John Rouse Merriott Chard
John Rouse Merriott Chard VC (born December 21, 1847 in Boxhill near Plymouth , † November 1, 1897 in Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton ) was a British officer and bearer of the Victoria Cross . He commanded the British forces in the Battle of Rorke's Drift .
Chard came on July 14, 1869 as a lieutenant of the Royal Engineers ( Genie troops ) in the British Army . First he was stationed in Bermuda and constructed defenses in the port of Hamilton . Then he went to Malta to improve the defenses there. In 1876 he returned to England and served in the 5th Company Royal Engineers in the Aldershot garrison .
On December 2, 1878, the unit was transferred to the colony of Natal at the request of the local commander, Lord Chelmsford . This was done in preparation for the war with the Zulu . On January 5th, Chard was commissioned with some sappers to build a bridge over the Buffalo River on the border between Natal and the Kingdom of Zululand . On January 19, Chard and his men arrived on the Buffalo River, near the Rorke’s Drift mission station . On January 22nd he was summoned to Chelmsford in Isandhlwana. After arriving there, he was told that only his men should remain in Isandhlwana, after which he returned to Rorke's Drift. On January 22, 1879, the station was attacked by approximately 4,000 Zulu people . Chard led the defense of this post with Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead . 139 British soldiers defended the post. For his services in this battle he received the prestigious Victoria Cross , the highest award in Great Britain for outstanding bravery in the face of the enemy, and was promoted to captain .
From 1892 to 1896, Chard, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, commanded the Royal Engineers in Singapore . In 1897 he was promoted to colonel and transferred to Scotland . He died of cancer in Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton in 1897 .
His role in the film Zulu was played by Stanley Baker in 1964 . Michael Caine played the role of Gonville Bromhead in it.
literature
- Kevin Brazier: The Complete Victoria Cross: A Full Chronological Record of All Holders of Britain's Highest Award for Gallantry. Fully Revised and Updated Paperback Edition. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley 2015, ISBN 978-1-4738-4351-6 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chard, John Rouse Merriott |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British Officer and Commander of British Forces at Rorke's Drift |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 21, 1847 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boxhill near Plymouth |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 1, 1897 |
| Place of death | Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton |