- 2 days ago
For educational purposes
Episode 1 'WARS OF EMPIRE' centres upon the VCs of the 19th Century.
From its hugely popular instigation by Victoria in 1856 after the Crimean war to the war that ended her era, the Boer war at the turn of the century.
The Victoria Cross was immediately taken to heart, its winners becoming celebrities equivalent to the pop stars and footballers of now.
It includes dramatic reconstructions of Rorke's Drift, from the Indian Mutiny and the Crimea.
Episode 1 'WARS OF EMPIRE' centres upon the VCs of the 19th Century.
From its hugely popular instigation by Victoria in 1856 after the Crimean war to the war that ended her era, the Boer war at the turn of the century.
The Victoria Cross was immediately taken to heart, its winners becoming celebrities equivalent to the pop stars and footballers of now.
It includes dramatic reconstructions of Rorke's Drift, from the Indian Mutiny and the Crimea.
Category
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LearningTranscript
00:00You
00:43In June this year, my wife and I were among 2,000 people who gathered in Westminster Abbey to celebrate
00:50150 years of Britain's highest gallantry award, the Victoria Cross.
00:55The medal was first introduced by my great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
01:01At that time, there were no gallantry awards available for ordinary soldiers, only for officers.
01:07The VC was to be new and different.
01:11The Queen insisted from the start that it was a democratic award, available to all regardless of status, rank or
01:18wealth.
01:20The inspiration behind the new medal was the campaign that Britain was fighting in the Crimea.
01:26It was the first war in history to be widely reported in the newspapers and it brought the horrors of
01:32battle home to the British people.
01:34They could see that all soldiers were brave, but wanted rare acts of supreme courage to be recognised further.
01:42So, from the beginning, the VC was both exclusive, only for the very brave, and democratic, available to all.
01:50It proved popular both with soldiers themselves and with the public, and during Queen Victoria's reign, over 500 VCs were
02:00awarded.
02:02This film tells the story of the early years of the medal, and charts its journey from a new and
02:09little-known award for brave British troops to becoming the most famous gallantry award in the world.
02:2218th of October, 1854, outside Sebastopol, Russia.
02:30Two young midshipmen, Edward St. Daniel, 17, and Henry Evelyn Wood, 16, see their first action of the Crimean War,
02:40bringing in lost ammunition to their gun battery.
02:43One side!
02:50Captain, onside!
02:52what will win the Victoria Cross, though not today?
03:10Both will win the Victoria Cross, though not today,
03:11one will reach the British Army's highest rank,
03:13whilst the other would be disgraced and become the first man to have his
03:17Victoria Cross taken away in 1854 the Victoria Cross did not yet exist but
03:30times were changing the British Empire was expanding rapidly and a military men
03:35were never at rest they would fight in more wars over the next 50 years than in
03:41the previous 200 there will be battles on the plains of Africa skirmishes in the
03:48jungles of India and expeditions to all corners of the globe the great bravery of
03:54these fighting men would require special recognition the Victorian adventure of
04:00Empire and the story of the Victoria Cross went hand in hand and they both
04:05started in earnest on a small peninsula in the south of Russia called the Crimea
04:12in an attempt to prevent the new Russian Empire increasing its influence in
04:17the Mediterranean the British sent an armada to the Black Sea and landed on the
04:22Crimean Peninsula after several bloody but inconclusive battles they besieged the
04:29port of Sebastopol the Navy bringing ashore its heavy guns to bombard the city on a
04:35daily basis Edward Daniel and Henry Evelyn Wood were stationed at the diamond gun battery
04:45under Captain William Peel Peel the son of former Prime Minister Robert Peel was the
04:52epitome of the heroic aristocratic officer on one day at the Battle of Inkemen he and
04:59Daniel led seven separate charges that saved the regimental colors and faced down a whole
05:06troop of Russian soldiers Captain Peel with his aide to camp was in the thick of the fire and at
05:13one
05:13point they were completely surrounded by the enemy the heroic duo were the perfect poster boys for a
05:20growing campaign calling for a new medal acts of bravery both escaped as I trust
05:29they may throughout the campaign for they are both made of the right stuff
05:40Henry Evelyn Wood it seemed was not he succumbed to the cold and disease that ravaged many men as war
05:47dragged on into winter bitterly disappointed to be out of the action he feared his chance of glory was
05:54slipping away when he learned of plans for a massive assault on Sebastopol he dragged himself from his
06:02sickbed and volunteered for action would not well today not well sir but not very ill Captain Peel
06:13had not planned on taking the invalid into battle but Daniel intervened on his friends behalf sir we are
06:21indeed stronger with wood at our side well get some rest both of you in preparation for battle Daniel and
