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Date	Original Topic
3rd April 2004	Vereker By jon causier just watched zulu dawn for the 90th time and i was wondering is Vereker a historical character ? or just added for convienience ?
Date	Replies
3rd April 2004	John Young Jon, I hope you don't mind but I'm going to cut & paste a previous answer, rather type it all again. The Honourable Standish William Prendergast Vereker, the third son of Viscount Gort, by his marriage to Caroline Harriet, the daughter of Viscount Gage. Born 23rd February, 1854. Educated Westminster School, and Worcester College, Oxford. After Oxford he went to study at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. On 22nd July, 1878, he embarked for South Africa. On his arrival he volunteered for service in the Frontier Light Horse, and served against Sekhukhune, in the Transvaal, under Redvers Buller. In late 1878, obtained a commission as a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, Natal Native Contingent. Present at Isandlwana, where he met his fate, allegedly after giving up a horse he had found to a black trooper of the Natal Native Horse. That supposed event was the subject of a subsequent poem. John Y.
3rd April 2004	Julian Whybra Just to add to John's comment, that although he was a real character, the actions of the 'film' Vereker are fictional.
3rd April 2004	jon causier thanks for clearing that up it was kind of bugging me
4th April 2004	Tarkis me too, in the film it leaves the matter of Vereker open, the viewer is left uncertain as to his fate as he is simply left lying on the river bank.
4th April 2004	jon causier yes also i was under the impression that when chelmsford returned to isandlwana he was attacked by a large force of zulu but the film makes no mention of it
4th April 2004	David Alan Gardner Jon, No Chelmsford wasn't attacked by any force of Zulu's on return to Isandlwana, though he did pass the Zulus that had been attacking Rorke's Drift the next morning.They were leaving because he was coming, otherwise RD might have had a different ending!
5th April 2004	jon causier oh ok , i read it on a different website some time ago