I have recently completed a short series covering the 1st Anglo-Boer War of 1880-81. It is a campaign often forgotten and overlooked by military historians. Perhaps part of the reason is that the British lost every battle - Bronkhorstspruit, Laing's Nek and Majuba amongst them.
Free book: The Military History Geek’s Guide To…The Anglo-Zulu War
Sign up for the Redcoat History Despatch and receive my free, full-length eBook - The Military History Geek's Guide To...The Anglo Zulu War.
Keeping the memories alive: Visiting little known sites of the Anglo-Zulu War
In this video and blog post you can see and learn about a number of little-known Anglo-Zulu War battlefields and memorials...including Luneburg, Ntombe Drift and Conference Hill.
Rorkes Drift From Above: Drone shots of the famous battlefield
The Battle of Rorke’s Drift is one of the most famous engagements in British military history. I’ve made a number of films about the battle over the years which you can find on this website and on my YouTube channel, but for this film I wanted to do something different - Drone shots of the site and also a chronology of the battle.
Job Maseko MM – The Full Story of a South African Hero
Did racism stop Job Maseko MM from winning the Victoria Cross? That was the claim made in a recent, highly publicised, campaign. But could that be true and what is the full story of this South African hero? I set out to find out. . .
ANZAC Day 2021 – a service on the Battlefield of Diamond Hill
This morning (April 25th, 2021) I was lucky enough to attend an intimate Anzac Day gathering. It was cold and dark as we gathered on the battlefield of Diamond Hill - fought on the 11th and 12th of June 1900.
Fort Pine – A hidden gem of the Anglo-Zulu War
Deep in the rural areas of KwaZulu-natal, about 20km from Dundee is the impressive, but almost unknown Anglo-Zulu War fortification known as Fort Pine. Its dry-stone walls are still impressive, at least 14 feet high they tower over the gentle farmland of the Biggarsberg ridge. https://youtu.be/0FpLS6CYmag Work began on the fort by the Royal Engineers … Continue reading Fort Pine – A hidden gem of the Anglo-Zulu War
The Heroes of Rorke’s Drift: Frank Bourne OBE, DCM
Transcript of the video that is embedded below: Today I’m talking about Frank Edward Bourne OBE DCM - or Colour Sergeant Bourne as he was during the battle of Rorke’s Drift. He was the senior British NCO present at the battle, but unlike many of his colleagues he was never awarded the Victoria Cross. You probably remember him from … Continue reading The Heroes of Rorke’s Drift: Frank Bourne OBE, DCM
The Heroes of Rorke’s Drift: James Langley Dalton VC
This is the third part of my “Heroes of Rorke’s Drift” series…and today we are learning all about the man who many consider to have been the unsung hero and the brains behind the successful British defence of Rorke’s Drift.
The heroes of Rorke’s Drift: Gonville Bromhead VC
Rorke’s Drift – one of the most famous battles ever fought by the British army. Today we meet Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (pronounced Brumhead) – The man played by Michael Cain in the film Zulu. But who was Bromhead? What had he done in his career before the battle and what happened to him afterwards?