06:33Wood made a solemn pact that evening Daniel and I agreed that if as was probable our chief was killed
06:42in the
06:42assault one of us should stand by him or bring in his body
06:50both would distinguish themselves in the next day's attack
06:55heroic action that would lead to the creation of the Victoria Cross
07:04you will disregard enemy fire
07:08advance at easy pace with your head up and your shoulders back
07:14you will display neither fear nor undue haste
07:19naval brigade is this understood
07:26on the morning of the 18th of June 1855 British forces launched a massive assault on the Russian port of
07:35Sebastopol Captain William Peel and his men of the naval brigade were first to attack one of the city's vital
07:42fortified positions
07:46for many it was the first time in battle
07:49but they advanced with iron discipline into a hail of Russian fire
07:59cannon shells grenades and musket fire rained down on the sailors but still they pushed on
08:16the open ground provided no cover and many men were hit before they could reach the objective
08:25Henry Evelyn Wood was struck by a bullet that ricocheted off his sword wounded and his weapon now useless
08:33he carried on regardless
08:47Captain Peel was also wounded but could not continue
08:55he was rescued by young edward daniel
09:02the day's attack was not successful and the british forces sustained high casualties
09:11but the naval brigade had acquitted itself well and daniel was hero of the day
09:17he'd come through the battle unscathed surviving several near misses
09:22shot through in three places sir
09:24good god
09:27well daniel join the club lucky
09:35despite his injury henry evelyn wood had been the only officer to fight his way to the russian lines
09:42his bravery was noted by a senior commander who sent a carriage to bring the young officer back to camp
09:54the young officer back to camp
09:55it was suggested to queen victoria by her secretary of state for war that the heroism seen at sebastopol
10:02could not be ignored and that a gallantry medal for all ranks should be considered
10:07when this idea was put to queen victoria she embraced it very enthusiastically and took a very close
10:19interest in everything regarding the victoria cross the design of it what it was to be made from
10:26and even what wording was to be placed on the front of it
10:31the original suggestion was for bravery but the queen took the view that that rather implied
10:38that those soldiers who didn't receive it weren't brave
10:41the queen insisted that the wording should read for valor and on the 29th of january 1856 she signed
10:49the royal warrant bringing the victoria cross into existence
10:55captain william peel was awarded the new medal for leading attacks at inkerman and sebastopol
11:01edward daniel was awarded his vc for bringing in ammunition to the diamond gun battery and for
11:08his persistent loyalty to his commanding officer under fire wherever peel went on the battlefield
11:15daniel was at his elbow wouldn't leave him there's no doubt that on that occasion daniel saved peel's
11:23life daniel's vc resides in the ashcroft collection the world's largest collection of victoria crosses
11:32a special medal when awarded due to daniel's age was just 17 it would become increasingly significant
11:39in the light of later events
11:44daniel was the youngest vc recipient in the crimea his 16 year old friend henry evelyn wood was also
11:52nominated but to wood's bitter disappointment his award was turned down
11:59a year after the crimean war ended the queen presided over the first investiture
12:05of the victoria cross on the 26th of june 1857 in front of a massive crowd in london's hyde park
12:12she personally decorated 62 of the 111 men who had so far earned the medal
12:23the remaining recipients could not return to england to accept their medals they'd been sent yet further
12:29from home on more urgent business the very future of the empire was in question for the threat
12:36that concerned the jewel in the imperial crown india
12:46delhi 1857 for years local opposition to british rule in india has been mounting
12:55on sunday the 10th of may bloody mutiny breaks out and thousands of insurgents surround the red
13:01fort in delhi seat of british imperial power
13:07inside a handful of men have stayed behind to prevent the fort's enormous arsenal of gunpowder
13:13falling into enemy hands against massive odds they've held out for nearly six hours
13:21william rayner of the bengal veteran establishment he is 61 years old and approaching retirement no
13:28previous combat experience
13:36assistant commissary of ordinance john buckley devoted father of a young family no previous combat experience
13:48well aware that the gunpowder in the fort could determine the outcome of the mutiny the men have
13:53made a group decision to blow up the arsenal and with it themselves
14:02john scully a former laborer from ireland has volunteered to light the train that will blow up the
14:09entire arsenal
14:23the
14:34the
14:35the
14:35the
14:35the
15:12The explosion was heard over 40 miles away, and the castle walls reduced to rubble, killing hundreds of mutineers outside.
