The two officers were named Bromhead and Chard. Reynalds was the surgeon, Colour Sergeant Bourne, played so well by Nigel Green as a grizzled bewhiskered old man was actually only 25, and the youngest Colour Sergeant in the British Army, he was offered the choice of a VC or a commission, he chose to become an officer, and was the last surviving defender of Rorke's Drift, passing away on VE Day 1945 as a Lt Colonel.
I don't believe he was ever recommended for the VC but he was offered a commission. However this was in an era where a private means of income was usually required in order to pay your 'bills' & 'way' that an Officer and a Gentleman would have been expected to afford. Latter one he did accept the Queen's Commission.
Long before Europeans arrived, slavery was endemic throughout the African continent, and had been for centuries. The Zulu nation itself might be described as imperialistic having conquered many of their neighbours .
Although British in 1981 I joined other Brits to work a three year contract in the Steelworks in the nearby town of Newcastle Natal. The local Zulus also loved the movie. We the Brits would form a line across the workshop as the Zulus would sing, chant and stamp. Then the word ‘Zulu’ would ripple down the line and then they would charge us with a battle cry meaning ‘kill’ holding broom handles and steel bars. The objective of the game was for us not to take a step backwards, but none of us able to do it. Then on the actual battle ground, the old Zulu caretaker allowed us to perform a sort of reenactment. We stood behind the mealie bags and biscuit boxes as a group of local Zulus charged. Both sides armed with broom handles. Again this was a British defeat with busted ribs and lost teeth. This was followed with drinking and much manly hugging to show friendship. We all learned to love the Zulus. This was during the racist apartheid period, but at work we always took their side.
Fistorical inaccuracies warning!!!! Zulu were invaders, they had conquered large swathes of land and genocided their inhabitants before reaching here, this was NOT zulu land to begin with, in fact nobody lived there before brits arrived. This was a point of where two expanding empires met.
At this point in time the Zulus were not as expansionist as they once were, and were actually trying to garner better relations with the British Empire. > In fact nobody lived there before the brits arrived. This is not true. Zululand had been an established part of the Zulu kingdom for a very long time.
I don’t have to imagine it. My first combat experience was hand to hand. The plane crash at Pope AFB in the 90s I was at and smelled burnt jp8 and charred hair and people and I will never forget it.
Haven't seen Zulu Dawn and it has been decades since I saw the whole movie Zulu but the moment that stuck in my head is the Men of Harlech scene and this exchange just before it. "Do you think the Welsh can't do better than that, Owen?" Pvt. Owen: "Well, they've got a very good bass section, mind, but no top tenors that's for sure."
That's one of the false narratives, the 24th foot didn't become a Welsh regiment, the South Wales Borderers, until several years later. At this point the recruiting area was mostly Warwickshire, so the majority of the troops were English. Stanley Baker, who played Chard, and was largely responsible for getting the film made, was a proud Welshman, and may have skewed the facts a little.
@@nicksykes4575 And even so it is the scene that stuck in my head for years and is always the first one I think of when it comes to this movie. Still, didn't know that bit about Baker so thanks for that.
@@nicksykes4575The movie was based on the event. It never claimed to be a 1 to 1 account so I don't know why some people act like it's meant to be a documentary.
@@AIHumanEquality Unfortunately the vast majority of people watch a film of a real event, and believe every single part of it, so in their eyes, it is a documentary.
I always favoured mounted troops in Total War. Get some light cavalry to skirmish and get the enemy to break formation as they chase, then smash in with the heavy cavalry.
So my technique is based around what nation I'm playing. Usually though I like to have heavy infantry in the middle, spearmen on the wings, and cavalry all massed in one on one side. If I have skirmishers they pepper the enemy before they close and bows will cover their inevitable retreat when the enemy advances. Once the lines collide, swing the cavalry around behind their line and do a series of bouncing hammers into the enemy's backs. If they have ranged units, break off a unit of cav or two to smash them. Also once had a couple units of cav repeatedly smash attacking spears be dividing their attention. They'd turn to face one charge only to be hit from behind by another. Doesn't work so great against the Scots schiltron but that's when you use catapults and ballistae.
