ZULU

[Gwyn Nicholas]

Once a year Dai? Thats horrific! How many times were you "Back-Squadded"? LOL

[daibeer]

not funny Gwyn, not funny !

[jungle1810]

Hello All,
Re my e mail om the film Zulu. I did acknowledge the bravery of all who fought at the drift, this includes attached personnel and the Impis and Indunas as well as the Worcestershire Regt I am also aware of Richard Burtons summary of this battle and he spoke of the brave men from "THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS.??? Also I am aware that Burton wore the RWF cap badge in the film mentioned by one member of the forum, but wearing a cap badge and serving that regiment is a different kettle of fish!!!!!How many RWFCA branches have had Richard Burton as a guest of honour at their Saint Davids day celebrations????I did like the answers and views given as this stands for democracy and we have all done our bit for that.The biggest bone of contention is the "LICENCE " taken by the word "ANTECEDENT". I may well be wrong about the Long Service medals but I am sure I read about this in a file or book??Re Andove's e mail, my point is to try and dispel the rumours that abound in what I call the "Zulu triangle"which has it's apex in Brecon and stretches west to Carmarthen and east to Gwent this implies to about 90% of the population in this area that the SWB were at the drift and I have read a letter in the penultimate edition of "Men of Harlech" in which a branch sec of the RRW spoke of " How my heart beats with pride when I think of the 7 V.C's won by Welshmen????? I just thought I would like to try and clear what at best can be described as a muddled situation and dispel a few myths, no more no less. My thanks to all who replied to my original e mail.
Regards RBD

[Bob Bacon]

Hello jungle810,

I am pretty sure that the LSGCM was not issued to Pte Hook or anyone else in 1879. Perhaps someone can say when it was issued.

Hello All,
I may well be wrong about the Long Service medals but I am sure I read about this in a file or book?

There is a book about the history of the LS&GC called, not surprisingly, The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, 1830-48. This is a guide to the recipients of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct medals between 1830 and 1848. Divided by regiment and indexed by surname, this book lists the date of the collection of the medal, from whom and where collected, rank, and hometown.

The Army Long Service & Good Conduct medal was instituted in 1830. The medal is made from silver and is 36 millimetres in diameter. The medal's ribbon was plain crimson until 1917 when white stripes were added to both edges.As can be imaged, a medal introduced in 1830 has undergone a number of changes. Until 1901 the medal's obverse contained an image of a trophy of arms with the royal arms in an oval shield in the centre while the reverse side contained the inscription "For Long Service and Good Conduct".

The King William IV issue had the royal coat of arms with the badge of Hanover on the obverse and a small suspension ring with a plain crimson ribbon. The small ring was replaced by a larger version in 1831.

When Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne in 1837, the Hanover emblem was dropped from the medal's obverse. In 1855 a swivelling scroll suspension was introduced, followed in 1874 by small lettering replacing the original large lettering on the reverse side.

In 1901, with the succession of King Edward VI to the throne, the effigy of the reigning sovereign was placed on the medal's obverse. The reverse side remained unchanged.

In 1920 the swivelling scroll suspension was replaced by a fixed suspender.

In 1930 the title of the medals was changed to the Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) Medal. It was also decided to add a fixed suspension bar bearing the text "Regular Army" or the name of a dominion country: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India or South Africa.

The medal was originally awarded to soldiers of good conduct who had completed 21 years service in the infantry or 24 years in the cavalry. In 1870, this qualifying period was reduced to 18 years for both the infantry and cavalry. During the Second World War, officers could also be awarded this medal if they had completed at least 12 of the 18 years in the ranks. In 1940 clasps for further periods of service were introduced.

The vast majority of LS&GC medals are issued named to the recipient, with the name on the rim around the medal.

[nasher546]

Bob you are a mind of information. It is now fair to say that old "Hooky" could conceivably have recieved the LS&CGM. Just because he was a milingerer and he broke into the medicine cabinet to rob the brandy, it does not mean he could not have got the medal. After all ,this could have been put down to undetected crime! Like most of us that did get it we were never as white as snow.
RBD, I stand corrected.

