three boys and three girls), and one of his sons was killed serving with the 1st South Wales Borderers during the Retreat from Mons. He died in 1932, aged 75 and was given a full military funeral by the regiment. It is interesting to note that his real surname was not Williams; it was Fielding ... but there is no apparent reason why he chose to enlist under a false name.

Surgeon James Henry Reynolds VC
Surgeon James Henry Reynolds was promoted after the end of the Zulu War to the rank of Surgeon-Major. He remained in the Army and took part in several more conflicts. He eventually retired in 1896 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and died in a nursing home in 1932, aged 86.

Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton VC
Dalton had been a sergeant in the 85th Foot and on his retirement, he had settled in South Africa. After service as an Assistant Commissary, he returned to civilian life in South Africa. He is reputed to have bought shares in a gold mine and become relatively prosperous as a result, but he did not enjoy a long retirement as he died in his sleep in 1887, aged 53.

Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess VC
At the end of the Zulu War Schiess was discharged but was unable to find regular employment. He was found begging on the streets of Cape Town by members of the Royal Navy. They arranged passage for him to the UK, but his physical condition was very poor, and he died during the voyage and was buried at sea. He was 28 years old.

18 comments:

  1. It's a bit depressing to see that a number of these men died in regrettable circumstances, But then, perhaps we look at such histories too much through our 2019 point of view. A 100 years ago the social structure of society was quite different from now, and it is difficult to imagine what the outlook on life was and how people felt about it back then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phil Dutre,

      When I was writing this blog entry, I was struck by how many of the Rorke's Drift VC winners who left the Army after the Zulu War died relatively young and in very poor circumstances. There was - of course - no aftercare or support for ex-soldiers, and certainly no way for any mental health problems to be dealt with. In particular, Christian Scheiss, Robert Jones, and William Jones seemed to have been left to cope on their own ... and we're not able to.

      The officers were treated very differently from the men, but even then Chard and Bromhead did not live to enjoy long and distinguished retirements.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  2. Great post Bob, as Phil said, its quite shocking how young most of these men died and in the sad way's they died.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ray Rousell,

      Thanks. At least nowadays British Army soldiers and ex-soldiers get the some support when it is necessary.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  3. It's always fascinating reading about "what happened after". Thank you for this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spiderweb of History,

      I'm glad that you enjoyed reading this blog entry. It's always nice to know the whole story.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  4. Fascinating, if not a little depressing but thanks for posting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stryker,

      Cheers! it's a pity that the heroes of Rorke's Drift did not all enjoy long lives and well-deserved retirements.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  5. A brilliant piece of historical writing for this blog. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CelticCurmudgeon,

      I am really pleased that you enjoyed this blog entry. It was an interesting bit of research to do.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  6. I shall hopefully be visiting Bromhead's grave (in Allahabad) in about 10 days' time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeremy Ramsey,

      I hope that you make it there, and please pay your respects on my behalf as well as your own.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  7. A most interesting if depressing post. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    Alan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tradgardmastare (Alan),

      Hopefully we treat our veterans better than the Victorians did ... although sometimes I think that not all of them receive the support they need or deserve.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  8. It is striking to see how many of them died young/youngish. I guess that could be fairly representative of people in general, or at least military personnel, from that time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fitz-Badger,

      Judging by my own family history and that of my wife's, there seem to be certain peak ages when males - as opposed to females - die. The death rate amongst the under 5s was still high at the end of the nineteenth century, then there seems to be another peak between 35 and 45 (by which time most men have been doing hard, physical work for 20 to 30 years and often in harsh and/or dangerous environments), and then around 60 to 65 ... by which time they are physically worn down and often very weak and unhealthy. If you get past those peaks, you seem to live to a great age.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  9. Thank you, that was very interesting if a bit sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. William Stewart,

      It was an interesting topic to research, even though the VC award winners did not all have long and happily lives.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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