RORKE'S DRIFT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 51, 16 October 1914, Page 7

RORKE'S DRIFT.

CREAT BRITISH EXPLOIT. On Saturday afternoon at His Majetsy's Theatre a special picture performance will be given, the proceeds to he devoted to the Belgian relief fund. The chief feature of the programme will be "Rorke's Drift, a tine picture dealing with the historical defence by British soldier*. In 1878 Britain went to war with Cetowayo, ruler of Zulu land (Africa), whose subjects were eminently warlike. Cetewayo had a large army audi it ivas feared that afc any moment: they might be sent against the small white settlements in the Transvaal and Natal. The British Governor, therefore, ordered Cetewayo to disband his army, and on his rofusal a large. British force crossed the Tugela River and invaded Zululand. The British commander left a portion of his force at Isandula, while he marched forward; but on January 22nd, 1879, twenty thousand Zulus swooped down on the camp and destroyed the whole British force of 800 men. The British soldiers fought heroically, but the camp had not been entrenched, and there was nothing to stop the Zulus sweeping right through it. Flushed with this victory four thousand Zulu:hurried "forward to invade Natal. At Rorke's Drift, a ford on the Buffalo River, was a small post, where eighty British soldiers had been left" to guard some sick men and a quantity of stores. On the afternoon of the battle of Isandula the news was brought to Rorke' - Drift and the officers in charge determined to defend the post. The two small houses, thatched with straw, were fortified with a wall of biscuit, tins, and bags of flour, mealies, and oats, and behind this frail fortification the men awaited the coming of the Zulus. The enemy came at nightfall and threw themselves at the post on all sides; but th e eighty men of the garrison withstood the onslaught with grim coolness. As the Zulus advanced they were met with rifle fire, and when they tried to climb over the barricade they were- pushed back with the bayonet. All through the night the fight raged fiercely—six times the Zulus, who showed reckless courage, forced their way inside the barricade -and each time they were driven back. The enemy managed to set fire to the house used as a hospital,and the light of the flames helped them in their attacks. Desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place in the hospital, one or two soldiers keeping the Zulus out while other tried to save the patients. \ The defenders kept the enemy at bay, but they could not save the hospital, a number of patients perishing in the : flames. The Zulus tried in vain to set fire to the other house. Next day, when help arirved, the Zulus retired, leaving 370 of their dead on the field. Thirteen of the defenders had perished. Among all the deeds of the British army it would be difficult to find anything more heroic than this defence. . Eighty men had beaten off four thousand arid saved Natal from invasion by bloodthirsty savages. Lieuts. Chard and Bromhead, officers commanding the post, were each awarded the Victoria Cross. BWM—WWW—