[Scouse75]

Ha Ha, I totally agree Dai. It is a fantastic film, spoiled only by big bruising NCO's with chevrons on both arms!! Let's face it guys, none of these so called portrials are actually accurate, if they were, the Yanks would never have made a war film!! Let us not forget, in their eyes the two World Wars started in 1916 and 1942 respectively!"!!!!

[rikoshea]

at the end of the day the battle honours now belong to the RRW so I Dont see the point in all this Bull. And I myself agree best film ever made.

[sox3044]

no matter what is on the box, if Zulu is on im watching it, great film what an epic, i even dressed up as a Zulu 1 sgts mess xmas draw.

1 of my ex girl friends father was working on the set at the filming, many a time the old boy would pull his photos out, got to admit though he had some great snaps.

Classic film

[anitacorbett]

I agree, I too will never watch it quite the same again but I do still think it's brilliant and will watch it again.. and again and ....
Take care
Anita xx

[Matt Lewis]

Hello All,
Re my e mail om the film Zulu. I did acknowledge the bravery of all who fought at the drift, this includes attached personnel and the Impis and Indunas as well as the Worcestershire Regt I am also aware of Richard Burtons summary of this battle and he spoke of the brave men from "THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS.??? Also I am aware that Burton wore the RWF cap badge in the film mentioned by one member of the forum, but wearing a cap badge and serving that regiment is a different kettle of fish!!!!!How many RWFCA branches have had Richard Burton as a guest of honour at their Saint Davids day celebrations????I did like the answers and views given as this stands for democracy and we have all done our bit for that.The biggest bone of contention is the "LICENCE " taken by the word "ANTECEDENT". I may well be wrong about the Long Service medals but I am sure I read about this in a file or book??Re Andove's e mail, my point is to try and dispel the rumours that abound in what I call the "Zulu triangle"which has it's apex in Brecon and stretches west to Carmarthen and east to Gwent this implies to about 90% of the population in this area that the SWB were at the drift and I have read a letter in the penultimate edition of "Men of Harlech" in which a branch sec of the RRW spoke of " How my heart beats with pride when I think of the 7 V.C's won by Welshmen????? I just thought I would like to try and clear what at best can be described as a muddled situation and dispel a few myths, no more no less. My thanks to all who replied to my original e mail.
Regards RBD

I'm confused by this historiography. I'm pretty sure that those people who've looked beyond 'Zulu' as a historical account of Rorke's Drift have known since it's production that it was a dramatisation of the events. Equally though, most people I've spoken to agree that they approached the history of the Anglo-Zulu wars through 'Zulu'.

I not that it hasn't been explained that whilst the 24th was not officially named the 'SWB' until 1881 (in the absence of the formalised Cardwell process, the '2nd Warwickshires' was nothing more than a nickname for a numerical regiment of foot - and would be similar to calling 1 R WELSH the 'Chesters' or 2 R WELSH the 'Wiltshires' - heaven forbid!), the 24th had nevertheless been based in Brecon since April 1873 and had, from that date, been given the recruiting areas of Brecon, Radnor, Cardigan and Monmouth; hence what Donald Morris called the 'distinct Welshness of [the 2nd] Battalion' in The Washing of the Spears. That gives 6 years of recruiting in exclusively in Wales prior to 1879!

Whilst I accept that amongst the 7 24th VCs (of 11) not all were Welsh, but then to challenge that point would be to challenge the nationality of every MC, VC (or poet?) of the RWF. To my knowledge Sassoon was not a native welshman, but, correctly in the Royal Welsh we still celebrate him as a welchman!

It's upsetting to see welshmen trying to disown what is our rightful history - and a particularly self-defeating piece of 'scab-picking' given that this battle honour is now held by the whole of the new Regiment (and the wreath of Immortelle carried on all Bn Queen's Colours). Having spent some time at Rorke's Drift and Isandhlwana, the only people that try to misappropriate this battle are the 'little Englanders' who base their histories on Daily Mail articles - even the Zulus and (begrudging) Afrikaaners recognise the 'Welshness' of the two battles.

BTW: I'm pretty sure Burton is also wearing RWF collar dogs in 'Where Eagles Dare' ('Broadsword calling Danny Boy' etc) as well.