Rorke's Drift is part of our history and it shows the heroic defence of the 24th Foot to hold on to the Drift. I learned about this at junior school in our history class back in 1970 and it began my love affair with military history and our UK Armed Forces as a 6 year old, I will be 60 this year (2024) and my love of military history is still strong especially as I had family that served in the British Army, the RAF and the Royal Navy. Every British soldier who fought at Rorke's Drift is a Hero. It is an incredible true story of 100 British Soldiers against 4,000 Zulu Army with Rifles that they got off the massacre of Isandlwanda where only 50 British soldiers survived out of 1,300. There has been many battles in British Military history where a small number of British Soldiers have fought against overwhelmingly enemy forces and have beaten the odds. Rorke's Drift is just one of the stories another that I know of is a loan British Gurkha in his dug out hole faced hundreds of Japanese soldiers attacking his area, even though a grenade blew up in his right hand blowing off his fingers, damaging him on the right side of his body and face, loaded his gun and fired it with his left hand for 4 hours till reinforcements arrived. He had killed 81 Japanese soldiers with 31 dead Japanese soldiers around his position. He got the Victoria Cross for his actions and his incredible bravery and rightly show. I have many more of these stories that show incredible feats of heroism in the face of overwhelming enemy strength. Rorke's Drift true story shows this incredible determination to beat the odds plus the officers at Rorke's Drift were two of the best. BRITISH SABATON FAN 💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🏴💙💛🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Is it just my hearing or did something go wrong on this one re who was in command. Lieutenant John Chard, Royal Engineers was officer connanding. Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead 24th Foot was second in command. Surgeon-Major James Reynolds was a non-combatant with no part in the command structure. Point of film difference re Bromhead. The reason why B Company had been left at Rourkes drift was its commander being so deaf he had to have his orders in writing or shouted down an ear trumpet.
I guess I'm pretty basic how I play Medieval 2 Total War. Equal numbers of archers or crossbowmen and spearmen or heavy infantry for the archers to shoot from behind, and then a few Cav on the flanks. I ought to try other things but I rarely do, mostly when I'm playing as a people who have good horse archers. Doing the all Cav army with mostly horse archers and few heavy cav is devastating, but no good at attacking walls. Playing Russia you can do both, as long as you don't get the Mongols in your face before you're ready.
Hi Kit, I just thought I would let you know that there is a AMV of Rorke’s drift that features the actual Zulu movie as background. It is well mashed and suits the song. It’s the same, as the one about the last of the samurai as it has the Tom Cruise movie as background. Maybe on your own time, you can have a look at it . Also, upon doing some research Hooks family Was so upset with his portrayal in the movie, that at the premier at which they were invited to watch as surviving members of his family; that they got up threw down their tickets in disgust and walked out of the theatre and never acknowledged that the film existed. They had been horrified at his portrayal in the movie.
The reason why they was 11 VC's was maybe not for outstanding valour (no doubt well deserved) but to easy the pain from 1,300 dead Brits soldiers from the battle portraited in Zulu Dawn which only happened the day before Rorke's Drift. Today it is incredibly a lot harder to receive a VC compared to years ago. Maybe if the Zulu's had won it might have become a battle cry like the Yank's turn the Alamo into; but 'remember the Rorke's Drift' doesn't have the same ring to it somewhat!
I'm English, 67 yrs Old. The Original Film Zulu was not that innacurate. Honestly, show me a Hollywood warfilm that was accurate? OK Henry Hook was not a drunken malingerer, the colour seargent was shorter and younger, they did not sing men of Harlich at the end. However, the timing, sequence of events, names of all the participants are accurate. Most of all the Zulus in the film WERE real Zulus, Men, Women, their rituals their Songs were real. And respected. I have been to South Africa, met Zulus. They are proud. Have no problem towards the British... OK Africaans that's different....
