25 Facts About John Chard

Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard was a British Army officer who received the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British armed forces.

John Chard earned the decoration for his role in the defence of Rorke's Drift in January 1879 where he assumed command of the outpost and a small garrison of 139 soldiers and successfully repulsed an assault by some 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors.

The battle was recreated in the film Zulu, in which Chard was portrayed by Stanley Baker.

John Chard was involved with the construction of fortifications in the Bermuda Garrison and at Malta before he was deployed to southern Africa at the start of the Anglo-Zulu War.

John Chard retired from the army as a colonel in 1897 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

John Chard died at his brother's home in Somerset later that year.

John Chard was born at Boxhill near Plymouth on 21 December 1847 to William Wheaton John Chard and his wife Jane Brimacombe.

On 14 July 1868, John Chard received a commission as a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers and continued his training at Chatham for the next two years.

John Chard was posted to Bermuda, along with Lieutenant HP Knacker, in 1870 to construct fortifications at the Naval Dockyard near Hamilton.

John Chard returned to England four years later for his father's funeral.

John Chard was assigned to Malta to assist with the improvement of the island's sea defences.

John Chard returned to England in 1876, where he was based at Aldershot and Chatham, and was assigned to the 5th Company Royal Engineers.

However, when he arrived, John Chard was informed that only his men were required and that he should return to Rorke's Drift.

Unconcerned by the presence of the Zulus nearby, John Chard returned to his tent by the river crossing.

John Chard was after disturbed by two NNC officers on horseback who informed him that the camp at Isandlwana had been overwhelmed and annihilated by the Zulus.

John Chard immediately ordered an additional barricade of biscuit boxes to be built across the inner perimeter to provide a smaller fall-back area should the Zulus overwhelm a part of the thinly manned perimeter.

Once inside, John Chard ordered the construction of a redoubt made from a tall pyramid of mealie bags to provide shelter to the wounded and form the last line of defence.

John Chard remained at Rorke's Drift for several weeks after the battle and assisted with the construction of a new stone perimeter wall.

However, conditions at the camp were poor; John Chard became ill with fever and was taken to Ladysmith for treatment.

John Chard was present in the British square during the decisive victory at the Battle of Ulundi and remained in Africa until the end of the war.

John Chard returned to duty at Devonport in January 1880 and was posted to Cyprus in December 1881.

John Chard was ordered to Singapore in December 1892 and received a promotion to lieutenant colonel.

John Chard returned to England in 1896 and took up his final post as Commanding Royal Engineer at Perth, Scotland, and was promoted to colonel on 8 January 1897.

John Chard was buried in the churchyard by the south east transept of The Church of St John the Baptist in Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset.

In 1899 a stained glass memorial window dedicated to John Chard was installed in the south wall of the church's chancel.