The Defence of Rorke's Drift

[1] The Battle of Rorke's Drift caused a wave of patriotic fever in the United Kingdom and the surviving participants, especially the officers, were feted on their return in October 1879, first going to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Victoria before posing for Elizabeth Thompson at Portsmouth where the regiment was quartered.

Here they gave her their eye-witness accounts[2] and put on a representation of the battle for her "dressed in the uniforms they wore on that dreadful night …the result was that I reproduced the event as nearly to the life as possible".

[1][3] Among those depicted are Lieutenants John Chard VC (in the light breeches) and Gonville Bromhead VC (centre) commanding the battle with behind them in the middle distance, distinguished by his red beard, Padre George Smith hands out ammunition from his hat.

Private Frederick Hitch VC (right, standing) also is shown handing out ammunition while Surgeon James Henry Reynolds VC and Storekeeper Byrne tend to the wounded Corporal Scammell (Reynolds kneeling; Byrne falling, shot).

Corporal Ferdinand Schiess VC is possibly shown at centre background at the barricade just to left of Chard and Bromhead in Natal Native Contingent uniform.