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Date	Original Topic
4th February 2002	Medals at Rorkes Drift By Mike Rowland Can anyone tell me why medal bars were awarded to the 24th defenders at Rorkes Drift as the bars should only have been issued to personel for crossing the border into Zululand. It seems some of the 24th received these bars but never crossed into Zululand. Thanks for your time Mike.
Date	Replies
4th February 2002	Martin Everett Dear Mike, You probably do not have a copy of the General Order No 103 by the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief dated 1 August 1880 covering the entitlement for the South Africa Medal and clasps. You correctly observe that Rorke's Drift is in Natal not Zululand. Under clause IV, troops who were employed in Natal from 11 Jan to 1 Sep 1879 BUT never crossed into Zululand qualified for the campaign medal WITHOUT clasp. Tihs would appear the case for Rorke's Drift. However the defenders of Rorke's Drift qualified for the '1879' clasp because they specifically employed against the Zulu forces between 11 Jan and 1 Sep 1879 (i.e. in modern terms they were under fire) as stipulated in clause II(d) of the order. What is more interesting it that a number of the casualties at Isandlwana were only awarded the '1879' clasp, but most had qualified for the '1877-8-9' clasp. Their Next of Kin never queried the issue of incorrect clasps.