The Brave Defence of The Mission Station at Rorke's Drift

Rorke's Drift is situated 46 km southeast of Dundee and is the place of certainly one of the most well-known conflicts in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879. The area in and around Rorke's Drift is unspoilt and relaxing. Irishman James Rorke had originally set up a trading post almost 1 mile fr
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om the drift (crossing point) on the Buffalo River and was known to the Zulu warriors as KwaJimu (Jim's place). Later, a mission station had been established by the Reverend Otto Witt of the Swedish Missionary Society. Witt built up a little church, mission house and livestock kraal at the foot of a rugged hill which he called Oskarberg.
Lord Chelmsford, had 'requisitioned' Rorke's Drift prior to his traversing of the Buffalo River. He employed the house as a hospital and the chapel as a storehouse. All through the battle it was used as a medical facility. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift quickly followed the British Army's loss at the Battle of Isandlwana earlier on the morning on 22nd January 1879. The devastating Zulu attack on Rorke's Drift came rather close to defeating the little garrison, and the British accomplishment is held as without doubt one of history's best defences. The 11 VCs given for valour at Rorke's Drift are more than for any other military action of all time.

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