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Date	Original Topic
2nd April 2004	Abandoned Wagon By Derek Johns Why did the defenders of Rorkes Drift, go and get the wagon next to the stone kraal ?. I know they had alot on there minds but it is right there.
Date	Replies
2nd April 2004	Adrian Sorry? Don't you mean why DIDN'T?
3rd April 2004	derek johns yes I did , Thanks
3rd April 2004	Bill Cainan Derek The waggon in question was the RE waggon. Being a Sapper myself I can well understand if Chard had told the infantry types in B Company to leave it alone, because not being technically minded they would probably have broken it ! I suspect the reality was that in the (presumed) absence of horses or mules, the men would have had to drag it up the fairly steep slope to get it on to the ledge on which the mission station sits - a major effort and for what ? I doubt if the waggon would have added significantly to the defence perimeter. The two colonial waggons were there anyway, so it would have been a relatively simple job to roll those into position as part of the southern defensive rampart. Bill