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DateOriginal Topic
13th February 2004Zulu casilties at Rorke's Drift
By Chris
How many Zulus were killed and wounded at Rorke's Drift? Or what is the opp. number I should say as im sure there is no record of Zulu casulties.
DateReplies
13th February 2004Tony Livesey
Hi Chris. I"ve just read a passage in Ian Knight"s book "Zulu", and it says that after the battle the NNC dug the graves but would not touch the corpses so the white troops had to collect and bury the bodies - over 300. It seems that Chard after some consideration thought the actual figure to be somewhat higher. Apparently bodies continued to be discovered for weeks after the battle around the Shiyane terrace and the river. As to the wounded, who can know for sure? Maybe hundreds more.
13th February 2004John Young
Chris,

In John Chard's first report he gives the figure as about 350. In his second he gives the figure of 351 Zulu dead buried, but elaborates that bodies were subsequently found, in the caves and amongst the rocks, as Tony indicates above.

Personally, I estimate that at least 500 Zulu were killed or mortally wounded.

At least two Zulu were taken alive, they were subsequently hanged.

John Y.