The Battle That Changed Africa

The Battle of Rorke’s Drift, fought on January 22–23, 1879, stands as one of the most celebrated British military actions of the 19th century. It followed immediately after the catastrophic British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana earlier that day, where over 1,300 British and colonial troops were killed by a massive Zulu force. Rorke’s Drift, a mission station and supply depot on the border of the British colony of Natal and the Zulu Kingdom, became the site of a desperate defense by a small garrison against overwhelming odds.

The garrison at Rorke’s Drift consisted of roughly 150 British soldiers, mainly from the 24th Regiment of Foot, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead. Facing them was a force of over 3,000 Zulu warriors, many of whom had participated in the victory at Isandlwana. The Zulus, renowned for their bravery and skill in close-quarters combat, were now pushing deeper into British-held territory.

The defenders, recognizing the imminent threat, rapidly fortified the station using biscuit boxes, mealie bags (sacks of cornmeal), and crates. They created makeshift barricades around the hospital and storehouse buildings. The Zulu assault began in the late afternoon, and for over 12 hours, the British garrison repelled wave after wave of ferocious attacks. The hospital was set on fire during the fighting, and soldiers were forced to evacuate the wounded under a hail of assegais (Zulu spears) and bullets. The defenders maintained steady, disciplined rifle fire, often at point-blank range, exploiting the bottlenecks in the Zulu attack plan and the protective walls they had hastily erected.

By the early hours of January 23, the attacks began to slacken. The Zulus, exhausted and demoralized, eventually withdrew. The British defenders had suffered 17 killed and about a dozen wounded, but estimates suggest they inflicted over 350 casualties on the Zulu attackers. It was a stunning reversal of fortune from the massacre at Isandlwana.

The defense of Rorke’s Drift became a symbol of British heroism and military discipline. It was heavily publicized by the Victorian press and government, eager to salvage national pride. Eleven Victoria Crosses—the British Empire’s highest award for bravery—were awarded to the defenders, the most ever given for a single action. Chard and Bromhead became national heroes, though controversy later arose over the narrative’s embellishments and the neglect of colonial troops who also fought bravely.

The battle has been immortalized in books, artwork, and notably in the 1964 film Zulu, which dramatized the event and helped cement it in public memory. While the broader Anglo-Zulu War continued with mixed results, Rorke’s Drift endures as a testament to the courage and resilience of a small group of soldiers under siege against overwhelming odds.

To learn more about the legendary battle at Rorke’s Drift, check out the History At The OK Corral episode linked below: