The Zulu War

The events at Rorke's Drift, the iconic defence of a mission station by a small force of British and colonial troops, were immortalised in the 1964 film Zulu. In January 1879, a small garrison of just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defended the mission against a force of 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The fierce, but piecemeal, Zulu attacks on Rorke's Drift came very close to defeating the defenders but were ultimately repelled. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to the defen