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Rorke’s Drift is situated 46 km southeast of Dundee and is the site of one of the most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. The countryside around Rorke’s Drift is unspoilt and tranquil. Irishman James Rorke had originally set up a trading station about 1 mile from the drift (crossing point) of the Buffalo River and was known to the Zulus as KwaJimu (Jim’s place). Later, a mission station was established by the Reverend Otto Witt of the Swedish Missionary Society. He built a small church, mission house and cattle kraal at the foot of a rocky mountain which he named Oskarberg.

Lord Chelmsford, had ‘requisitioned’ the property during his crossing at Rorke’s Drift, and used the house as a hospital and the chapel as a storehouse. During the battle it was used as a surgery. The defence of the mission station of Rorke’s Drift immediately followed the British Army’s defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana earlier that morning on 22^nd January 1879. The overwhelming Zulu attack on Rorke’s Drift came very close to defeating the tiny garrison, and the British success is held as one of history’s finest defences. The 11 Victoria Crosses awarded for valour at Rorke’s Drift are still more than for any other military action in history.

When Lord Chelmsford, the commander-in-chief of British Forces in Natal, invaded Zululand on 11th January 1879, he encamped on the other side of the river, 16km to the east, under the mountain at Isandhlwana. Three columns invaded Zululand, from the Lower Tugela, Rorke’s Drift and Utrecht respectively, their objective being Ulundi, the Royal capital of the Zulus. On 9 January 1879 the centre column under Lord Chelmsford arrived and encamped at Rorke’s Drift.

On the morning of 22^nd January 1879, the main Zulu army attacked the British camp at Isandlwana. Lord Chelmsford had taken part of his force off in another direction in search of the Zulu army. Hopelessly outnumbered, the British and native forces were slaughtered by the Zulus which saw only around 50 men escape with their lives. The rest of the 1,000+ strong force were killed. Later that day, 4,500 zulus led by Dabulamanzi attacked a small garrison of the 24th Regiment at Rorke’s Drift. These Zulus had missed out on the action at Isandlwana and wanted to prove themselves in battle. King Cetshwayo had explicitly ordered his Zulu warriors not to cross the Buffalo River which was the border between Natal and Zululand. In spite of this order, the Zulu took the rifles from the bodies of the British dead and marched on Rorke’s Drift. The mission station was manned by 97 ready soldiers, housed 36 wounded, 14 helpful natives five officers and two lieutenants, one of which was new to the area. The Battle of Isandlwana was arguably the most humiliating defeat in British colonial history and just hours later, at Rorke’s Drift, 139 British soldiers successfully defended their garrison against an intense assault by 4,500 Zulu warriors.

What is often overlooked is that the Battle at Rorke’s Drift could very well have ended in the same disastrous manner as Isandlawana, but for one key factor: Rorke’s Drift was a supply depot, so the British soldiers who defended it were able to rely on a nearly-unlimited source of ammunition. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 rounds were fired during the defence of Rorke’s Drift, the vast majority of the shots having missed their targets altogether so, conservatively speaking, every 25th shot fired by the defenders of Rorke’s Drift resulted in an eventual Zulu death, and every 50th shot was an outright kill. The British knew the Zulus were coming but they chose to stand and fight. Wounded men would had to have been loaded onto wagons and Zulu warriors would easily have caught them in the open. They decided to fight on ground of their choosing.

On top of having numbers that crushed a force five times that size hours before, the Zulus now had the Martini-Henry rifles taken off the British dead, giving them an even larger edge against the British.

Henry Hook and five other privates were ordered on the afternoon of 22nd January to protect approximately 30 patients unable to be moved from the temporary hospital at Rorke’s Drift station. Defensive lines were built between the two buildings – the hospital and the store room. Inside this perimeter, an inner defensive line was built between the two buildings and this proved crucial in the battle. The Zulus attacked the hospital setting fire to the roof. Hook of others fought for hours, literally digging through walls and eventually getting most out of the hospital across to the inner defences near the store. Wave after wave of warriors with spears and rifles crashed against the makeshift defences at Rorke’s Drift. The battles raged through the night and by morning the British defences still held strong and the Zulus eventually withdrew.

After witnessing the aftermath of Isandlwana, Chelmsford was convinced that Rorke’s Drift had fallen and only the sound of cheering from the mission station convinced him otherwise. 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defenders of Rorke’s Drift. Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne was one of five men to be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the rare honour of a commission. However, his army pay was his only money had he felt he couldn’t not financially afford to become an officer so declined the commission. Fittingly, he was the last survivor of Rorke’s Drift to pass away on 8^th May 1945 – VE Day. Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Edward Bourne OBE, DCM was 91 years old.

If you plan to visit Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, you will get the most from your visit by staying at Fugitives Drift and taking a tour with one of their team of lecturers lead by the excellent Rob Caskie. The late David Rattray was the master of telling the tales of the Anglo-Zulu war until his untimely death. Since then, Rob Caskie has stepped into his shoes and he brings the battlefields to life reciting stories of how the 11 men won their VCs at Rorke’s Drift. The accommodation at Fugitives Drift is also first class and with all the memorabilia in the lounge at the property, there is no better place to stay.

A minimum of 1 night is recommended at Fugitives Drift although staying 2 nights would allow you to visit Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift in chronological order as well as giving you time to wander down to the river to see where Lieutenants Melville and Coghill died tried to save the Queens Colours and where they lie buried.

You can book your trip to Rorke’s Drift with Explorer Travel by calling 0208 816 8789 or sending and enquiry via their website (http://www.big5.explorertravel.co.uk/BattlefieldsSouthAfrica.htm)