British soldiers while looking through the bodies of the Zulus on the ground when they did find zulus alive they bayonet them to death but thats war its not nice.
The only thing accurate was the basic theme of 150 or so defenders (not all fighting men) against 4000 odd Zulus at a place called Rorkes Drift. Every single scene in the movie was inaccurate starting with Witt and daughter at the wedding party.
Every time the British lose they tend to most of the time they remember there mistakes and learn from it, makes a better solder in the end only a foolish nation ignores its defeats and it learns nothing from it.
Movies are virtually never accurate. I personally hate Braveheart (not because it's a bad movie). Growing up in the 60's uk, the Scott's always had a chip on there shoulder against the English. My step father was Scottish and having spent probably ages 5-11 there I got perspective. But it was finally wearing off & that bloody movie stirred everything up again
Historically inaccurate! Who have you been listening too? There were certain differences compared to the movie. But it was 85% accurate! You are talking about other conflicts here. Conflating them with this battle. Stop it! Zulus attacking British soldiers as they sleep out in the open isn't a battle, dude! It's cowardice!! When the Brits were ready and at arms they fucked the Zulus right up!
The two officers were named Bromhead and Chard. Reynalds was the surgeon, Colour Sergeant Bourne, played so well by Nigel Green as a grizzled bewhiskered old man was actually only 25, and the youngest Colour Sergeant in the British Army, he was offered the choice of a VC or a commission, he chose to become an officer, and was the last surviving defender of Rorke's Drift, passing away on VE Day 1945 as a Lt Colonel.
I don't believe he was ever recommended for the VC but he was offered a commission. However this was in an era where a private means of income was usually required in order to pay your 'bills' & 'way' that an Officer and a Gentleman would have been expected to afford. Latter one he did accept the Queen's Commission.
Long before Europeans arrived, slavery was endemic throughout the African continent, and had been for centuries. The Zulu nation itself might be described as imperialistic having conquered many of their neighbours .
Although British in 1981 I joined other Brits to work a three year contract in the Steelworks in the nearby town of Newcastle Natal. The local Zulus also loved the movie. We the Brits would form a line across the workshop as the Zulus would sing, chant and stamp. Then the word ‘Zulu’ would ripple down the line and then they would charge us with a battle cry meaning ‘kill’ holding broom handles and steel bars. The objective of the game was for us not to take a step backwards, but none of us able to do it. Then on the actual battle ground, the old Zulu caretaker allowed us to perform a sort of reenactment. We stood behind the mealie bags and biscuit boxes as a group of local Zulus charged. Both sides armed with broom handles. Again this was a British defeat with busted ribs and lost teeth. This was followed with drinking and much manly hugging to show friendship. We all learned to love the Zulus. This was during the racist apartheid period, but at work we always took their side.
The cry would probably be "Bulala".
There is no such thing as A "Victorian Cross" - it is a Victoria Cross !
Fistorical inaccuracies warning!!!! Zulu were invaders, they had conquered large swathes of land and genocided their inhabitants before reaching here, this was NOT zulu land to begin with, in fact nobody lived there before brits arrived. This was a point of where two expanding empires met.
Brits have invaded nations all over the world for hundreds of years .
At this point in time the Zulus were not as expansionist as they once were, and were actually trying to garner better relations with the British Empire.
> In fact nobody lived there before the brits arrived.
This is not true. Zululand had been an established part of the Zulu kingdom for a very long time.
Zulu still had more legit claim to the land in Africa than the British did so this comment is kinda pointless.
Genocide? the zulu king Ntsyngwayo killed his brother and thousands of zulu people.
@@AIHumanEquality The zulu king Ntsyngwayo killed his brother and thousands of zulu people.
Guitar solo in this song is amazing ❤
11 VCs (the highesy medal in the British military) were won at Rourkes Drift, a record unsurpassed in British military history for any battle.
I don’t have to imagine it. My first combat experience was hand to hand. The plane crash at Pope AFB in the 90s I was at and smelled burnt jp8 and charred hair and people and I will never forget it.
