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Text supplied by Zulu War Author Ian Knight.
By about 6pm the Zulu attacks had extended all around the front
of the post, and fighting raged at hand-to-hand along the mealie-bag wall.
Lieutenant Chard himself took up a position on the barricade, firing over the
mealie-bags with a Martini-Henry, whilst Lieutenant Bromhead directed any spare
men to plug the gaps in the line. The men in the yard and on the front wall were
dangerously exposed to the fire of Zulu marksmen posted in the rocky terraces on
Shiyane (Oskarsberg) hill behind the post. Several men were hit, including
Acting Assistant Commissary Dalton, and Corporal Allen of the 14th. Surgeon
Reynolds treated the wounded as best he could despite the fire. Once the veranda
at the front of the hospital had been abandoned, the Zulus had mounted a
determined attack on the building itself, setting fire to the thatched roof with
spears tied with burning grass. The defenders were forced to evacuate the
patients room by room, eventually passing them out through a small window into
the open yard. Shortly after 6pm Chard decided that the Zulu pressure was too
great, and ordered a withdrawal to a barricade of biscuit boxes which had been
hastily erected across the yard, from the corner of the store-house to the front
mealie-bag wall. In this small compound the garrison would fight for their lives
throughout most of the coming night.
The VC Winners: Lieutenant J.R.M. Chard, R.E.; Lieutenant G. Bromhead, 2/24th;
Surgeon J.H. Reynolds, A.M.D.; Acting Assistant Commissary J.L. Dalton, C. &
T.D.; Corporal Allen, 2/24th; Corporal C.F. Schiess, N.N.C.; Privates F. Hitch,
A.H. Hook, R. Jones, W. Jones, J. Williams, 2/24th.
The DCM Winners: Col. Sgt. F.E. Bourne2/24th; 2nd Corp. F. Attwood, A.S.C.; 2nd
Corp. M. McMahon, A.H.C.; Wheeler J. Cantwell, R.A.; Pte W. Roy, 1/24th.
Battle of Isandhlwana Zulu victory over the British forces on 22nd January 1879 about
100km north of Durban. Lord Chelmsford led a column of forces to seek out the
Zulu army camped at Isandhlwana, while patrols searched the district. After
receiving a report, Chelmsford set forth at half strength, leaving six companies
of the 24th Regiment, two guns, some Colonial Volunteers and a native contingent
(in all about 1,800 troops) at the camp. Later that morning an advanced post
warned of an approaching Zulu army. Shortly after this, thousands of Zulus were
found hidden in a ravine by a mounted patrol but as the patrol set off to warn
the camp, the Zulus followed. At the orders of the Camp Commander, troops spread
out around the perimeter of the camp, but the Zulu army broke through their
defences. The native contingent who fled during the attack were hunted down and
killed. The remaining troops of the 24th Regiment, 534 soldiers and 21 officers,
were killed where they fought. The Zulus left no one alive, taking no prisoners
and leaving no wounded or missing. About 300 Africans and 50 Europeans escaped
the attack. Consequently, the invasion of Zulu country was delayed while reinforcements
arrived from Britain.
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