Dimitri’s Reviews > A Handful of Heroes, Rorke’s Drift: Facts, Myths and Legends > Status Update

The controversy is softened by the observation of former police officer Adrian Greaves: eyewitnesses had "Honest Lying Trauma" , simply misremembered. Writing analysis between the two Chard reports, letters to Major Clery & the 1936 transcript by C-Sgt. Bourne conclude the book.

The Mythology of Rorke's Drift came from all directions. Otto Witt's bizarre speaking tour, whitewashing by a (left-behind) staff officer of Chelmsford, a certain major Clery ...Apparently, it's even open to question if the grand Boer advisor on the spot Addendorf was really there?

No soldier of Welsch extraction won a VC at the Drift, because there were none! The only link - apart from the movie- exists between the 24th & the later South Wales Borderers. Wales' sparse , largely pre-industrial population, made for a thin recruiting ground.

Trooper William Baker of the Natal Carabiniers escaped Isandwana on horse via a rugged 6 mile long fugitive trail to the swollen river, where on both banks Zulus killed survivors. It nearly won him a Victoria Cross.

Trooper William Baker of the Natal Carabiniers escaped Isandwana on horse via a rugged 6 mile long fugitive trail to the swollen river, where on both banks Zulus killed survivors. It nearly won him a Victoria Cross.

Chelmsford's double mistake [make shitty camp, then chase campfires] came up for questioning once the royal support & press clamour winded down. Colonel Glynn, first officer on the scene responsible for the lay-out of the camp at Isandlwana, was unsuccesfully scapegoated, but his remaining years were nevertheless overshadowed by the memory of his lost regiment.

Isandlwana has its odd secrets. Lieutenants Coghill & Melvill, who rode the Queen's Colours to safety but were hunted down at the river, came with two extra bodies, both Rankers. One may be a Sgt. Cooper, based on a letter retrieved from his pocket, a rare personal object which commonly doubled as ID tag for non-commissioned officers. A major of 1/24th Foot wrote his sister based on the return adress.

The ordeal of the 24th wasn't dispelled instantly by the 700 ghostly apparitions of Chelmsford relief column out of the Natal morning mist.
Weeks spent in rain & mud bred endemic dystentery & "fevers" for which neither Victorian or 21st century medicine could identify the numerous underlying diseases. Muddy mealie sacks served as replacement jackets. Worse for historiography; there's no paper for written orders.

Out of the frying pan & into the fire: Chard rode up to Isandlwana for fresh orders but received none, and rode back just in case "something were to happen" under his command . His authority was appointed, by the way, there was no comparison of commissions with Bromhead.

the Drift covered a very small area about the size of 3 tennis courts. The defensive measures taken aren't detailed here, but they were not as ad hoc as in the movie (thank you, regulations) it was Dalton who upped the existing walls with extra boxes&bags. The big pyramid was a last hour addition. No word on whether the bag wall through the middle of the kraal was also a hurried improvisation [I think yes]