rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - N.N.H. TROOP BETTER USED WITHIN BARRICADES ?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:56 pm

Would the N.N.H. Troop that arrived at Rorke's Drift not have been better employed fighting behind the barricades, instead of as a screen towards the Zulus they had been escaping ? They might have stayed !

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:25 am

Interesting question Neo

At the time they showed up there really weren't any barricades yet. I believe that Lt. Chard was hoping for them to join the barricades upon completion though. I have always been amazed at the level of coherence they maintained in just reversing their retreat and holding a position, however temporarily, and loosing a few more rounds before their morale completely crumbled. They had after all been through quite a lot that day and the reappearence of a Zulu impi proved more than their shattered nerves could handle. All in all though I think they performed above and beyond what an unsupported rookie unit with limited training should be expected to.

I guess what you're asking though is would it have been better to have them dis-mount and turn to the barricade construction instead of vedette duty. I suppose the actual physical labour in the company of steady regulars could have soothed them somewhat for a time but given the trauma they'd already experienced I doubt it could have held them through the night. One should also take into consideration that they were armed with (I believe) Westley-Richards carbines which probably couldn't mount bayonets leaving them at a disadvantage in the ensuing hand to hand fighting. I'm also unsure how much carbine ammunition was present at RD (rifles can fire carbine but carbines tend to mis-behave when loaded with rifle!)

On the other hand if one accepts that the flight of the NNH precipitated the flight of the NNC coy present, would the NNC have stayed if the NNH had? If so for how long? A mass exodus in the middle of one of the attacks could have proved fatal to all the defenders since the defencive lines would have had to have been much longer thus leaving large gaps.

I believe there is a quote by Chard saying something along the lines of their (NNH and NNC) morale being so low that he was better off without them.

Not to mention that if the NNH had been in the barricades instead of on vedette would the post have had enough warning on the proximity of the impi to quit building and prepare to repel boarders!

I tend to think that things worked out for the best as it were.

Best

Michael

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:42 am

Neo,

What happened at Isandlwana obviously had an effect on the Natal Native Horse, as they fought outside of the barricades at Khambula.

I think I been over the carbine issue, either on this or the old forum.

John Y.

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:11 am

I think the NNH would have been used better inside the barricades. Maybe a small unit could have fanned out to keep the Zulus at bay. But as most of the fighting would have been inside the barricades then they would have beeen of much better use there.