15:22I think this is the classic Victorian bravery, the sort of bravery that Victorian Britain expected of people who stood
15:31to their post to the last, and when it couldn't be defended, blew it up.
15:36I admire particularly bravery stretched over some time, to recognise that you will first of all put up as good
15:45a defence as you can, and then eventually blow yourself up.
15:48That's a long death sentence, is it not?
15:53But miraculously, not all of the British defenders were dead. Four had survived the enormous blast and were able to
16:01escape.
16:04John Buckley and William Rayner were awarded the first Victoria Crosses of the Indian Mutiny.
16:11At 61, Rayner remains the oldest recipient of the VC.
16:17John Scully was killed outright in the explosion. Under the original rules of the Victoria Cross, a fighting man had
16:25to survive his act of gallantry.
16:27As a result, Scully's bravery went unrewarded.
16:33John Buckley was later captured by mutineers. They informed him that they'd murdered his wife and children.
16:44Devastated, Buckley begged for death, but his captors refused on account of his bravery.
16:51Buckley later escaped by swimming the river Ganges and rejoined the army, where his death wish turned into a thirst
16:59for revenge.
17:02He later oversaw the execution of 150 rebels who were strapped to cannons and blown apart.
17:09Prepare to fire! Fire!
17:16He then returned to England, where the Queen awarded him his Victoria Cross.
17:23Delhi had now fallen to the insurgents, and the mutiny spread quickly through the north of India.
17:31Several other cities were besieged, and there were genuine fears that India might fall to the rebels, with dire consequences
17:39for the Empire.
17:41Fighting men were called in from far and wide.
17:44Captain William Peel and Edward Daniel, fresh from action in the Crimea, landed with the naval brigade at Calcutta,
17:52and travelled a thousand miles to bring vital guns to break the siege at Lucknow.
17:59On the 16th of November 1857, Peel's force attempted to break into the city,
18:05but cannons failed to penetrate its mighty walls, and their crews were decimated by sniper fire.
18:13The attack stalled, Peel was approached by able seaman William Hall.
18:18Hall, the son of escaped slaves, and one of the few black men in the navy,
18:23had already served the captain with distinction in the Crimea.
18:30Now he volunteered to take over the cannon closest to the town walls and operate it on his own.
18:36I can do it, sir. Very, very sure, sir.
18:50Firing a muzzle-loading cannon was a complicated business under normal circumstances.
18:55In an ideal world, this is a carefully choreographed task carried out by half a dozen men who work together
19:04and who've done it before.
19:05To do it on your own is a remarkable feat.
19:14At the mercy of sniper fire and ricocheting debris, Paul worked the cannon single-handedly until the wall was breached
19:23and the town could be taken.
19:27His commander described this as an action almost unexampled in war, and recommended him for the Victoria Cross.
19:37Paul was the first black recipient of the VC.
19:43During the Indian Mutiny, changes to the rules governing the Victoria Cross made the medal more accessible,
19:50and as many VCs were awarded as were given out in the whole of the Second World War.
19:57In all, 182 Victoria Crosses were awarded for the Indian Mutiny.
20:02Now, if you look at the numbers that were given in later wars,
20:07it seems to many observers that 182 for the Indian Mutiny was a very, very high number.
20:15But in 1857, there was only the VC available to them,
20:19and therefore, relatively speaking, quite a high number were bestowed.
20:26Some men still hadn't received their medals for action in the Crimea.
20:32Captain William Peel was wounded at Lucknow and evacuated.
20:37Offered a carriage, he chose to ride in a wagon like his men.
20:42But the cart had been used to carry smallpox victims,
20:45and Peel contracted the disease and died soon after.
20:50He had not lived to be presented with his Victoria Cross.
20:58His death had a devastating impact on his men, especially his young favourite, Edward Daniel.
21:12Peel's other protégé, Henry Evelyn Wood, who had missed out on his VC in the Crimea,
21:18arrived late in India, worried that he'd missed a chance of glory.
21:22He had left the navy to try his luck in the cavalry,
21:25but his first months on the subcontinent were spent suffering from sunstroke, fever,
21:31and injuries sustained falling from a giraffe.
21:35Time, he feared, was running out.
21:43Wood later saw plenty of action in the clean-up operations that defined the final 18 months of the rebellion,
21:51but a chance to shine had eluded him.
21:56When in the last days of the conflict, Wood came across a band of rebels
22:00who had captured a British informer, he grabbed his opportunity.
22:24Wood routed the rebels, leaving several dead and allowing the informer to escape.
22:31He later insisted he'd won his Victoria Cross for one of his lesser acts of bravery, but the medal was
22:37finally his.
22:40Wood had joined the unique band of brothers that already included his friend Edward Daniel.
22:45The two were rising young stars of the Empire with the world at their feet.
22:49One would deliver on his promise, whilst the other would be the cause of the greatest scandal in the history
22:56of the Victoria Cross.
23:01April Fool's Day, 1864.
23:04Six years after winning a VC in the Indian Mutiny, Valentine Bambrick was found dead in a cell at Pentonville
23:13Prison, London.
23:16Bambrick had been falsely accused, and then convicted, of stealing the medals of a jealous rival.
23:24Under the rules of the Victoria Cross, anyone found guilty of stealing another man's medals would forfeit his own.
23:33Bambrick's despair at having to hand back his Victoria Cross was expressed in a note found by his body.
23:44Bambrick was not the first man to forfeit his Victoria Cross.
23:47This dubious honour went to an exceptional young officer, Edward St. John Daniel.
23:58If any person on whom such distinction shall be conferred, be convicted of treason, cowardice, felony, or of any infamous
24:06crime,
24:07his name shall forthwith be erased from the register.
24:12After the death of Captain Peel, Daniel's life and career had fallen apart.
24:18Twice cautioned for being drunk and missing from his post,
24:21he was under guard awaiting court-martial for a much more serious crime when he disappeared without trace.
24:31Rumours of Daniel's offence varied from sodomy with junior officers to attempted murder,
24:36but its true nature was never disclosed.
24:40It hath been reported unto us that Edward St. John Daniel,
24:45upon whom we have conferred the decoration of the Victoria Cross,
24:49has been accused of a disgraceful offence,
24:52and having evaded inquiry by desertion from our service,
24:56his name has been removed from the list of officers of our navy.
25:01Edward Daniel became the first man and only officer ever to forfeit his Victoria Cross.
25:08He was never found, but seven years later,
25:11a man of the same name was buried in the South Island goldfields of New Zealand.
25:19In the year of Daniel's downfall,
25:22Henry Evelyn Wood V.C. began a rapid rise through the ranks.
25:26At the age of 24, he was promoted to captain in the jungles of central India.
25:32At the age of 33, he was promoted to major and fought cannibals in Ashanti.
25:38At 41, Lieutenant Colonel Wood was sent to South Africa to put down bush rebellions.
25:44In 1879, found him in Zululand,
25:47third in command of an army that had just suffered
25:50one of the worst defeats in the history of the empire.
25:5722nd of January, 1879,
26:00a British invasion army has just been routed by Zulu
26:04at the Battle of Izandluana,
26:07leaving 1,500 Imperial soldiers dead.
26:14Pursued by the enemy,
26:16two lieutenants make an heroic attempt
26:18to save the regimental colours
26:20by getting the flag back to British-held Natal
26:24on the far side of the Buffalo River.
26:30The two officers,
26:32Tynmouth Melville and Neville Coghill,
26:35made it to the river
26:36and managed to get across,
26:38but here, wounded and exhausted,
26:41they were cornered and killed.
26:44It would be 28 years before either man
26:47would be awarded his Victoria Cross.
27:00Two miles down river
27:02was Lieutenant John Chard.
27:04Chard, considered a less-than-average officer
27:07by his superiors,
27:08had been left to oversee a supply station
27:10and field hospital at Rourke's Drift.
27:14I went down to my tent by the river,
27:16had some lunch comfortably.
27:18When my attention was called
27:19by the horsemen galloping towards me
27:21from the direction of Izandluana,
27:23by the gesticulation and shouts,
27:25I saw that something was the matter.
27:29Back at Rourke's Drift,
27:30all was quiet.
27:32B Company of the 2nd Battalion,
27:3424th Regiment,
27:35was not expecting any trouble.
27:38After all,
27:39this tiny garrison
27:40was not exactly in the front line.
27:43It says your leg's getting better.
27:45In the field hospital
27:47was Private Harry Hook.
27:49Doctor says you'll be ready
27:50in a couple of days.
27:52Hook had left a young wife
27:53at home in Gloucestershire
27:54when he joined the army
27:55two years before.
27:57He was now a regimental cook.
27:59He has plenty of work for you.
28:00Lots of blanco,
28:01lots of boot polishing and...
