The Victoria Cross heroes of Rorke's Drift, Part One: John Chard
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Who were the 11 men who won the Victoria Cross during the epic battle for Rorke's Drift? What was their background and what happened to them after the battle? This is the first in a series of films where I will be answering those questions. Today we talk about the man who commanded the defence of the mission station - John Chard of the Royal Engineers.
My tour of Rorke's Drift - • Anglo-Zulu war: A tour...
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Army engineers are usually trained in defensive fighting, so he should have been the right man for the job.
Gonville Bromheads great grandson lives in our village . Now well over 90 years old . Lovely chap. At Remembrance Sunday this year he held the British Legion flag throughout the service . Impressive at that age .
That is wonderful!
What an honour to meet the grandson. You are lucky
As an ex Royal Engineer myself from Plymouth where Chard was born in what is now the Kitto Centre (plaque on wall) in honicknowle lane Plymouth, he would have been trained in all aspects of Military Engineering in both attack and defence. In Victorian times this was quite a complex process with both the old system and with new inventions/ideas. So Chard would have quickly known how to defend a place like Rorkes Drift by using his taught skills, I think you should have maybe re-inforced this Military Engineering aspect. Chard at one time in his career (before Zulu War) was at Crownhill fort, Plymouth. It is one of a ring of forts with battery's built around Plymouth in a half moon configuration to defend the city against land attack. It was one of Lord Palmerstons follies built to defend against the perceived threat of a French invasion by Napoleon III. The same can be seen at Portsmouth in Fort Nelson above Hilsea. So the Royal Engineers designed them and supervised the construction of these fortifications using local labour to build them. Chard was at one time himself supervising the defence of Crownhill Fort, so as a Royal Engineer Officer he would have quickly grasped the shortcomings of defending what was just a mission station at Rorkes Drift with not much of a defence to start with.
Further, in considering the lack of time in which he had to do it, I think he did extremely well under the circumstances. He had to gain the confidence of the men of the 24th foot in building the defence with other associated units there, and he only had a handful of Sappers to help him and time was against him.
Excellent set of videos. Thanks for posting them.. It's so refreshing to see something that celebrates and pays tribute to the heroes of our Empire rather than the current trend of apologists denigrating the achievements of men far better than them. Keep up the good work!
This was excellent on the history of my Regiment and Chard. Thanks for posting.
No worries / I’ll hopefully post about LT Bromhead over Christmas 👍🏼
@@redcoathistory Looking forward to it mate. Thanks for all your hard work.
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I'd post the flags of the individual Union Nations - but RUclips blacks them out 😔
Years after the film Zulu came out and I was a young U.S. Marine in Vietnam I lifted and used a phrase supposedly used by Hook, in the film, when he was evacuating the wounded from the burning hospital. After actions when all was secure and we were permitted a small break to sip warm water of a dubious quality and "smoke 'em if you got 'em" I would take some Beechnut out of it's pouch and if asked if I was okay would only chew, nod and out of the side of my mouth reply, "Hooky's done his bit." I used the phrase all through my tour whenever asked of my active participation in actions. Still use it today after assisting in work projects. Trouble is, apparently only I know what the phrase means.
Ha ha I love it! I haven't come across that phrase - but if I do I will let you know. Thanks for sharing. I hope to do a video on hooky this year.
I was the last soldier to enlist in the S Wales borders before it became the RRW in 1969. Every year we went to the cinema to see the film
I did a stream on Rorke's Drift and the film Zulu a few weeks ago. I have been to Chard's grave. I hope you do cover Lt.Col Frank Bourne.
Nice one - just watched some of your stream - great work. As you asked for it I’ll be sure to do a Frank Bourne video in the future 👍🏼
The youngest Sgt Major in the entire British Army. What a dude.
@@MrRugbylane A true warrior.
What a moment of greatness it was for him , even if quiet life before and after.
Nice video mate, respect. I am here because on Saturday just gone; 4th Sept, I visited Chard's grave to pay my respects. It was my first time. It is well worth a visit... very humbling. I used to be a researcher for the Anglo Zulu War Research Society (now defunct, sadly) and you mentioned his "Batman" Robson. In 2001 I was part of a re-dedication service that placed a permanent headstone at the grave of Driver Charles John Robson, 5th Field Coy RE on the anniversary of Rorke's Drift. Also a very humbling experience. Thank you for remembering these brave men. I am now going to binge watch the rest of this series. New subscriber too.
Peace my friend.
Thanks, Keith. Appreciate you letting me know and great work with the headstone - fantastic thing to do.
Thank you sir from across the pond
Well done, i'm curious when you will bring a video about Dalton the commissioner at Rorkes drift.
Thanks Johann - I’ll hopefully post a video about him in early or mid January 🤞🏻
I'm a Yank, but love your work in these videos:) Good job and thank you for keeping this history alive.
Thanks for watching!
I'm not a yank. I'm from Alabama. And I am very much enjoying your offerings.
