When Men were Men!
As a young boy in 1964, I remember seeing one of the greatest war/battle films in my humble opinion of all time, Zulu! It was a film that any young British boy (British then, was English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh) would without a doubt sow the seeds of patriotism, even if they did not know what the word meant! Even if there were still some streets (in the Beetles hey days in post war Britain) where some kids arses could still be found hanging out of their trousers!
I have heard stories of many survivors of WW2 and blood chilling accounts of warfare. But what were the men like of the past when they relied on a one shot rifle and the cold steel of the bayonet? It was a film of blood and guts and heroes. I would put the Saving of Private Ryan up there with it, but the film Zulu reenacts an true account where an historical battle took place against odds not favorable to the defenders! It is well documented by the fact that it was also the place where British soldiers (including southern Irishmen in their ranks as Ireland's partition did not occur until the 2nd decade of the 20th century) won the highest amount of the awards for the Victoria Cross! The medals were for only the uppermost measures of bravery only and were fashioned from captured Russian cannons of the Crimea war.
The Americans had their Alamo and that went down into their folklore. The British had Rorkes Drift that because of our PC climate has become somewhat lost in recent years. I am glad to say thanks to the Internet it won’t be lost! Even if it these historical events are not taught in out children’s classrooms. Don’t get me wrong I’m no jingoistic war saber rattling nut who wants to admire war for the sake of it so-called glory. But every man has wondered at some stage in their life could they have done the same!
This film was made less than 100 year after the acts that inspired it! That was January 22nd and 23rd 1879. The film was based on the defence at Rorkes Drift (Natal, South Africa), a small former missionary made up of several out buildings, by a river. The area had originally been lived in by an Irishman of the name of Rorke hence the name! One of the buildings there had been commandeered and turned into a field hospital that played an epic part in the story of that famous encounter with the Zulus.
The British Army had over 1000 soldiers and several hundred native contingent were caught on the hop and massacred by anything up to 20,000 ZULU warriors, now Zulu warriors could not have sex until they had killed an enemy in combat. (That was a good incentive that for their blood lust in battle!!!) Another aristocrat pratt, who was in charge of this small army, a one Lord Chelmsford was negligent in foresight and planning! He also did not give these black warriors the respect they most certainly deserved, and the massacre that occurred at Isandhlwana can be put mostly on his shoulders!
Rorkes Drift was attacked several hours later and had only around 100 soldiers made up of Royal Engineers and sick or wounded soldiers in the makeshift hospital there. (In 1879 the regiment that fought at Rorke's Drift was the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. The 24th Regiment later became the South Wales Borderers in 1881 and in 1969 was amalgamated with The Welch Regiment to form the present Royal Regiment of Wales. However, the regimental depot of the 2nd Warwickshire's was based in Brecon, therefore a Welsh influence was very strong.) However there were a few Londoners there, a couple quite local to the borough I live in. Some of the ex VC winners were so poor many years later they sold their medals! Some even ended up in a paupers unmarked grave, so nothing has changed there then, on how Britain looks after their own in a land fit for heroes!
The Engineers had been working on a river crossing at the drift. (I think it was some sort of raft affair!) Anyway look up details of this fantastic defence by the few that always seems to mark our history that we produce our finest achievements when attacked and in a defence situation.
Read the story from this excellent site that I have found! http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/battle/battle.htm
And see what our forefathers went through to give Britain an Empire then give it away, which I have no problem with! It’s just when they want to give the country where all our bloody heroes came from away that pisses me off!
Do bastards who run us now have to check that their balls are there every morning, because compared to our soldiers and politicians of the past they must have none! They are gutless twats and cowards who are pissing on the people of a great race, when will we wake up? Incidentally they would definitely have no guts if the Zulus had captured and killed them, they automatically disembowel their victims to let out the evil spirit of the slain, so they would not follow them around! But on second thoughts they would have the greatest of trouble finding their guts in the first place! LOL
Zulu the film http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/zulu.htm
It put Michael Caine on the map!
Victoria Cross Winners at the Defence of Rorke's Drift, January 22nd-23rd 1879 by S Liptrot
Individuals shown: Lieutenant G. Bromhead, Lieutenant J.R.M. Chard, Private F. Hitch, Corporal W.W. Allen, Private W. Jones, Private J. Williams, Private R. Jones, Surgeon J.H. Reynolds, J.L Dalton and Private A. Hook.
posted by The Sparky at Monday, January 23, 2006
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