28:03We were all knocking about
28:04and I was making tea for the sick.
28:07Hook!
28:07Hook, where are you?
28:11Suddenly, there was a commotion
28:12in the camp
28:13and then we knew
28:14what had happened
28:14to our comrades.
28:16Zulus!
28:17They've killed everyone.
28:18They're nearly by the river.
28:19They had been butchered to a man.
28:22That was awful enough
28:23but worse was to follow
28:24for we were told
28:26that the Zulus
28:26were coming straight on
28:27for Miss Antwana
28:28to attack us.
28:39Just over 100 men
28:41were fit to fight
28:43and they had less than an hour
28:44to prepare for the arrival
28:46of the Zulu army.
28:48They're coming, lads.
28:51On good position.
29:08Lieutenant Chard,
29:09a royal engineer,
29:10brought practical know-how
29:12to the construction
29:13of the defences
29:14but he had virtually
29:15no combat experience.
29:21The real problem
29:23facing Zulus
29:25if you were armed
29:26with a single-shot rifle
29:28was that they would
29:29simply overwhelm you
29:31before you had time
29:32to reload.
29:33You simply couldn't kill enough
29:34with the process
29:35of reloading and firing
29:37and it was also
29:39quite clear to everybody
29:40that this wasn't an enemy
29:41you could surrender to.
29:43That you were either
29:44going to win or die
29:46and die pretty unpleasantly.
29:49So I think that set
29:51steel into men's souls.
29:55Private Fred Hitch
29:56was sent to the hospital roof
29:58to watch for the arrival
29:59of the enemy.
30:02Hitch, a petty criminal,
30:04had been given the option
30:05by a judge
30:06of military service
30:07or prison.
30:08He had chosen the army,
30:09a decision
30:10he may now
30:11have been regretting.
30:13Having got to the top
30:14of the building,
30:15I could plainly see
30:16the Zulus forming up
30:17just over the brow
30:18of a hill.
30:19They're ready to attack,
30:20sir, I called out.
30:21And I think there are
30:22about 4,000 of them.
30:25A little fella remarked,
30:26Oh, if that's all there are,
30:28we can manage that lot
30:29all right.
30:30Number one section,
30:32ready?
30:37Six, fire!
30:39Two rounds,
30:40independent.
30:41Fire at will.
30:42We opened fire on them
30:43between 500 and 600 yards
30:45and the Zulus began
30:46to fall very thick.
30:47However, it did not seem
30:49to stop them at all
30:49and they rushed on
30:50in spite of their heavy loss
30:52to within 50 yards
30:53of the wall.
30:59The Zulus came on
31:00at a wild rush
31:01and although many of them
31:03were shot down,
31:04they got to within
31:04about 50 yards
31:05of our wall
31:06of mealy bags
31:07and biscuit boxes.
31:11They were caught
31:12between two fires,
31:13that from the hospital
31:14and that from the storehouse
31:16and were checked.
31:21The first attack
31:23was driven back
31:24but the defenders
31:25were under no illusions.
31:27There would be many more.
31:29Fire!
31:30A rapid rattle of fire
31:32from our rifles
31:33and in a few moments
31:34the Zulus were driven back
31:35and disappearing
31:36in the bush as before.
31:38A brief interval
31:39and the attack
31:40would be made again
31:40and repulsed
31:41in the same manner.
31:43Over and over again
31:43this happened,
31:44our men behaving
31:45with the greatest
31:46coolness and gallantry.
31:48A section of Zulus
31:50concentrated their attack
31:51on the hospital.
31:53Come on boys,
31:54I've got plenty for you.
32:03The Zulus
32:04were swarming
32:05around us
32:06and there was
32:07an extraordinary rattle
32:08as the bullets
32:08struck the biscuit boxes
32:10and queer thuds
32:11as they plumped
32:12into the bags
32:12of mealy's.
32:14Then there were
32:14the whizz
32:15and rip
32:15of the ass
32:16of guys.
32:18The attackers
32:19got closer
32:20and a desperate
32:21hand-to-hand
32:22struggle ensued.
32:26a big Zulu
32:27sprang forward
32:28and seized my rifle
32:29but I held on
32:31for all I could
32:31and slipped
32:32the cartridge in
32:33and I shot him
32:34point-blank.
32:36Time after time
32:37the Zulus
32:38gripped the muzzle
32:39and tried to tear
32:39the rifle from my grasp
32:41and time after time
32:42I wrenched it back
32:43and fired.
32:51Thwarted
32:52in their initial
32:53attempt
32:53to take the hospital
32:54the Zulus
32:55set fire
32:56to the building's
32:57straw roof
32:58and the fire
32:59quickly spread.
33:02Well done,
33:03let's get the boys out.
33:06What were we to do?
33:08We were pinned
33:09like rats
33:09in a hole.
33:11Already the Zulus
33:12were fiercely
33:12trying to burst in
33:13through the doorway.
33:14The only way of escape
33:16was the wall itself
33:17by making a hole
33:18big enough
33:19for a man
33:19to crawl through
33:20into the adjoining room.
33:24Hook and the patients
33:25made it out
33:26of the hospital
33:27just before
33:28the burning roof
33:29collapsed.
33:30Go!
33:31Go!
33:38The defenders
33:39held out
33:40until dark
33:41but the night
33:42made their situation
33:44even more desperate.
33:46As darkness
33:47came on
33:47we were completely
33:48surrounded
33:49and every now
33:50and then
33:50a confused shout
33:51of Usutu
33:52from many voices
33:53seemed to show
33:54that they were going
33:55to attack
33:55from one side
33:56and immediately
33:57the same thing
33:57would happen
33:58on the other
33:58leaving us in doubt
34:00as to where
34:00they meant to attack.
34:03But by setting fire
34:04to the hospital
34:05the Zulus
34:06had inadvertently
34:07aided the defender's cause.
34:10The hospital fire
34:12became more fierce.
34:13This fire
34:14turned out
34:15to be our salvation
34:16for as darkness
34:17came on
34:18it lit up the ground
34:19on all sides
34:20of the Lager
34:21and enabled us
34:22to see the Zulus
34:23whenever they
34:23approached the barricades.
34:28As night wore on
34:29the men of the 24th
34:30were forced
34:31into a desperate
34:32last ditch defence.
34:36They still came on
34:38right up to the barricades
34:39and were only turned
34:40by the good cold steel
34:42of our bayonets
34:43for which they had
34:44far more respect
34:45than for bullets.
34:47Then it was load
34:48and fire
34:49and bayonet
34:50just as fast
34:50as we could.
34:53As fast
34:54as the defenders
34:54were
34:55it seemed only
34:56a matter of time
34:57before they would
34:58be overrun.
35:02A Zulu bullet
35:03ripped through
35:04Private Hitchy's shoulder
35:06incapacitating him.
35:07He would play
35:08no further part
35:09in the battle
35:09that some of his mates
35:10now feared was lost.
35:14Seeing how badly
35:15wounded I was
35:16one of my comrades
35:17asked me
35:18whether he should
35:18put me out
35:19when it came to the finish.
35:21He could see
35:22that my strength
35:23was fast failing
35:24and that if the devils
35:25got through
35:26I would be quite unable
35:27to strike a blow
35:28for myself.
35:30No, I don't think
35:31I want any
35:32I said.
35:39At around 4am
35:41the Zulu attacks
35:43inexplicably ceased.
35:45There followed
35:46an anxious wait
35:47for dawn.
35:54But at first light
35:56it became clear
35:58that the Zulus
35:58had withdrawn
35:59leaving 400
36:01of their men dead.
36:0415 British soldiers
36:05had been killed
36:06and another two
36:08would die
36:08of their wounds.
36:11Of the 20,000 rounds
36:13of ammunition
36:13stored at Rourke's Drift
36:15only a few hundred
36:16remained.
36:18It had been
36:19a close run thing
36:20but a small force
36:21under inexperienced
36:23leadership
36:23had held out
36:24against overwhelming odds.
36:27Later that morning
36:28relief arrived
36:29under Lieutenant General
36:31Lord Chelmsford
36:32who asked to hear
36:33first hand accounts
36:34of the night's heroism.
36:37When the Commander
36:38in Chief arrived
36:39I was in my shirt sleeves.
36:40A sergeant ran up
36:42and said
36:42come as you are
36:43straight away.
36:44Lord Chelmsford
36:45asked me all about
36:46the defence of the hospital.
36:47An officer took our names
36:49and wrote down
36:50what we had done.
36:53These first accounts
36:54would form the basis
36:56of the recommendations
36:57for awards
36:58that would follow.
37:00Word came through.
37:02It was not till the next morning
37:04that I came to.
37:05Later on in the day
37:07Lord Chelmsford himself
37:08came to me
37:09and
37:10bending down beside me
37:12said
37:12I will recommend you
37:14for the VC.
