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Bromhead and post traumatic stress
LCB


Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 3
Location: NSW Australia
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It was interesting to read an account of Bromhead written by Major C.F Cleary and his behaviour post Rorke's Drift and subsequent reaction to anything being asked of him concerning it.
I must admit I felt a great sympathy for him when I read this,as now in modern times we well know,a soldier living with memories of the war can be mentally damaged for the rest of their lives.
I'm sure he wasn't the only one.Does anyone have anymore info?
Thanks, LCB.
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Martin Everett


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 786
Location: Brecon
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If you sit on the veranda of the museum at RD (the site of the hospital) building and try and visualise the events of 22/23 January. It was truly frightening - the men were fighting for their lives, the building was on fire, men were dying, it was dark and the enemy hard to see, and there was little hope of a relief column - as they thought that Chelmsford had not survived. Yes a good majority of the men at RD suffered from PTS in some form or other. I do not think there is much more to say - but to continue remember & admire their courage under the most difficult conditions. Often forgotten today.

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Martin Everett
Brecon, Powys
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Bromhead and Post Traumatic Stress
LCB


Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 3
Location: NSW Australia
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Hi Martin, thank you for your reply. I may have sounded a little superficial in my initial post. I certainly agree that there would be many others from that fateful day that subsequently suffered PTS - and with very good reason. Also anyone was considered "weak" to show any signs of breaking down. "stiff upper lip and all that"...
When postulating about Bromhead I have thought that being well documented as a military/Strategic dunce, and carrying the burden of that famous soldiering family history- not knowing what to do in a situation like that would only add to the fear and distress he would have felt.
regards,LCB
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Rich
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Martin...
Taking into account what you noted about the conditions at RD, it brings up a question as to whether or not there existed then anything along the lines of the modern day diagnoses we have such as shell shock or PTS for soldiers experiencing psychological and physical disturbances after engaging in battle. Were the RD defenders expected to "get on with it" after the experience? With me it's just conjecture but I don't think there was an emphasis at the time to focus on the effects of battle on soldiers.
The VC's that were earned certainly raised the public stature of those soldiers who won them but who knows the price they paid internally and psychologically.
Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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LCB

"Well documented as a military/strategic dunce"?

Do you mean by his (possibly envious?) contemporaries or by historians & writers on the battle? There were one or two officers who met him after 22 Jan who commented on his and Chard's apparent lack of ambition after R/Drift or a rather dull personality in an age when officers were expected (& needed) to look for promotion and show every initiative in seeking opportunities for advancement (without actually appearing to do so!) However, whether those officers actually knew him well or were qualified to comment on his "military/strategic" qualities is a moot point.

If we strip away all of Wolseley's vituperative nonsense are we not left with merely a few jealous remarks made in private letters, some of which depended on no more than hearsay - in both Chard's and Bromhead's cases?

The fact remains that only once in his career, as a junior officer, Bromhead was tested in a very serious (hopeless?) military situation while he was in a position of great responsibility. Whatever decision(s) he made had to be made immediately and a great deal depended on them. And the fact is that - along with Chard, Dalton and some no doubt excellent NCOs - he passed with flying colours. As far as I can see, that is a fact - and any supposition about his claimed shortcomings has to be seen in that light and also in the light of the likely reaction of his fellow officers after Isandlwana and R/Drift. A quiet, deaf, unassuming (possibly comparatively unambitious?) young officer came out of it all smelling of roses while many of his messmates were slaughtered. I suppose that was tough on some but it doesn't make Bromhead (or Chard) military idiots.

Is there a single, RELIABLE comment, statement or claim about Bromhead's military prowess in any primary source ANYWHERE? (Other than to do with the actual defence of RD, that is?) And is it positive or negative? Are there any reliable pointers from before 1879? Anything from his NCOs & men, who presumably knew him best?

In the absence of anything to the contrary, do we not have to accept Bromhead as simply one of many sound, reliable, unremarkable officers of which the army was very full, but who, when tested to the limit on a single, isolated occasion, was not found wanting. After all, he was not a General! And I doubt if he was a military dunce either.