If I had a Time Machine, a hot air balloon, and a camera, this is one of the events I would love to record.
Haven't seen Zulu Dawn and it has been decades since I saw the whole movie Zulu but the moment that stuck in my head is the Men of Harlech scene and this exchange just before it.
"Do you think the Welsh can't do better than that, Owen?"
Pvt. Owen: "Well, they've got a very good bass section, mind, but no top tenors that's for sure."
That's one of the false narratives, the 24th foot didn't become a Welsh regiment, the South Wales Borderers, until several years later. At this point the recruiting area was mostly Warwickshire, so the majority of the troops were English. Stanley Baker, who played Chard, and was largely responsible for getting the film made, was a proud Welshman, and may have skewed the facts a little.
@@nicksykes4575 And even so it is the scene that stuck in my head for years and is always the first one I think of when it comes to this movie.
Still, didn't know that bit about Baker so thanks for that.
@@widgren87it's still funny
@@nicksykes4575The movie was based on the event. It never claimed to be a 1 to 1 account so I don't know why some people act like it's meant to be a documentary.
@@AIHumanEquality Unfortunately the vast majority of people watch a film of a real event, and believe every single part of it, so in their eyes, it is a documentary.
I always favoured mounted troops in Total War. Get some light cavalry to skirmish and get the enemy to break formation as they chase, then smash in with the heavy cavalry.
Ooh, I like that
So my technique is based around what nation I'm playing. Usually though I like to have heavy infantry in the middle, spearmen on the wings, and cavalry all massed in one on one side. If I have skirmishers they pepper the enemy before they close and bows will cover their inevitable retreat when the enemy advances. Once the lines collide, swing the cavalry around behind their line and do a series of bouncing hammers into the enemy's backs. If they have ranged units, break off a unit of cav or two to smash them.
Also once had a couple units of cav repeatedly smash attacking spears be dividing their attention. They'd turn to face one charge only to be hit from behind by another. Doesn't work so great against the Scots schiltron but that's when you use catapults and ballistae.
Here a playlist series about the Zulu war:
ua-cam.com/play/PL85DK8Dj71PIEn3he_MP2K_qhoP4wBw1Z.html&si=VRoNRH1yaRYB1chj
6:50 I used many tactics. One of more useful in multiplayer was withdrawing the middle pulling enemy into encirclement of light infantry
Rorke's Drift is part of our history and it shows the heroic defence of the 24th Foot to hold on to the Drift. I learned about this at junior school in our history class back in 1970 and it began my love affair with military history and our UK Armed Forces as a 6 year old, I will be 60 this year (2024) and my love of military history is still strong especially as I had family that served in the British Army, the RAF and the Royal Navy. Every British soldier who fought at Rorke's Drift is a Hero. It is an incredible true story of 100 British Soldiers against 4,000 Zulu Army with Rifles that they got off the massacre of Isandlwanda where only 50 British soldiers survived out of 1,300. There has been many battles in British Military history where a small number of British Soldiers have fought against overwhelmingly enemy forces and have beaten the odds. Rorke's Drift is just one of the stories another that I know of is a loan British Gurkha in his dug out hole faced hundreds of Japanese soldiers attacking his area, even though a grenade blew up in his right hand blowing off his fingers, damaging him on the right side of his body and face, loaded his gun and fired it with his left hand for 4 hours till reinforcements arrived. He had killed 81 Japanese soldiers with 31 dead Japanese soldiers around his position. He got the Victoria Cross for his actions and his incredible bravery and rightly show. I have many more of these stories that show incredible feats of heroism in the face of overwhelming enemy strength. Rorke's Drift true story shows this incredible determination to beat the odds plus the officers at Rorke's Drift were two of the best. BRITISH SABATON FAN 💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️💂♂️🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🏴💙💛🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Is it just my hearing or did something go wrong on this one re who was in command. Lieutenant John Chard, Royal Engineers was officer connanding. Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead 24th Foot was second in command. Surgeon-Major James Reynolds was a non-combatant with no part in the command structure. Point of film difference re Bromhead. The reason why B Company had been left at Rourkes drift was its commander being so deaf he had to have his orders in writing or shouted down an ear trumpet.
