Guys, you are bringing this campaign to life for me; very good.

Quite a few of the Rorke's Drift defenders had sad ends.
One of the Jones VC killed himself, unable to live with the memories of the battle, Post Traumatic Stress we know it as now.
Another had to sell his VC and still ended up in the Poor House and then a pauper's grave.
Some had good lives;
Private Hitch was invalided out of the Army and becam a taxi driver.
Private Hook made it to Sargeant Major.
Colour Sargeant Bourne retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Corporal Allen had a sucessful military career.
But nearly all of them suffered with some form of post traumatic dis-order.

if I remember correctly, Private Hook's wife thought he had been killed, sold all his possessions and remarried. What a bummer lol.

As a matter of interest, Ronald Hook of Gloucester, whose father had known Henry Hook well, served in the Parachute Regiment in World War Two and was among the first wave of Allied airborne troops to land on D-Day. Two of Ronald Hook's sons (Timothy and Andrew) served in the Royal Navy. Andrew Hook fought in the Falklands War.

Take a bow chaps,for providing such a rich thread.

Originally Posted by Del Boy

Take a bow chaps,for providing such a rich thread.

Glad to hear that you are enjoying it.
Never has such a short campaign generated so much controversy (Sorry Winston)

No apology necessary to Winston, I'm sure; he would enjoy your involvement - he was up to his neck in Africa campaigns himself, as a young man, always an adventurer, as you no doubt aware. As it happens, he was also one of my local MPs, the incumbant at Woodford, east London.

I actually seem to have missed the Zulu Wars, although my studies as a kid were from 1760 - up to the causes and events leading up to WW1, 1914. Political and Military.

So you will understand why this thread has intrigued me. Cheers.

[QUOTE=BritinAfrica;614342]Sorry Mike, I have no idea regarding the French and Indian War. As a boy at school I had enough to contend with trying to remember British History, what prince married who, what year, how old they were, what did they have for breakfast, when did they die and how many children did they produce.

Perhaps we “colonials” remember Gen. Braddock more since his advisor (who he refused to heed) was a militia LTC named George Washington.

Originally Posted by muscogeemike

Perhaps we “colonials” remember Gen. Braddock more since his advisor (who he refused to heed) was a militia LTC named George Washington.

Its the same all over Mike you get officers who refuse to take advice from those who know the situation, not only in the British and US Armies, but armies around the world.

I remember we had a 2nd Lt who knew it all, he tried taking a compass bearing from inside a vehicle. When I tried to put him right, I as a mere Corporal was ignored. He thought he knew better, until he got us well and truly lost. Only then did he ask my advice. When we got back to our location questions were asked by the OC. The 2nd Lt was firmly put in his place and told that he is not running the section, but there merely as an observer and there to learn. I had similar problems with an officer cadet.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Its the same all over Mike you get officers who refuse to take advice from those who know the situation, not only in the British and US Armies, but armies around the world.

I remember we had a 2nd Lt who knew it all, he tried taking a compass bearing from inside a vehicle. When I tried to put him right, I as a mere Corporal was ignored. He thought he knew better, until he got us well and truly lost. Only then did he ask my advice. When we got back to our location questions were asked by the OC. The 2nd Lt was firmly put in his place and told that he is not running the section, but there merely as an observer and there to learn. I had similar problems with an officer cadet.

Officer Cadets are meant to be guided and learn during exercises, whenever we encountered one pulling rank or barking at the men in our troop, we simply let him fall through or fail miserably in different tasks, untill he got the point.
If the cadet on the other hand leveled with the men, he would be granted the oportunity to become a leader instead of a hopeless brass-to-be.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Its the same all over Mike you get officers who refuse to take advice from those who know the situation, not only in the British and US Armies, but armies around the world.

I remember we had a 2nd Lt who knew it all, he tried taking a compass bearing from inside a vehicle. When I tried to put him right, I as a mere Corporal was ignored. He thought he knew better, until he got us well and truly lost. Only then did he ask my advice. When we got back to our location questions were asked by the OC. The 2nd Lt was firmly put in his place and told that he is not running the section, but there merely as an observer and there to learn. I had similar problems with an officer cadet.

Absolutely agree - I had no intention to imply the U.S. is any more or less stupid, bullheaded or stubborn than anybody else.
The ability to screw up knows no boundaries - national, ethnic or religious (or sexual for that matter).