37:16I think we did well.
37:19Private Hitch
37:19would not be the only one
37:21to be honoured.
37:24Eleven VCs
37:25were presented
37:26for the defence
37:27of Rourke's Drift
37:28which given the number
37:29of men involved
37:31in total
37:32and the fact that
37:33the whole thing
37:34was over
37:35in a night and a day
37:36was an extraordinarily
37:38high number.
37:39No similar number
37:40has ever been given
37:41for a single action.
37:43So it's a quite unique
37:45event
37:46in the wider history
37:47of the VC.
37:50Fred Hitch
37:51the former criminal
37:53was one of the eleven
37:54awarded the Victoria Cross.
37:56Twenty years later
37:58his meddle went missing.
38:00Hitch claimed
38:01it had been stolen
38:01whilst others suspected
38:03him of faking the theft
38:04and selling his VC
38:06for personal gain.
38:10Harry Hook
38:11was awarded his VC
38:12for defending
38:13and evacuating
38:14the hospital.
38:15He returned home
38:17proudly with his medal
38:18to find that his wife
38:19thinking him dead
38:20had run off
38:21with another man.
38:24John Chard
38:25the man many considered
38:27an inadequate officer
38:28was awarded his VC
38:30for his exceptional leadership
38:32in what was already
38:33being described
38:34as one of the greatest
38:35defensive actions
38:37in military history.
38:40The British went on
38:42to defeat the Zulu nation
38:44but in the process
38:45they made themselves
38:46another enemy
38:47in South Africa
38:48that would prove
38:49a far greater threat
38:50to the Empire.
38:5715th of December
38:591899
39:00Natal
39:01South Africa
39:02the first weeks
39:03of the Boer War
39:04the last
39:05and largest
39:06conflict
39:06of the Victorian era.
39:08The Empire
39:09is at its peak
39:10in size
39:11and influence
39:12but its forces
39:13are being hampered
39:14by an improvised
39:15army of Boer
39:16farmers
39:16and settlers.
39:18The British
39:19have suffered
39:20two major defeats
39:21and are now
39:22encamped
39:22near Colenso
39:23preparing to cross
39:25into Boer-held territory.
39:28The Battle of Colenso
39:29will be one of the most
39:30significant
39:31in the history
39:32of the Victoria Cross.
39:35An attempt
39:36to cross
39:37the Tugela River
39:38that morning
39:38stalled
39:39when gun crews
39:40brought too close
39:41to the Boer lines
39:42were mown down
39:43by rifle fire.
39:45Ten vital guns
39:46were now unmanned
39:47and in danger
39:48of falling
39:49into enemy hands.
39:51Leaving
39:52these guns
39:54silent
39:55in the veld
39:57where they would
39:58be taken
39:59when the battle
40:00was over
40:00by the Boers
40:01would have been
40:01hugely humiliating
40:02and so
40:04when the word
40:05went up
40:05for volunteers
40:06to save the guns
40:07anybody
40:09who was anybody
40:10the hands
40:11on the back
40:12of their neck
40:12would have stood up
40:13and they'd have been
40:14up for it.
40:15a group of officers
40:17and men
40:17assembled
40:18to retrieve
40:19the first
40:19of the precious guns.
40:21At the head
40:22Captain Harry Schofield
40:24well known
40:25as a fine polo player
40:26with an impressive
40:27string of ponies.
40:31Freddy Roberts
40:32whose father
40:33won a VC
40:34in the Indian mutiny
40:35and was now
40:36one of the most
40:37senior commanders
40:38in the military.
40:41Believing
40:41that the enemy
40:42had pulled back
40:43the group
40:44headed in
40:44but the Boer
40:46sharpshooters
40:46were lying in wait
40:47and as soon as
40:48the riders
40:49came within range
40:50opened fire.
40:54Captain Walter
40:55Congreve
40:55was the first
40:56man to be hit
40:57a bullet
40:58going through
40:58his calf
40:59and into his horse
41:00which threw him.
41:07the other riders
41:08continued on
41:09at speed
41:10to the abandoned
41:11guns
41:11knowing that
41:12as soon as
41:13they hit the ground
41:14they would become
41:15easy targets.
41:24Back down the trail
41:26Congreve
41:27found cover.
41:28He spotted
41:29Freddy Roberts
41:30had also been hit
41:31and fallen
41:32wounded in the stomach
41:33and unable to move
41:35he was a sitting duck.
41:44In a hail of gunfire
41:46the men set about
41:48hooking up
41:48the stranded gun.
41:50Any mistakes now
41:52would mean
41:52certain death.
42:01roberts urged
42:02Congreve
42:03not to come
42:04to his aid.
42:05He was afraid
42:05the enemy
42:06was using him
42:07as bait
42:07to attract
42:08others
42:09into their sights.
42:15With the seconds
42:16ticking by
42:17and the boar bullets
42:18getting closer
42:19with every shot
42:20the gun
42:21was finally
42:22hitched up
42:22and raced
42:23back to British lines.
42:29Congreve
42:30broke cover
42:31and braving enemy
42:32fire from all sides
42:33reached Roberts
42:34and helped him
42:35back towards safety.
42:38for this
42:39he would be awarded
42:40the Victoria Cross.
42:44Despite these heroics
42:45only one other gun
42:46was retrieved
42:47and the day's battle
42:49ended
42:49in defeat.
42:52And there was
42:53further bad news.
42:56Freddy Roberts
42:57was hit again
42:58and later died
43:00of his wounds.
43:04It was a dark moment
43:06in what would be known
43:08as Black Week
43:09the British military's
43:11most disastrous
43:12few days
43:13in a century.
43:16When Queen Victoria
43:18died two years later
43:19her death
43:20marked a turning point
43:21for the medal
43:22that bore her name.
43:25In 45 years
43:26the rules
43:27under which the VC
43:28was awarded
43:29had changed little.
43:30now things
43:31would change rapidly
43:32and the action
43:33at Colenso
43:34would prove
43:35the catalyst.
43:37First was the case
43:39of Freddy Roberts.
43:41Up until that time
43:43no VCs
43:44had been awarded
43:45posthumously
43:46but young Roberts
43:48happened to be
43:49the son
43:50of Field Marshal
43:51Lord Roberts
43:52one of the army's
43:54most senior commanders
43:56and sufficient to say
43:58Roberts was recommended
44:00for the Victoria Cross
44:02and did receive it.
44:05Roberts VC
44:06led to awards
44:07to six other men
44:08who had died
44:09in the Boer War
44:10and to a further six
44:11who had died
44:12in previous actions
44:13dating back to
44:14Rourke's Drift
44:15nearly 30 years before.
44:18but no awards
44:19were made for actions
44:20before the Zulu War
44:22leaving many heroic acts
44:24unrecognised.
44:27The impact of Colenso
44:29went further
44:29when Harry Schofield
44:31was not awarded
44:32the VC
44:32for his role
44:33in saving the guns.
44:34Now when the news
44:36got back to England
44:37that Schofield
44:38had been passed over
44:40a public campaign
44:42was mounted
44:43to get him
44:45the proper recognition
44:46that he deserved
44:47and it was really
44:50the first
44:50properly orchestrated
44:52campaign
44:53that had any bearing
44:55on the Victoria Cross
44:57or the manner
44:58in which it was awarded
44:59and a year after
45:01the event
45:02Schofield
45:03had his Victoria Cross
45:07The legacy of Colenso
45:09did not end there.
45:10George Ravenhill
45:11awarded the VC
45:12for his part
45:13in saving the guns
45:14was later convicted
45:16of stealing
45:16six shillings worth
45:17of iron
45:18and had his medal
45:19taken away.
45:22But he would be
45:23the last man
45:24to forfeit
45:25his Victoria Cross
45:26the King later declaring
45:28that no man
45:29should ever forfeit
45:30his VC
45:30even if sent
45:32to the scaffold
45:33for murder.
45:36it was now
45:37almost half a century
45:39since the inauguration
45:40of the Victoria Cross
45:42it had been a long
45:44and eventful road
45:45but some had survived
45:47the journey
45:49in 1903
45:51Henry Evelyn Wood
45:52was promoted
45:53to field marshal
45:55the army's highest rank
45:58In the same year
46:00a journalist
46:01described a meeting
46:02with a London tramp
46:03whose life story
46:04bore an uncanny
46:05resemblance
46:06to that of
46:07Edward St. John Daniel
46:08believed dead
46:1040 years before
46:11The man claimed
46:12to have joined the navy
46:13as a boy
46:14served in the Crimea
46:16and India
46:16won the Victoria Cross
46:18and for unspecified crimes
46:20had his precious medal
46:22taken away
46:25the man did not
46:26give his name
46:27and his identity
46:28has never been established
46:30the man was established
46:31the man
46:35who did not
46:35and preserved
46:41eine thing
46:41has never been
46:42ein
46:42he