January 22 was 140 years since the Battle of Isandlwana in which the Zulu forces routed the British forces. It led onto the equally famous Battle of Rorke’s Drift when 150 troops defended the mission station against attacks by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. To mark the anniversary a party from the Friends of the Regimental Museum in Brecon ventured out to KwaZulu-Natal. Dorcas Cresswell compiled a record of the trip.

The Friends of the Regimental Museum were once again honoured by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini and by KwaCulture headed by NGO Ms Gugu Ncobo with their invitation to attend the 140th commemorations of the Battles of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana in January 1879.

This visit was also the third stage of the collaboration which has been developing between our two regions under the name Sibanye, meaning “we are one”, which began in 2017.

The party left Heathrow on January 18 and returned on January 29. Those in our party were Dorcas and David Cresswell, Colonel Tim Van-Rees and Ben Scales. We were joined for the duration of the visit by the leading academic and historian of the Anglo-Zulu War, John Young.  The party were accommodated at the excellent Battlefields Country Lodge in Dundee KZN by invitation of KwaCulture.

Sunday, January 20 – Commemorative Dinner in Ulundi

Our first official engagement was an invitation to attend a commemorative dinner in Ulundi (the capital of Zululand), which featured a parade of the King’s honour guard of Zulu warriors and of Tim Rose’s Diehards, dressed in period uniform of the 24th Regiment of Foot.

The week-long Commemorative Programme director, His Excellency The Mayor of Ulundi, Cllr Mr T. Buthelezi welcomed the  assembled diners, who also included representatives of The Royal Welsh Regiment. Addresses by the following were given, as part of a series of memorial lectures:

Professor J. Maphalala (of the University of Zululand’s history faculty) presented “The Great Zulu Victory”;

HRH Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi presented “Rising from the Ashes” – an account of the revival of Ulundi, since its siege and capture by British forces in July 1879, which concluded the Anglo-Zulu War;

A keynote address by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, which emphasised the depth of the relationship and mutual respect shared by the Zulu Nation and the United Kingdom, the very valuable work which continues to be done by The Friends under Dorcas Cresswell’s stewardship, the importance of developing economic and industrial partnerships between Zululand and the United Kingdom to promote investment, and the need to strive for peace.

Col. Tim Van-Rees spoke on behalf of The Royal Welsh Regimental Museum and as a retired colonel of The Royal Welsh Regiment, expressing gratitude for the King’s invitation and hospitality, whilst emphasising the importance, warmth and depth of the relationship between Zululand and Wales in particular.

Monday, January 21 – visit to the battlefield of Isandlwana

The party were driven to Isandlwana for a visit of the battlefield.  John Young provided encyclopaedic, expert commentary (as he did throughout the tour) on the protagonists and events in the lead-up to, during and after the Battle of Isandlwana (January 22 1879).

The Friends also visited Fugitives Drift, a stunning guesthouse run by the Rattray Family.

Tuesday, January 22 – Wreath-laying ceremony at the battlefield of Isandlwana

The event started with a parade by the King’s honour guard of Zulu warriors and of Tim Rose’s Diehards, dressed in period uniform of the 24th Regiment of Foot.

There followed a wreath-laying ceremony at the Isandlwana battlefield cemetery, with wreaths laid by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini; CO 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment Lieutenant-Colonel Owain Luke; Dorcas Cresswell on behalf of The Friends; The Zulu Royal Chaplain and Clergy

Addresses were given as follows: Professor J. Maphalala (of the University of Zululand’s history faculty) presented “The Great Zulu Victory”;

HRH Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi introduced His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, providing an account of the Battle of Isandlwana, its central importance in Zulu heritage and for the Zulu Royal Family and the progress with the development of the Isandlwana Heritage Project (with the proposed construction of the Isandlwana Museum);

A keynote address by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, which again emphasised the depth of the relationship and mutual respect shared by the Zulu Nation and the United Kingdom, the very valuable work which continues to be done by The Friends under Dorcas Cresswell’s stewardship, the importance of developing economic and industrial partnerships between Zululand and the United Kingdom to promote investment, and the need to strive for peace.

