Rorke's Drift Tours

Private Frederick Hitch 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot "It was chiefly due to the courageous conduct of these [Allen and Hitch] men that communication with the hospital was kept up at all. Holding together at all costs a most dangerous post, raked in reverse by the enemy's fire from the hill, they were both severely wounded, but their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued as soon as their wounds had been dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night."

Corporal William Wilson Allen 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot "It was chiefly due to the courageous conduct of these [Allen and Hitch] men that communication with the hospital was kept up at all. Holding together at all costs a most dangerous post, raked in reverse by the enemy's fire from the hill, they were both severely wounded, but their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued as soon as their wounds had been dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night."

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment "For their gallant conduct at the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus on the 22nd and 23rd January, 1879. The Lieutenant General, commanding troops reports that, had it not been for the fine example and behaviour of these two officers under the most trying circumstances, the defence of the Rorke's Drift Post would not have been conducted with that intelligence and tenacity which so essentially characterised it. The Lieutenant General adds that its success must, to a great degree, be attributable to the two young Officers who exercised the chief Command on the occasion in question."

Private William Jones 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot. "In another ward, facing the hill, Private William Jones and Private Robert Jones defended the post to the last, until six out of the seven patients had been removed. The seventh, Sergeant Maxfield, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, was delirious with fever. Although they had previously dressed him, they were unable to induce him to move. When Private Robert Jones returned to endeavour to carry him away, he found him being stabbed by the Zulus as he lay on his bed."

Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess Natal Native Contingent "During the battle of Rorke's Drift, Lieutenant Chard had observed Schiess taking aim at some of the enemy. He bayoneted a Zulu who had fired at him at almost point blank range, then shot another and bayoneted a third. Despite being wounded he continued fighting. Frederick Schiess was the first man serving with a locally raised force to be awarded the Victoria Cross."

Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard 5th Company Royal Engineers "For their gallant conduct at the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus on the 22nd and 23rd January 1879. The Lieutenant General commanding troops reports that, had it not been for the fine example and behaviour of these two officers under the most trying circumstances, the defence of the Rorke's Drift post would not have been conducted with that intelligence and tenacity which so essentially characterised it. The Lieutenant General adds that it's success must, to a great degree, be attributable to the two young Officers who exercised the chief Command on the occasion in question."

Private John Williams 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot "Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams and Private Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than one hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left; as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assegaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men, a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who with two patients, were the only men left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook."

The Victoria Cross Medal made by Hancocks of London Queen Victoria, during her reign, had instructed the War Office to strike a new medal that would not recognise birth or class. The medal was meant to be a simple decoration that would be highly prized and eagerly sought after by those in the military services. The original warrant stated that the Victoria Cross would only be awarded to soldiers who have served in the presence of the enemy and had performed some single act of valour or devotion. It was originally intended that the VCs would be cast from the cascabels of two cannon that were captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol . In 1990 Creagh and Ashton conducted a metallurgical examination of the VCs in the custody of the Australian War Memorial. Later, the historian John Glanfield, wrote that, through the use of x-ray studies of older Victoria Crosses, it was determined that the metal used for VCs is from antique Chinese guns and not of Russian origin....