Raised on a boyhood literary diet of Henty, Buchan, Ballantyne and Rider-Haggard it had been a life's ambition to cross the fabled Buffalo river into Zululand to visit the battlefields of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift. My son Matthew, equally interested, provided the impetus "If we don't go now Dad, we never will". So we went.

South Africa is a vast country with the battlefield sites in remote places which involve travelling many miles along grit tracks or worse. At times we wondered if our hire car was up to the journeys and we were fortunate that when we were 'up country' the weather was dry. We had booked three days at 'Fugitives' Drift', near the Buffalo river, an isolated farmstead owned by David and Gill Rattray who provided accommodation and conducted tours of the area. Our first adventure was to visit Isandhlwana where, in January 1879, the British army suffered its worst defeat and lost more officers than at Waterloo.

Isandhlwana mountain is sphinx shaped and the battlefield below is a grim desolate place unchanged in the century or so since the conflict. Sitting on the mountain ridge where the last British soldiers were killed it was not difficult to imagine the troops standing to arms in their red serge uniforms under the hot sun, facing the highly disciplined Zulu army with the warriors beating their spears against their shields. This and the war chant "Usuthu!" must have chilled the blood.

The Zulu commander was revered by his troops. Aged 71 he had run 60 miles the day before at the head of his army to reach Isandhlwana. Local children are still able to name a chieftain who, at the start of the battle and noticing some of his younger warriors wavering in the face of the British rifles, walked openly along the front line calling out that their king had not told them to retreat. He was killed almost at once but his troops, seeing the sacrifice of their leader, turned as one and broke the British line. The signal was given to the two wings of the Zulu army who, manoeuvering brilliantly on two fronts, overwhelmed the positions and took no prisoners. Apart from one official monument the memorials are heaps of whitewashed boulders where groups of soldiers fell. It is still possible to find spent cartridge cases after rains.

Later that night around a log fire we heard the heroic story of Lieutenants Melville and Coghill who, when it was realised that the battle was lost, were ordered to leave the field and save the regiment's colours (flag). Against great odds they travelled five miles and reached the Buffalo river then in full flood. Melville somehow reached the other side but Coghill, under attack , was stranded on a rock. Melville, showing great gallantry, went back into the torrent in an attempt to save his friend. Both were killed and the colours recovered downstream the next day. Matthew and I later found the graves at 'Fugitives' Drift' set into the hill in dense bush overlooking the crossing. It's a lonely spot and seldom visited. Later, David Rattray showed us rusted spear heads found last year at the river crossing during a severe drought.

In an early evening we arrived at Rorke's Drift, made famous by the film 'Zulu'. That was the time of day when the attack was made so we bathed in the atmosphere. The heroism on both sides is still told as stories in local villages although we were reminded that this engagement was a minor side show compared with the battle a few hours before at Isandhlwana. A relatively small detachment of Zulus who had not been deployed in the main battle wanted to "wash their spears" and against orders attacked the Mission.

What the Zulus didn't know was that the Mission and the other buildings were not only an ammunition store but also full of large biscuit boxes and mealy bags which made excellent defence materials. The defence was heroic with acts of individual valour on both sides. Privates Hitch and Hook earned their VCs' by carrying wounded and sick soldiers across open ground under fire (the Zulus had rifles too) and the attackers fought with great bravery. In the end it was stalemate and the story is still told in the villages that as the Zulus withdrew dragging their dead and wounded on shields they met another wing of the British Army that had missed the slaughter at Isandhlwana. They passed within a few yards of each other but not a shot was fired or a spear raised. The British went on to relieve the garrison to much rejoicing. Standing on the red sandstone rocks overlooking the site we could imagine it all vividly.

We would have liked to have gone on to Ulundi the site of the last and hopeless stand of the Zulu army but it was out of reach for us with the weather deteriorating. The British had learned lessons and it proved to the Zulus that discipline and bravery were not enough. They were not to rise again. The captured Zulu king Cetshwayo went to London and with Lieutenant Chard, Commander at Rorke's Drift, had tea with Queen Victoria.

We were enthralled by David Rattray's commentary of the epic battles. As he speaks fluent Zulu he had been able years ago to speak to the children of the young warriors that faced the British and as the oral tradition is regarded as accurate there is a wealth of detail recorded about Isandhlwana which is just as well as no British soldier survived the battle.

We left the area with great reluctance but we managed to spend one memorable evening on the veranda of our hut overlooking the bush playing 'Trivial Pursuits' by hurricane lamp under the 'Southern Cross'.

Before coming home we located and visited Spion Kop, hill site of a bloody battle of the Boer Wars whose name is enshrined in many a soccer ground. This and other battles have not acquired the latter day 'romance' of the Zulu Wars. We paid our respects at remote and forgotten cemeteries to soldiers on both sides who fell in the Boer Wars. It was moving to read the faded inscriptions to men who died a long way from home.

For Matthew and me it was an emotional, famous journey and a lifelong wish realised.

©David and Matthew Still 1996

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stephen.poyzer@which.net or jemeny@globalnet.co.uk

 © Kibworth & District Chronicle 1998