SFA062 Lt Chard VC

Description

The Zulu War

A return to the Zulu war with a vengeance with over 15 new figures planned for this year! A long time ago in a far off universe we made some Redcoats firing downwards from a British wagon made by Britain’s, these were very popular and sold out very quickly. Since then JJD have added their excellent looking wagons to the mix, we now decided that it was time for a makeover and have remade these figures. This time with improved painting and in shirt sleeve order, which means they can be from just about any Regiment or branch of service that fought in the campaign.

SFA070 comprises 2 x standing firing down riflemen priced at $85/£79. Next month will see the release of a kneeling firing version.

SFA058A comprises a Private soldier firing on his knees
SFA058B comprises a Cpl firing on his knees at the enemy
Both priced at $50/£45

Having never made any personality figures from the Zulu war, we decided it was now about time to do some. With some invaluable assistance from Toby and George at the Armoury of St James, we are pleased to release 2 pivotal officers, in command of the Rorke’s Drift crossing on that fateful night in 1879:

SFA061 Lt Gonville Bromhead VC
SFA062 Lt Chard VC
Both figures are priced at $55/£50 whilst stocks last

There is some artistic licence here with these figures, in that we have based most of the uniform and equipment worn from the ‘Zulu’ film but have swapped the white pith helmets for a dyed version, in order that these figures will fit in with the remainder of our range. Once again a big thank you to Toby and George, if you are in London, pop by their shop as it is an Aladdin’s cave of wonders for all of you interested in military history.
Their website is as follows:
The Armoury of St James’s – The Armoury St James’s 

For those of you not familiar with Chard and Bromhead, here is a little history:
Battle of Rorke’s Drift
On January 22–23, 1879, Lieutenant Bromhead and Lieutenant John Chard led a small British force of approximately 150 men in defending a mission station against roughly 4,000 Zulu warriors.

Major Gonville Bromhead VC (1845–1891)
Major Gonville Bromhead  was a British Army officer who received the Victoria Cross for his role in the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. Historical accounts suggest Bromhead was reserved and may have suffered from significant hearing loss.
Much has been written about the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, but less about after the battle.  Bromhead and the other uninjured survivors remained at Rorke’s Drift for several weeks after the battle. Wary of another Zulu attack, the garrison constructed crude stone walls around the perimeter and named the fortification “Fort Bromhead”
Major Gonville Bromhead died of enteric fever at Camp Dabhaura in Allahabad, India, in 1891, aged 46, he was buried in McPherson’s Cemetery in Allahabad.  The inscription on his grave memorial states: ‘This stone was erected by his brother officers of both Battalions in token of their esteem.’

Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard VC (1847–1897) 
Commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1868, Chard spent his early career overseeing fortifications in Bermuda and Malta.
His experience and expertise were used to great effect when constructing the defences and the final redoubt, to provide shelter for the wounded and also form the last line of defence.  Using a mixture of the established drystone walls, turned over wagons, mealie bags and biscuit boxes.  For this ingenuity and his bravery in face of the enemy he received a well-deserved Victoria Cross, especially as he was only there ‘to build a bridge’.
Chard remained at Rorke’s Drift for several weeks after the battle and assisted with the construction of a new stone perimeter wall. However, conditions at the camp were poor; Chard became ill with fever and was taken to Ladysmith for treatment.  When he recovered he took part in the second invasion of Zulu land and was present in the British square during the decisive victory at the Battle of Ulundi and remained in Africa until the end of the war.
Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard died of tongue cancer at the age of 49, he was lifelong pipe smoker. He was buried in the churchyard of The Church of St John the Baptist in Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset.