As yesterday was the anniversary of the Battle of Rorke's Drift, I made a point of watching the 1964 film ZULU.
Whilst it is by no means an accurate depiction of the events that took place, it is a rattling good film and I always enjoy watching it ... something that I do at least two or three times each year.
It also gets a mention in my talk entitled FREEMASONRY IN THE BRITISH ARMY as both John Rouse Marriott Chard and Gonville Bromhead were Freemasons. Chard was initiated at the age of 30 into St. George’s Lodge No.112, Exeter on 3rd May 1877, having joined the Royal Engineers in 1868. After the Battle of Rorke's Drift his career was unremarkable and not particularly distinguished, and by the time of his death in 1897 due to cancer of the tongue, he was a colonel.
After the Zulu War had ended, Bromhead was initially posted to Gibraltar. In August 1880 he was dispatched to India, where he stayed until March 1881., when he returned to England. He was then at the School of Musketry, Hythe from October to December 1882, before returning to his battalion in Secunderabad, India in 1883. By this time he had been promoted to the rank of Major. He served with his battalion in Burma during the Third Anglo-Burmese War (1886 to 1888), and when the war was over, he went with them to Allahabad, India, where he died of typhoid fever on 9th February 1891.
As part of my talk, I involve the audience by asking them the following questions ... which in almost all cases, they answer incorrectly:
Q1. What was the name of the infantry regiment whose members made up the bulk of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift?
Q2. How many of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift are known to have been Welsh?
Q3. How many of the Victoria Crosses and Distinguished Conduct Medals awarded for the action at Rorke’s Drift was awarded to Welshmen?
Q4. Who was the last survivor of the defenders of Rorke’s Drift, and when did he die?
The answers are shown below:
A1. 24th Regiment of Foot (2nd Warwickshires); they did not become the South Wales Borderers until two years after the battle.
A2. 32 of the 122 defenders were Welsh (26%). Of the rest 49 were English (40%), 16 were Irish (13%), 1 was Scottish (under 1%), and 3 were born outside the British Isles (2.5%). The origins of the remainder (17%) are unknown.
A3. One, a VC to Private Robert Jones. Of the other nine VCs, seven went to Englishmen, one to an Irishman, and one to a Swiss. Of the four DCMs awarded, two went to Englishmen, one to a Scot, and one to an Irishman.
A4. Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne, who died on VE Day.
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BOB,
ReplyDeleteZULU is an absolute Classic movie and it has certainly withstood the test of time. I may be wrong- though I believe it was Michael Cain's first movie back in 1964. Regards. KEV.
Kev, Caine's first film was 'A Hill in Korea' and pretty much filmed once he'd finished his active service there.
DeleteKev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteSome years ago I was told that ZULU was a favourite film amongst members of the British Army, and it is easy to see why.
It was Michael Caine’s first starring film role, but he had appeared in A HILL IN KOREA and sixteen other films (mainly in small, bit parts) before ZULU (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Caine_filmography). It was a much longer list than I had expected before I looked it up!
All the best,
Bob
Great film...I believe it was Cain's first starring role but not his first film. Zulu Dawn is also a good film although a bit long winded at the beginning. Regards.
DeleteSteve J.,
DeleteMichael Caine was a veteran of the Korean War, but I understand that his technical advice - based on his experiences - was ignored by the film’s makers.
All the best,
Bob
Tony Adams,
DeleteZULU DAWN is a very worthy film, and sticks reasonably well to the truth … although the ammo box ‘problem’ was trotted out as one of the causes for the defeat.
All the best,
Bob
A nice bit of info there at the end Bob. Whilst not too accurate it is a damned good film to watch!
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteMy cleaner is a relative of Colour Sergeant Bourne, and as a result I know even more about him than most of the other participants. At the time of the battle he was only 23, and was known as ‘the kid’. At the time of his promotion he was the youngest Colour Sergeant in the British Army.
Despite its inaccuracies, it’s a very good film … and one I never tire of watching,
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteSurely there were eleven VCs awarded! Who have you accidentally omitted?
Best wishes, Arthur
Arthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteI did not include Acting Assistant Commissary Dalton (who was a Londoner by birth) because his award came after the others.
All the best,
Bob
But he was, perhaps, the man really responsible for planning the defence, as he had previously been a regular soldier and done a course on field fortification, so richly deserved it!
DeleteAnother individual not accurately portrayed in the film.
Arthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteI have always thought that Dalton’s role in planning the defence has generally been understated in most published accounts. As you state, he was an experienced soldier, probably the most experienced amongst the defenders.
All the best,
Bob
Haven't you had enough? Both of you! My god, can't you see it's all over! Your bloody egos don't matter anymore. We're dead!
ReplyDeleteJon S.,
DeletePoor old Adendorff! He fought his way to safety at Isandlwana (and was accused of cowardice in THE WASHING OF THE SPEARS), fought in the storehouse during the fighting at Rorke’s Drift, and was inaccurately listed amongst the dead.
All the best,
Bob
Probably my favourite film.
ReplyDeleteBut apparently Private Hook was actually a teetotaller and a Methodist preacher. His daughters were so taken aback by his depiction in the film that they walked out of the Premier.
Ronnie
Ronniec (Ronnie),
DeleteHook was an exemplary soldier, and ended up working at the British Museum as an attendant.
I think that his family were quite right to take exception to the way he was portrayed. It could have been toned down and still been a good role.
All the best,
Bob
I think the idea behind the inaccurate portrayal of Hook was to present the archetypal British soldier - a bit of a scoundrel, too fond of his drink, but a damned good fighter. Just a pity they had to pick Henry Hook and do him an injustice.
DeleteArthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteHook was portrayed as being a typical representative of the ‘scum of the earth’ that was supposed to make up the bulk of the British Army’s rank and file. The reality might not have made for as good a film.
A better candidate for this role was Private Michael McMahon (Army Hospital Corps), who was put up for the DCM … but his name was withdrawn because he was a thief and went AWOL after the battle.
All the best,
Bob