Rorke's Drift: Encyclopedia II - Rorke's Drift - Victoria Crosses

Rorke's Drift - Victoria Crosses

Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the British defenders, the most ever received in a single action. This high number may be interpreted as a reaction to the earlier British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana. The extolling of the victory at Rorke's Drift took the public's attention away from the massive defeat at Isandlwana and the fact that Lord Chelmsford had disobeyed orders by entering Zululand.

Dalton was not originally named among the VC recipients, eventually receiving his medal in January 1880 after an outcry because a number of accounts had credited Dalton, rather than Chard or Bromhead, for initiating the defence at Rorke's Drift.

• Corporal William Wilson Allen
• Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead
• Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard
• Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton
• Private Frederick Hitch
• Private Alfred Henry Hook
• Private Robert Jones
• Private William Jones
• Surgeon Major James Henry Reynolds
• Corporal Ferdnand Christian Schiess
• Private John Williams

See the list of Zulu War Victoria Cross recipients for a full list of VCs awarded during the war, and also list of Victoria Cross recipients by Campaign

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Victoria Crosses", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki