Victoria Cross: 22-23 Jan 1879

JOHN ROUSE MERRIOTT CHARD

Lieutenant, Corps of Royal Engineers

Born: 21 December 1847, Pathe, Bridgewater, Somerset
Died: 1 November 1897, The Rectory, Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset

GONVILLE BROMHEAD

Lieutenant, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 29 August 1845, Versailles, France
Died: 9 February 1891, Allahabad, India

Joint Citation: For their gallant conduct at the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus on the 22nd and 23rd January, 1879.
The Lieutenant-General commanding the troops reports that, had it not been for the fine example and excellent behaviour of these two Officers under the most trying circumstances, the defence of Rorke's Drift post would not have been conducted with that intelligence and tenacity which so essentially characterised it.
The Lieutenant-General adds, that its success must, in a great degree, be attributable to the two young Officers who excercised the Chief Command on the occasion in question.

(London Gazette issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)


JOHN WILLIAMS (Born FIELDING)

Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 24 May 1857, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Died: 25 November 1932, Cwmbran, Monmouthshire

Citation: Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assegaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook.

(London Gazette issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)


HENRY HOOK

Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 6 August 1850, St Andrew's Church Yard, Churcham, Gloucestershire
Died: 12 March 1905, Osborne Villas, Roseberry Ave, Gloucester

Citation: These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.

(London Gazette issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)





WILLIAM JONES

Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 1840, Evesham, Worcestershire
Died: 15 April 1913, Ardwick, Lancashire

ROBERT JONES

Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 19 August 1857, Raglan, Monmouthshire
Died: 6 September 1898, Madley, Herefordshire

Joint Citation: In another ward, facing the hill, Private William Jones and Private Robert Jones defended the post to the last, until six out of the seven patients it contained had been removed. The seventh, Sergeant Maxfield, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment, was delirious from fever. Although they had previously dressed him, they were unable to induce him to move. When Private Robert Jones returned to endeavour to carry him away, he found him being stabbed by the Zulus as he lay on his bed.

(London Gazette issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)


WILLIAM ALLEN

Corporal, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: ca 1844, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland
Died: 12 March 1890, Monmouth, Monmouthshire

FREDERICK HITCH

Private, 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

Born: 28 November 1856, Edmonton, London
Died: 7 January 1913, Ealing, London

Joint Citation: It was chiefly due to the courageous conduct of these men that communication with the hospital was kept up at all. Holding together at all costs a most dangerous post, raked in reverse by the enemy's fire from the hill, they were both severely wounded, but their determined conduct enabled the patients to be withdrawn from the hospital, and when incapacitated by their wounds from fighting, they continued, as soon as their wounds had been dressed, to serve out ammunition to their comrades during the night.

(London Gazette issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)


JAMES HENRY REYNOLDS

Surgeon-Major, Army Medical Department

Born: 3 February 1844, Kingsdown, Dublin
Died: 4 March 1932, London

Citation: For the conspicuous bravery, during the attack at Rorke's Drift on the 22nd and 23rd January, 1879, which he exhibited in his constant attention to the wounded under fire, and in his voluntarily conveying ammunition from the store to the defenders of the Hospital, whereby he exposed himself to a cross-fire from the enemy both in going and returning.

(London Gazette issue 24734 dated 17 Jun 1879, published 17 Jun 1879.)


JAMES LANGLEY DALTON

Acting Assistant Commissary, Commissariat and Transport Department

Born: December 1832, London
Died: 8 January 1887, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Citation: For his conspicuous gallantry during the attack on Rorke's Drift Post by the Zulus on the night of the 22nd January, 1879, when he actively superintended the work of defence, and was amongst the foremost of those who received the first attack at the corner of the hospital, where the deadliness of his fire did great execution, and the mad rush of the Zulus met its first check, and where by his cool courage he saved the life of a man of the Army Hospital Corps by shooting the Zulu, who, having seized the muzzle of the man's rifle, was in the act of assegaing him.
This Officer, to whose energy much of the defence of the place was due, was severely wounded during the contest, but still continued to give the same example of cool courage.