I guess I'm pretty basic how I play Medieval 2 Total War. Equal numbers of archers or crossbowmen and spearmen or heavy infantry for the archers to shoot from behind, and then a few Cav on the flanks. I ought to try other things but I rarely do, mostly when I'm playing as a people who have good horse archers. Doing the all Cav army with mostly horse archers and few heavy cav is devastating, but no good at attacking walls. Playing Russia you can do both, as long as you don't get the Mongols in your face before you're ready.
Hi Kit, I just thought I would let you know that there is a AMV of Rorke’s drift that features the actual Zulu movie as background.
It is well mashed and suits the song. It’s the same, as the one about the last of the samurai as it has the Tom Cruise movie as background.
Maybe on your own time, you can have a look at it .
Also, upon doing some research Hooks family Was so upset with his portrayal in the movie, that at the premier at which they were invited to watch as surviving members of his family; that they got up threw down their tickets in disgust and walked out of the theatre and never acknowledged that the film existed.
They had been horrified at his portrayal in the movie.
The reason why they was 11 VC's was maybe not for outstanding valour (no doubt well deserved) but to easy the pain from 1,300 dead Brits soldiers from the battle portraited in Zulu Dawn which only happened the day before Rorke's Drift. Today it is incredibly a lot harder to receive a VC compared to years ago. Maybe if the Zulu's had won it might have become a battle cry like the Yank's turn the Alamo into; but 'remember the Rorke's Drift' doesn't have the same ring to it somewhat!
no one ever talks about Ord Wingate and Ethiopia, when it comes to Africa.
Salutations, one of my favourite old words.
Zulu dawn gets it just about right it's the battle befor rorks drift
I'm English, 67 yrs Old. The Original Film Zulu was not that innacurate. Honestly, show me a Hollywood warfilm that was accurate? OK Henry Hook was not a drunken malingerer, the colour seargent was shorter and younger, they did not sing men of Harlich at the end. However, the timing, sequence of events, names of all the participants are accurate. Most of all the Zulus in the film WERE real Zulus, Men, Women, their rituals their Songs were real. And respected. I have been to South Africa, met Zulus. They are proud. Have no problem towards the British... OK Africaans that's different....
It was called the Boar war. My grandad fought at Tugella hights and lains neck. I have his medals it was against the Boar Dutch settlers.
Boer. Dutch for farmer.
UA-cam Channel history dose made a similar video also the Zulu ended up the same way as the Sioux natives in South Dakota.
Oof.
@@AmericansLearn check out extra credits docu series.
British soldiers while looking through the bodies of the Zulus on the ground when they did find zulus alive they bayonet them to death but thats war its not nice.
You say sabaton are great, i say great means
Where you concerned for the cow being a Vet?
The MOVIE was historically accurate, personalties involved were not!
The film is almost totally accurate.
The only thing accurate was the basic theme of 150 or so defenders (not all fighting men) against 4000 odd Zulus at a place called Rorkes Drift. Every single scene in the movie was inaccurate starting with Witt and daughter at the wedding party.
Every time the British lose they tend to most of the time they remember there mistakes and learn from it, makes a better solder in the end only a foolish nation ignores its defeats and it learns nothing from it.
Movies are virtually never accurate. I personally hate Braveheart (not because it's a bad movie). Growing up in the 60's uk, the Scott's always had a chip on there shoulder against the English. My step father was Scottish and having spent probably ages 5-11 there I got perspective. But it was finally wearing off & that bloody movie stirred everything up again
Historically inaccurate! Who have you been listening too? There were certain differences compared to the movie. But it was 85% accurate! You are talking about other conflicts here. Conflating them with this battle. Stop it! Zulus attacking British soldiers as they sleep out in the open isn't a battle, dude! It's cowardice!! When the Brits were ready and at arms they fucked the Zulus right up!