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Date	Original Topic
21st March 2001	Charge of the Water Brigade By Frank Muscal Any definitive account on who lead charge to haul in water cart? Some have Chard, others Bromhead. I didn't notice any notes in Chard's or Hook's account of battle.
Date	Replies
22nd March 2001	Alan Critchley Frank, according to "Rorke's Drift" by Michael Glover, the water cart was brought from the drift by Sgt. Milne. He (Glover) then writes that "three or four of us jumped over the boxes and ran and fetched some water". He doesn't attribute this to any one person. Alan
22nd March 2001	Lee Stevenson Hook seems to be the only contemporary to mention the retrieval of the water cart. His 1891 account states "...a party, of which I was one, then volunteered to go across to the hospital where there was a water cart and bring it into the inner enclosure, where there was no water and the wounded were crying for it...." Both WA Dunne and Rev. G Smith refer to the water cart or barrel being filled and brought inside the enclosure prior to the Zulu attack. Not sure where Michael Glover got his information that Millne brought the water cart up from the drift. Certainly Chard never mentioned it nor did Millne in his own account. Millne stated that the fighting had already began when he arrived at the mission station, would he have had time to get a heavy cart round the side of the hospital, avoiding the defences, rocky ledge etc, with the Zulu's already in site. I presume the water cart belonged to the Army Medical Deparmtent, and was intended for the use of Reynolds' patients.
4th April 2001	Colin Mathieson Interesting stuff this...I'm currently preparing a short comic strip based on the water cart rescue and (for the purposes of the story) plan for Private Edward Savage to take part in the foray. I would welcome any feedback on whether his involement was likely or on the identity or numbers of the others who are thought to have taken part ? Thanks also to Ian Woodason for recommending this excellent site !