**The following images are of the historical persons covered in Brutal Valour. For those featured in the films "Zulu" and "Zulu Dawn," I have enclosed pictures of the actors who portrayed them, to help familiarize the reader.** 

Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford

Commander of all British Forces in South Africa. A well-respected career officer with experience in both India and Africa, he felt that the Zulus would be as easily dispatched as the Xhosa had the previous year. His underestimation of the Zulu capabilities would prove disastrous. In the film "Zulu Dawn," he was portrayed by Peter O'Toole

Sir Henry Bartle Frere

High Commissioner of South Africa, whose policies would instigate the Anglo-Zulu War. In the film "Zulu Dawn" he was portrayed by John Mills

Cetshwayo kaMpande

King of the Zulus, who only went to war against his former allies with great reluctance. In the film "Zulu Dawn" he was portrayed by Simon Sabela, and in "Zulu" by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who is the great-grandson of the real Cetshwayo

Sir Theophilus Shepstone

British Statesman and friend to Cetshwayo's father, Mpande. His fear of the Zulus would lead him to betray them. Two of his sons would serve in the 24th Regiment during the war.

Colonel Anthony Durnford

Commander of the British No. 2 Column 

He would end up the defacto commander at Isandlwana, despite wishing to pursue the Zulus on his own. His actions proved foolhardy, as they left the entire British right flank completely exposed. In the film "Zulu Dawn" he was portrayed by Burt Lancaster

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pulleine

Commander of the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment

He was tasked with defending the camp at Isandlwana while Chelmsford led a reconaissance mission to find the Zulu main army. In the film "Zulu Dawn" he was portrayed by Denholm Elliot

Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill

Adjutant, 1/24th

Portrayed in the film "Zulu Dawn" by James Faulkner as a rather insufferable and arrogant aristorcrat, yet the historical Melvill was quite different. Though only a Lieutenant, he was but four years younger than Pulleine, highly experienced, and perhaps the most tactical savvy officer in the entire No. 3 column. He was one of the few who would stand up to Chelmsford and Durnford when he knew they were making bad decisions.

Captain Reginald Younghusband

Commander of Company C, 1/24th.

An experienced officer who spent four years at the School of Musketry, he and his men were some of the best drilled and accurate shots in the entire column.The heroic last stand of Captain Younghusband and his men would earn them the highest respect of the Zulus

Surgeon Major Peter Shepherd

A British doctor who revolutionized medicine and was the first to formally teach first aid to civilians. He attempted to save injured soldiers from Isandlwana

 Mkhosana Zulu - Hero of Isandlwana by Jason Askew 

 Battle of Isandlwana by Charles Fripp

Lieutenant John Chard

Royal Engineers.

Had been sent back from Isandlwana before the Zulu attack and found himself temporarily in charge of the station at Rorke's Drift. In the movie "Zulu" he was portrayed by Stanley Baker

Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead

Commander of Company B, 2/24th

His company was tasked with guarding Rorke's Drift, which infuriated many of the men, as they felt they were missing out on the entire war. In the movie "Zulu" he was portrayed by Michael Caine

Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne

Company B, 2/24th

The senior ranking non-commissioned officer in Company B. In "Zulu" he was portrayed by Nigel Green, who was far older than Bourne, who at twenty-four during this time, was the youngest Colour Sergeant in the entire British Army

James Langley Dalton

Acting Assistant Commissary

Though a civilian, Dalton was a retired Quartermaster Sergeant, who had spent 22 years in the British Army. In the movie "Zulu" he is portrayed by Dennis Folbigge as a rather weak character. In reality, it was Dalton who realized the station could not be evacuated before the Zulus attacked, and he was also the one who quickly designed and organized the defense. The film gives most of the credit to Chard and Bromhead

Sergeant Henry Gallagher

Company B, 2/24th

Corporal William Allen

Company B, 2/24th

In the film "Zulu" he was portrayed by Glynn Edwards, where he is shown to be a model soldier. This contradicts history, as Allen was in reality a former Sergeant, who had been demoted for drunkenness. At Rorke's Drift he would find redemption

Private Henry Hook

Company B, 2/24th

In the film "Zulu" he was portrayed by James Booth as a drunken criminal, who was malingering in the hospital. This was very upsetting to Hook's family, in light of the fact that he was a lay preacher who abstained from alcohol. He was also a model soldier who had just received his good conduct pay. Far from malingering, he had been specifically assigned to defend the hospital by CSgt Bourne, and was credited with personally saving the lives of eight patients

Private Fred Hitch

Company B, 2/24th

A rifleman assigned as a sharpshooter under Sgt Gallagher. He was badly wounded when shot through the shoulder (the film "Zulu" incorrectly shows him shot in the leg). Despite the severity of his injuries, he used his good arm to drag desperately needed ammunition boxes to the firing line. In the film "Zulu" he was portrayed by David Kernan

Private John Williams

Company B, 2/24th

Though he was born with the name John Fielding, for reasons unknown he changed his last name to Williams when he enlisted in the British Army. He was assigned to the hospital with Hook, who he helped to save the wounded patients, using his bayonet to keep the Zulus at bay when his ammunition ran out. In the film "Zulu" he was portrayed by Peter Gill