| Date | Original Topic |
| 31st January 2003 | Who would you award the V.C. too?
By Derek Johns
if you were in charge of awarding the first V.C. to the defenders of Rorkes Drift, Who and Why would it have been ? |
| Date | Replies |
| 31st January 2003 | Trevor Finney
Derek. I would have to say Pvt Hook. The action inside the Hospital must have been the worst! Close quarter fighting at it's worst. Made even harder when the fire started. I understand he wasn't the only one in that action. But he stands out for his bravery holding the door in the begining. Then selflessly aiding the others to escape. A real hero! |
| 1st February 2003 | Geoff
Trevor has said it all really for me: It has to be Private Hook. Especially in view of the way his charactor was "slandered" in the film 'Zulu'. With men like Hook in our Victorain army, it's little wonder that we had an empire !!! |
| 1st February 2003 | Bernie.Drummond.
I must go along with Pvt Hook. Quite apart from his well recorded bravery during the defence, everything that I have read about this soldier adds to his stature. And by the way, did the producers of Zulu ever publicly apologise for their wicked slander? |
| 1st February 2003 | P. HARMAN
I would have to award the V.C. To every man that was at Rorkes Drift, Why because they were there. |
| 1st February 2003 | Diana Blackwell
Hook. He stands out for his involvement in the hospital defense and the water cart rescue.
(P.S. to Bernie: The new DVD contains some discussion of the Hook-vs.- Hooky issue by people from the film, including James Booth. But it isn't exactly an apology. That's fine with me, since I consider Hooky a MORE--that's right, MORE--appealing presence in the film than the strait-laced, respectable, not-very-handsome historical Hook would have made.) |
| 1st February 2003 | Melvin Hunt
Things need to be kept in context here. You can't award a VC to every defender of Rorkes Drift just because they were there. With the greatest of respect to all of the defenders, please read Ian Knights book aptly entitled "Nothing Remains But To Fight".
The defenders had no choice. They were there, had nowhere to go and they literally fought for their lives. Some of them showed courage above and beyond that normally expected of the British soldier in the line of his duty. If indeed he did stay, then the highest respect must go to Addendorff. He saw what happened at Isandlwana. I can't imagine anyone witnessing that and then staying to fight another battle in such circumstances. |
| 2nd February 2003 | Bernie Drummond
Hi Diana, thank you for your PS, and although this may sound as if I have lost my sense of humour, I must say that I still prefer my heroes to be correctly portrayed, although I know that we are dealing with the film industry here, who just don't know the meaning of historic representation. yes, James Booth was a likeable rogue, but they didn't have to slander Hook, and probably wouldn't have done had he been a Welshman. |
| 2nd February 2003 | Clive Dickens
The portrayal of Pte Harry Hook VC was nothing short of a digrace like Bernie I too prefer people portrayed in a truthfull manner not made up to be a compleat waste of space in the way James Booth played Harry Hook if the makers wished to use what is known as artistic licence they could quite easily introduced a fictional character NOT used a real life hero
Clive |
| 22nd February 2003 | richard
what was it wellington allegedly said? i dont know what effect they have on the enemy but they frighten me! i think this sums up the character that james booth played in zulu, yes the character is as sgt maxwell says a liar and a thief, but when push come to shove hes a hero. and if you were to talk to a lot of former soldiers they'll tell you they knew people just like the film character.i'd also give the vc to dalton, another man who the film treats badly. |