The Friends were invited to lunch at the table of His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini.  The Friends joined the King, HRH Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, another member of the Royal  Family.

The afternoon featured a football match between soldiers of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment and a Zulu team. The result saw a win for the Zulus with the final score being Zulus 3 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment 1.

The tour party visited Rorke’s Drift, the site of the battle of January 23 1879.

Wednesday, January 23 – Visit to the Talana Museum, Dundee KZN

The tour party visited the Talana Museum in Dundee KZN, at the suggestion of Mr John Young (the leading academic and historian of the Anglo-Zulu War).

The Talana Museum is on a 20-acre site of the first coalmining and glass-making activity in the 19th Century in the Dundee KZN. The site includes a portion of the battlefield of The Battle of Talana Hill (October 20 1899), which was the first major engagement of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). The Museum displays weapons, uniforms, photographs and artefacts dramatically depicting the conflict between the Zulu, Boer and the British, as well as an insight into the Bushmen, the earliest settlers of the region.

The Battle of Talana Hill, whilst a technical victory for the British, was very costly in terms of British casualties, which included the senior British officer in command of the Dundee Garrison, Lieutenant-General Sir William Penn Symons KCB of the 24th Regiment of Foot and a veteran of the Anglo-Zulu War (1879).

Thursday, January 24 – Commemoration of King Cetshwayo’s visit to London in 1882, after the Anglo-Zulu War

The tour party travelled to Durban to attend commemorative lectures on the subject of King Cetshwayo’s historic visit to London (1882), following the Anglo-Zulu War, including his meeting with Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Addresses by the following were given: John Young (leading Anglo-Zulu academic historian and representative of the Anglo Zulu War Royal Research Trust); Professor J. Maphalala (of the University of Zululand’s history faculty); HRH Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, introducing His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini; His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini.

The tour party had lunch before travelling back to the Battlefields Country Lodge in Dundee KZN.

Friday, January 25 – Re-enactment of the Battle of Isandlwana

The tour party were driven to the battlefield of Isandlwana. The events programme commenced with a parade by the King’s honour guard of Zulu warriors and of Tim Rose’s Diehards, accompanied by a contingent of “Dundee Diehards,” dressed in period uniform of the 24th Regiment of Foot.

Addresses were given by various local dignitaries and members of the Zulu Royal Family, and by:

Col Tim Van-Rees spoke on behalf of The Friends and as a retired colonel of The Royal Welsh Regiment, expressing gratitude for the King’s invitation and emphasising the importance, warmth and depth of the relationship between Zululand and Wale. Col. Van-Rees expressed the hope that His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini and Members of the Royal Household will be able to attend the series of events in Wales and London in July 2019, to further commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battles of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana and the visit in 1882 to London and meeting with Queen Victoria of King Cetshwayo;

HRH Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi introduced His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, providing an account of the Battle of Isandlwana;

A keynote address by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, which again emphasised the depth of the relationship and mutual respect shared by the Zulu Nation and the United Kingdom, the very valuable work which continues to be done by The Friends under Dorcas Cresswell’s stewardship, the importance of developing economic and industrial partnerships between Zululand and the United Kingdom to promote investment, and the need to strive for peace.

There followed a re-enactment of the Battle of Isandlwana, with an accompanying commentary by Mr Ian Knight. The re-enactment was staged by members of the King’s honour guard of Zulu warriors and of Tim Rose’s Diehards, accompanied by a contingent of “Dundee Diehards,” dressed in period uniform of the 24th Regiment of Foot.

A musical concert and traditional Zulu dance display was cut short by driving wind and rain, as an aggressive storm whipped up sand across the battlefield, scattering the crowd as they sought shelter. The tour party were picked up by their ever-reliable driver Israel, who provided first-class chauffeur services throughout the week, with great humour and superb chat. This concluded the formal programme of events.

Saturday/Sunday January 26/27 – Conclusion of the trip

The tour party held talks with KwaCulture CEO Ms Gugu Ncobo at the Battlefields Country Lodge on Sunday, January 27, before attending a dinner hosted by the Mayor of Dundee. The tour party returned to London from Johannesburg on Monday, January 28.