Peter

P.S. And while I'm at it, I'll edit in a PS too! What "burden" of a famous military family? Bromhead came from a family which had contained many British army officers - just like hundred of other families. I don't think it was famous. Dozens of officers involved in the AZW had brothers, cousins, fathers, uncles and grandfathers who'd served - and were serving - with distinction, including in that very conflict. He came from the minor gentry, as did most of the officers he worked with and had nothing to prove, other than to serve his regiment. He appears to have done so with distinction and brought renown on the 24th and Newark Grammar! Not bad for a dunce ...

( Smile PPS. And perhaps the best cricketer in the 24th's mess?)
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Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
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I've all but given up an attempt at responding to an editorial in Military Heritage magazine of last August that, to me, defamed both Lts. Bromhead and Chard with those time worn allegations seemingly reactivated most recently from books I've yet to read (but many military writers seem to have taken as gospel). Unfortunately I have been unable to find any historical reference to anyone who refuted the allegations with source material. Perhaps a different tack would be in order.

As alluded to above, by putting one's self in the position of any Rorke's Drift defender I can only imagine what they felt when they finally realized they had not only lived through a seemingly impossible battle but had actually won it. They may first have thought "How in the world did we survive THAT!" and next "That must have used up all the good luck I've coming to me for the rest of this life!" (Given the untimely deaths of some of the V.C awardees that last may not be far from the truth.) Of course they seem to have kept it to themselve's as their next thought seems to have been "Oh well the Column remnants look famished so let's turn to and fix them breakfast."

Many seem to think, given Chard's and Bromhead's subsequent less than illustrious careers, that therein lies some kind of verification for Sir Garnet's typical spleen. Presently I'm attempting to compile statistics based on the subsequent careers of the rest of the V.C. subalterns who stayed with the colours (as many 20th Century awardees seem to have been short service and returned to civilian life after their respective wars). There's a long way to go yet especially as I'm back on the road again but so far Chard and Bromhead seem to be in the majority and no one can take away the fact that they won a battle (with the help of "some guts behind it") of such proportions that few if any at that time or since can lay claim to.

I can't put my finger on it at the moment but I read that something less than 10% of officers reach staff rank and less than 1% general rank. Ability aside, not everyone aspires to those lofty heights and, ability aside, far too many have achieved it!

Best

Michael
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Bromhead and post traumatic stress
LCB


Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 3
Location: NSW Australia
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Peter,
Please don't be offended by my previous post.I was not intending to crucify Bromhead at all,I was genuinely concerned for his mental health after the battle. After reading a few documents pertaining to his general demeanor and his soldering family, I wondered whether this may have placed more stress on him at the time of the battle. Embarassed Maybe its my female logic? Smile
I indeed agree that any accolades any of these men who fought at Rorke's Drift received- they fully deserved!

Regards,LCB
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Michael Boyle


Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 595
Location: Bucks County,PA,US
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LCB,

Speaking for myself I think you've encountered one of our "itchy trigger finger" topics! One tends to reflect the information one garners from the books one reads. There is so much written on so little primary source material that many authors tend to emphasize that which can be considered controversial. I feel it safe to say that we understand you intended no offence towards the memory of Lt. Bromhead and had simply taken a few authors' views as given. (I tend to do that myself with certain historical personalities!) Sorry for ignoring your fundamental question.

PTSD is of course a 20th Century construct, it was first codified during W W I and II as shell shock though references to the condition go back further (most notably in Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage") but it was a topic that begged discussion. Unfortunately prior to it's medical study the condition was often attributed to cowardice and to some degree this Victorian mind-set has continued to exist. Boys will be boys and any communal threat to their self perception will be met with resistance. Prior to the prolonged horrors of the Great War military conflicts were much less encompassing not to mention less time-consuming. The A-ZW introduced the face of things to come and the 2nd A-BW should have brought them home, this however was not the case. Rorke's Drift may have been the last battle fought under more traditional auspices, i.e.- no artillery, no rockets, no grenades, no Gatlings and the bayonet playing a crucial role, yet the result of the battle was none the less compelling. I can't think of a single previous action that resulted in such tremendous casualties inflicted by a single coy. (more or less) in a 12 hr. period. I can't see how Chard or Bromhead could not have been affected by this. The fact that neither seem to have revisted that night in writing (beyond Chard's official reports) seem to reflect this and the fact that Lord Chelmsford seems to have put the entire war behind him likewise tends to show that he as well thought it better left alone.

