The Defenders of Rourkes Drift

**davejb** · 01-22-2011, 01:15 AM

Just a quick note, there was a guy near to where i live that used to collect anything to do with the Zulu war, i remember seeing a very nice short spear and shield on his wall plus some leg adornments made i believe from ostrich feathers, he also had a very large collection of painted figures most of which he did himself but they were mainly 120mm, and some were metal, it was a very colourful display, i dont know what his wifehas done with them as he died some years ago

**oradour** · 01-22-2011, 02:41 PM

Gents, just returned from the loft/attic, apologies ! the VHS set is for the film "Zulu Dawn" not "Zulu", however still worth a £1 ! and I also found a superb book on the conflict by Saul David, entitled "Zulu, the Heroism and Tradgedy of the Zulu War of 1879" a bloody good read !
Prost ! Steve.

**Reg** · 01-22-2011, 03:37 PM

Great thread Ade, good point about Victorian propoganda, Theres a gravestone in my local churchyard of a Grenadier guard from the Peninsular war, with his battles listed, he was originaly burried a pauper but the gravestone was errected seventy odd years later by the local Victorian gentry with all that victorian milataristic pomp. Ill try and post a pic soon....saves my rambling ;o)
Reg

**packin9** · 01-24-2011, 06:10 PM

They weren't spring chickens either. Kind of old to be in that line of work.

**Davidh** · 01-24-2011, 07:51 PM

Philips park cemetery is about 5 mins from my house ,heres a link to the graves rorkesdriftvc.com - Pte. William Jones

**operaman** · 01-25-2011, 06:18 AM

Zulu has always been my favorite movie.Do you know that it was Michael Caine's first role."do carry on with your mud pies" ,"button your tunic".good movie all around.There was a follow up movie about the Battle of Iswanadana (sp) not as good as the first but well worth watching I have forgotten the name but I will look it up and post later,they are both available on DVD and VHS

**Ben Evans** · 01-25-2011, 07:46 AM

I never understoon why they cast Pte Hook as a bad soldier, alcohlic, malingerer, where in fact he was actually a model soldier with a excellent service record!

**kc1** · 03-03-2011, 12:13 PM

Wonder where their medals went, has some collector got them or did they go into the ground with the deceased. Rumour has it that 'Hooky' was buried with his V.C which was a replacement the first being 'stolen'

**Paul D** · 03-03-2011, 05:52 PM

I believe some of them are in Lord Ashcrofts collection ?

**Woolgar** · 03-03-2011, 06:06 PM

There is an excellent magazine on the shelves at the moment(WH Smith for the Brits) called Against All Odds. I bought a copy today and it features excellent detail on Rorkes Drift , Osterbeek, Little Big Horn.

There are 34 glossy pages on Rorkes Drift with then & now pics, original photos and descriptions of the Soldiers and the Zulus,3D battle field strategy, eye witness reports etc etc

Well worth buying. If you cant find it the ISBN number is 978-0-7110-3639-0

Nick