Look up the John Chart medal and the John Chard decoration, awarded to SADF servicemen.
Incredible. Thank you.
Strangely it was Zulu Dawn, not Zulu, that got me really interested in the Zulu war and the wars that followed it.
Great video👍
Thanks a lot - yes Zulu Dawn is also a cracking film and probably doesn’t get talked about as much as it should.
Enjoyable episode; appreciate your enthusiasm.
Thanks David
If you get to my great, great grandfather, private John Williams, I have a copy of the book about him which is not too easy to find these days and would be happy to dig through it for you if you like.
Hi Adam, sorry for the slow reply. Wow that is amazing. Yes, if you are able to maybe take a few pictures or scans of any of the pages you think might be most helpful for a short video on his life then that would be brilliant. My email address is redcoathistory at gmail dot com - thanks!
@@redcoathistory You've got mail.
Thanks for the vid. Subbed.
When i was achild my parents lived near Wolsely Hall in Staffordshire, the ancestral home of sir Garnet Wolsely
I hope you do a video or videos on thr 7 vc before breakfast by thr Lancaster Fusiliers in gallipoli
Hi mate - I actually have a very short video on my channel already - if you have a squiz through my videos you will find it though to be honest it is pretty brief.
Bravo, I shall be watching your Rorke's Drift fun.
Enjoy!
I don't want for a moment to play down the heroism of those awarded the VCs, but it should be noted that at no other time have 11 VCs been awarded to people in the same battle: coming so soon after Isandlwana, the calamitous loss of an army to the native zulus, it was a morale booster which would never be repeated.
Very interesting and well presented. I have been to Isandhlwana and Rorkes Drift many many times and was there on 22nd January, 1979. I took a photograph of my two young daughters at the mouth of a cave approximately half way up Isandhlwana mt. I have read a few accounts of a soldier having fought and died in a cave in the vicinity. Perhaps that wound be worth investigating. Also, I have read, many years ago, of soldiers company numbers being carved into the rocks on the slopes of the hill that overlooks Rorkes drift. Perhaps, if you visit the area again, they might be worth investing. Many thanks for your interesting posts.
Thanks James - 1979 must have been a tremendous event 👍🏼
@@redcoathistory yes, there were a few " redcoats" from the UK on a visit to the battlefields that day.
Excellent thank you so much. I've always had a general interest in our UK history and of course grew up with the film of this etched in my memory. However only this week I found out that John Chard was literally born and bred at the end of my street in Plymouth where I was born and grew up. I was amazed and never knew. I now want to find out so much more about him and I'm so proud he's a fellow Janner. Can you recommend anything particular to read on him please? Thanks again and I will watch more of your videos over the next few weeks.
Hi Michael, that's great. To be honest there isn't one definitive work I'd recommend about John Chard - I've picked up bits and pieces from a number of books on the battle including those by Ian Knight and Adrian Greaves. I hope you enjoy your research and please keep me posted.
Thank you. I will have a look at their books and see what I can find out. Still can't believe he was born so close by and I never knew.
One thing to keep in mind is that at this time the British Army wasn't really doing anything.
The fighting was mostly being done by "India Army".
Thank you.
Lt John Chard was buried in the Churchyard of Hatch Beauchamp Somerset - between Taunton .... and the town of Chard ! " .....Hatch Beauchamp is the burial place of Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard, VC, Royal Engineers (21 December 1847 - 1 November 1897) a British soldier who won the Victoria Cross for his role in the defence of Rorke's Drift in 1879 ...." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatch_Beauchamp
He was born in Honicknowle Lane, Plymouth. Unfortunately the family house was pulled down many decades ago and a building called the Kitto Centre occupies the site. However there is a round plaque at the entrance on the wall documenting his place of birth and about his involvement in the defence of Rorkes Drift.
Another excellent video.
Thanks Hugh
Can you do video on Henry Hook
I plan to eventually
Didn't Stanley Baker purchase a replica of Chard's Victoria Cross which turned out to be the actual item?
Cancer of the mouth was common in those days because people used whatever paper was available to make cigarettes.
Homeless, by the Thames, he God rest him, took his own life may God, take care of his soul.
You can rightfully blame Hollywood for a lot, but not for any inaccuracies in this film. An entirely British affair!
Hollywood is a catch-all term for the film industry...apologies if you find the use of the word offensive. I'll strive to do better 👍🏻
Admiral Halsey said there are no great men there are only great challenges that ordinary men like you and me are forced by circumstances to meet
Good quote - I didn't know it ,thanks for sharing.
Do you have an email. Want to send you an photo that you will find interesting. I had this in my care for about 23-35 years. There is a story behind it.
23-25 years
Thanks, Hendrik. It would be lovely to hear from you...best way is via the contact here redcoathistory.com/contact/
Courage certainly, on all sides, but where are the accolades for the Zulus defending their land?
Das ist doch eine unerträgliche Glorifizierung des Kolonialismus!
The truth usually is.