Apart from one's peer group and superiors it would seem that in Victorian times one's wife was tasked with the primary responsibilty of keeping one's head 'screwed on straight' so the lack there-of for both Bromhead and Chard may have indeed played a part in an inability to relieve the stress of their memories. Yes there were others from Rorke's Drift who suffered from their experience there, including an alleged suicide, perusing the 'old' forum will offer some background.

Best

Michael
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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1797
Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England.
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LCB

I'm not offended at all and, indeed, welcomed your contribtion. I have no particular reason to defend Bromhead's military reputation as, other than his involvement at R/Drift, I know little about it. But that's rather my point. Apart from the bare bones of the rest of his career (movements, promotions, courses attended, etc etc) there doesn't seem much to tell, and as far as I can see nothing to enable us to assess what his "military or strategic" abilities were. By all accounts he wasn't a dunce at the School of Musketry at Hythe.

If there are ANY reliable pointers to his ability or accomplishments (good or bad) I'd love to see them. But I would exclude examples of tittle-tattle from private letters by officers who came across him in the aftermath of R/Drift. And obviously, I'd certainly exclude any comment at all from Wolseley - in fact, should we not consider any pejorative comment by him as a potential badge of respect for the intended target? Like you and the others above, I agree that part of Bromhead's (& Chard's) demeanour at that time may well have been due to a condition much better understood now.

What I rather jumped on (not too stridently I hope) was the phrase "well documented dunce." I'd like to know about this documentation and what it says, purely in the interests of historical accuracy. I'd like to know specifically which incidents during his career give rise to the documentation, and which mistakes or military shortcomings of his at R/Drift are well documented. If these failings are in published works, I'd love to see the documents on which the claims rely - and then assess the documents themselves. Up until now, all I'm aware of is the repetition of one or two comments which have now, perhaps, entered the realm of "hoary myths." Bromhead may well have been, for all we know, a military dunce, but where is the evidence?

He appears to have discharged his duties admirably at R/Drift and (with Chard) acted swiftly on the sound advice of, for example, Dalton, whose opinion he no doubt respected. Before then, I suspect all sorts of options were rapidly considered while in the hearing of others, but where this "military dunce" idea comes from is a mystery. As I mentioned above, he and Chard only ever experienced one military emergency in their career and rose to the occasion - and were both fortunate in having someone like Dalton around.

With regard to his family, it was not at all unusual in military circles. In 1879, the number of young lieutenants in the army who had a long string of former and current distinguished (or ordinary) officers in their family was virtually countless. Bromhead's situation was particularly common in this respect.

Michael

I agree with all you say in both your posts. I also believe that any detailed research on a large sample of British soldiers in later life would throw up a similar proportion of unfortunate circumstances as those endured by R/Drift survivors, as I do not believe that the level of suicides, mental ill health, degrading poverty or early deaths was any higher among those men than in former British soldiers generally.

Peter
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Kris


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 21
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According to 1316 Pte Caleb Wood's account, the men had very definite views about the officers who commanded them. In the case of Lt Bromhead, Caleb states that he was highly respected by all the men. My own opinion from what I have read, is that the men would have followed Bromhead into the jaws of Hell, and wouldn't have thought twice about it.

Kris
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Rich
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hmm...I wonder if Bromhead ever got wind of that comment..i.e..."military dunce". Jealousy is a powerful emotion and some individuals just cannot countenance success or famous publicity in others. By the mere fact of surviving RD, Bromhead and Chard et al were no longer really the same individuals they were before the battle. Who changed? Did they or how others behaved toward them? In any case, for some, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't and they'll rain on anyone's parade.
Bromhead and post traumatic stress
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