Posted on 08/22/2006 10:26:50 AM PDT by Marius3188
British soldiers fighting the Zulus experienced appalling conditions similar to the muddy killing fields of World War I, it has emerged.
Archaeologists have revealed details of soldiers' battle for survival during a bloody siege in the Anglo-Zulu War.
The colonial war in 1879 was dramatised by Michael Caine in the film Zulu.
Historians lacked detailed evidence of the troops' daily lives, but a team of experts from Glasgow have now uncovered a forgotten British fort.
The site at KwaMondi, Eshowe, in South Africa, has been hailed as a treasure trove of historical information which sheds light on the heroism and skill of the Royal Engineers.
The group from Glasgow University was headed by Dr Tony Pollard, star of the popular BBC's Two Men in A Trench series, and used metal detectors to survey the site.
The fort was built by the British army following the invasion of Zululand in January 1879 and was besieged by a huge Zulu force for more than two months.
Dr Pollard, Dr Iain Banks and their team brought to light the endeavours of men such as Captain Warren Wynne, who built the fort and surrounding roads under the threat of an overwhelming Zulu attack.
They also discovered that heavy rains during the siege turned the fort into a polluted quagmire leading to an outbreak of typhus which killed large number of men.
Iconic locations
Dr Pollard said: "During the rains of January to March, the interior of the fort would have been very wet and prone to waterlogging.
"The presence of 1,700 men and their horses would quickly turn the soil into a muddy mess, little different from the mud that their sons and grandsons would face in the trenches of Flanders.
"The artefacts provide an insight into the lives of men who lived in the fort for the duration of the siege.
"They show the value of metal detecting as a technique and also of the less well known sites that have been pushed into the background by iconic locations such as Rorke's Drift or Isandlwana."
Dr Pollard said the story of the fort provides a testament to the skill of the Royal Engineers and particularly of Captain Warren Wynne.
He added: "It is a story without the stuff of legend but nonetheless a story of achievement under difficult and testing conditions; the remains of the fort are a memorial to the men who built and served under such trying circumstances.
"My favourite find is undoubtedly a Martini Henry bullet converted into a plumb bob.
"You can imagine the row when it was discovered there wasn't one in the tool box and Wynne the engineer commanding one of his men to make one - if he didn't make it himself.
"Its also interesting archaeologically to have something designed to kill transformed into something constructive."
Before arriving at Eshowe, the relief column under Lord Chelmsford fought off a 12,000-strong Zulu force.
Later, when the Zulus have disappeared.
Bourne: "It's a miracle."
The absolute worst war movie of all time is "Battle of the Bulge." They filmed much of that atrocity on flat, clear, and dry terrain -- when in fact the country was mountainous, wooded, and snowy. Henry Fonda stopped the Panzers with gas cans. Horrible.
Then there was "The Rat Patrol" -- a TV series where two jeeps w/ machine guns crewed by Americans and Brits (Americans in the Eighth Army -- riiiiight) routinely wiped out Rommel. Not exactly realistic!
If Hollywood filmed Waterloo they would have Andrew Jackson coming to Wellington's assistance instead of Bluecher.
The opening of the "Battle of the Bulge" wasn't too bad but it quickly went down hill.
I have a deep and abiding love for Colour Sergeant Bourne in that movie ...!
Ping!
"It was a 0.577 caliber Martini-Henry miracle sir." or words to that effect. Dang I can't find the quote online.
What, Man? That was no mere drunken preacher. That was one of the finest British actors ever -- Jack Hawkins!
sad, but true.....
Hawkins was brilliant, but his part was deeply flawed. The real preacher was a hero.
Beat me to it. I read that about 30 years ago.
I have a copy in my personal libray. IIRC the movie was reasonably faithful to Morris' book...
Men of Harlech stop your dreaming
Can't you see their spear points gleaming
See their warrior's pennants streaming
To this battle field
Men of Harlech stand ye steady
It cannot be ever said ye
For the battle were not ready
Welshman never yield
From the hills rebounding
Let this war cry sounding
Summon all at Cambria's call
The mighty force surrounding
Men of Harlech onto glory
This shall ever be your story
Keep these fighting words before ye
Welshmen will not yield
Rorke's Drift.
I would have liked to have the Martini-Henry instead of just its bullet.
I think we were using trapdoor Springfields back then.
I remember reading an interesting book on firearms - I can't remember the title - where the author quoted military "experts" of the time as opposing firearms which could fire multiple rounds because it would necourage the troops to "waste ammunition" So we and the Brits were using single shot rifles when things like Winchesters and Henry Rifles were around.
I read something similar about the idiot who was in charge of northern ordinance procurement in the Civil War. Instead of buying breech loaders, he insisted on sticking with single-shot muzzle-loaders which gave the South an advantage as they couldn't easily gear up to breech loader production or get them readily through the Union blockade.
One of the best battle songs ever!
Yes, it's on the shelf in the den. A tad yellowed, with age.
Agree on the movie. I bought the DVD some time ago, I really should get around to watching it . . .
Bromhead, "North rampart stand fast. South rampart, at 100 yards, volley fire present,,,,,,,FIRE"
You might want to check my sig.
Against the soothing tones of British sanity:
"There's a good gentleman ..."
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