(London Gazette issue 24784 dated 18 Nov 1879, published 18 Nov 1879.)


FERDNAND CHRISTIAN SCHIESS

Corporal, Natal Native Contingent, South African Forces

Born: 7 April 1856, Bergedorf, Berne, Switzerland
Died: 14th December 1884, on board HMS Serapis off the coast of Angola

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry in the defence of Rorke's Drift Post on the night of the 22nd January, 1879, when, in spite of his having been wounded in the foot a few days previously, he greatly distinguished himself when the Garrison were repulsing, with the bayonet, a series of desperate assaults made by the Zulus, and displayed great activity and devoted gallantry throughout the defence. On one occasion when the Garrison had retired to the inner line of defence, and the Zulus occupied the wall of mealie bags which had been abandoned, he crept along the wall, without any order, to dislodge a Zulu who was shooting better than usual and succeeded in killing him, and two others, before he, the Corporal, returned to the inner defence.

(London Gazette Issue 24788 dated 2 Dec 1879, published 2 Dec 1879.)

************ ******* ************

SAMUEL WASSALL

Private, 80th Regiment

Born: 28 July 1856, Aston, Warwickshire
Died: 31 January 1927, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire

Citation: For his gallant conduct in having, at the imminent risk of his own life, saved that of Private Westwood, of the same regiment.
On the 22nd January, 1879, when the camp at Isandhlwana was taken by the enemy, Private Wassall retreated towards the Buffalo River, in which he saw a comrade struggling, and apparently drowning. He rode to the bank, dismounted, leaving his horse on the Zulu side, rescued the man from the stream, and again mounted his horse, dragging Private Westwood across the river under a heavy shower of bullets.

(London Gazette issue 24734 dated 17 Jun 1879, published 17 Jun 1879.)


TEIGNMOUTH MELVILL

Lieutenant, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot

Born: 8 September 1842, Marylebone, London
Died: 22 January 1879, Buffalo River, Zululand


NEVILL JOSIAH AYLMER COGHILL

Lieutenant, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot

Born: 20 January 1852, Drumcondra, County Dublin, Ireland
Died: 22 January 1879, Buffalo River, Zululand


Lieutenant Melvill, of the 1st Battalion 24th Foot, on account of the gallant efforts made by him to save the Queen's Colour of his Regiment after the disaster at Isandlwanha [sic], and also Lieutenant Coghill, 1st Battalion 24th Foot, on account of his heroic conduct in endeavouring to save his brother officer's life, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had they survived.

(London Gazette Issue 24717 dated 2 May 1879, published 2 May 1879.)


Joint Citation: The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the Decoration of the Victoria Cross being delivered to the representatives of the undermentioned Officers and men who fell in the performance of acts of valour, and with reference to whom it was notified in the London Gazette that they would have been recommended to Her late Majesty for the Victoria Cross had they survived:–
London Gazette, 2nd May, 1879.
Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill, 24th Foot.
Lieutenant Nevill Josiah Aylmer Coghill, 24th Foot.
"Lieutenant Melvill, of the 1st Battalion 24th Foot, on account of the gallant efforts made by him to save the Queen's Colour of his Regiment after the disaster at Isandlwanha [sic], and also Lieutenant Coghill, 1st Battalion 24th Foot, on account of his heroic conduct in endeavouring to save his brother officer's life, would have been recommended to Her Majesty for the Victoria Cross had they survived."

(London Gazette Issue 27986 dated 15 Jan 1907, published 15 Jan 1907.)


Note: As originally established in 1856, the Victoria Cross was only awarded to living recipients. This rule was changed in 1905 by King Edward VII, and in January of 1907 the medal was awarded posthumously to Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill, and to four other men.