Gonville Bromhead

Infobox Military Person
name= Gonville Bromhead
lived= 1845 - 1892
placeofbirth=Versailles, France
placeofdeath=Allahabad, British India


caption= Gonville Bromhead c 1872
nickname=
allegiance=
branch=British Army
serviceyears= c 1871-1892
rank=Major
commands=
battles=Anglo-Zulu War :
Rorke's Drift
awards=Victoria Cross
laterwork=
Major Gonville Bromhead VC (29 August 1845 - 9 February 1892) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Bromhead had a profound deafness which had restricted his promotion opportunities to this point in his life. It was this disability that prompted Bromhead to defer command to John Rouse Merriott Chard during the Rorke's Drift Siege. Bromhead had been promoted to Lieutenant in 1871. [LondonGazette|issue=23812|startpage=5869|endpage=5870|date=29 December 1871|accessdate=2007-11-28] [LondonGazette|issue=23876|startpage=3197|endpage=3199|date=16 July 1872|accessdate=2007-11-28]

He was a 33 year old lieutenant commanding B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Zulu War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 22 and 23 January 1879 at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa, Lieutenant Bromhead shared the command of the defenders of the post with an officer of the Royal Engineers (John Rouse Merriott Chard), setting a fine example and conducting himself with great gallantry in most trying circumstances.

After the battle he was immediately promoted to Captain and then Brevet Major. [LondonGazette|issue=24698|startpage=2310|date=21 March 1879|accessdate=2007-11-28] The citation for his VC was published in the London Gazette on 2 May 1879: [LondonGazette|issue=24717|startpage=3177|date=2 May 1879|accessdate=2007-11-28]

cquote|THE Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officers and Soldiers of Her Majesty's Army, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for their gallant conduct in the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus, as recorded against their names, viz.:—

For their gallant conduct at the defence of Rorke's Drift, on the occasion of the attack by the Zulus on the 22nd and 23rd January, 1879.

Royal Engineers Lieutenant (now Captain and Brevet Major) J. R. M. Chard 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment Lieutenant (now Captain and Brevet Major) G. Bromhead

The Lieutenant-General commanding the troops reports that, had it not been for the fine example and excellent behaviour of these two Officers under the most trying circumstances, the defence of Rorke's Drift post would not have been conducted with that intelligence and tenacity which so essentially characterised it.

The Lieutenant-General adds, that its success must, in a great degree, be attributable to the two young Officers who exercised the Chief Command on the occasion in question.

He received a substantive promotion to Major on 4 April 1883. [LondonGazette|issue=25250|startpage=3532|date=13 July 1883|accessdate=2007-11-28]

Bromhead died of typhoid at Camp Dabhaura, Allahabad, British India where he is buried in a military cemetery. The church at Thurlby in Lincolnshire has a stained glass window dedicated to him. His grandfather, who fought at the Battle of Waterloo, is buried in its churchyard. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the South Wales Borderers Museum "(Brecon, Powys, Wales)".

He was considered to be Irish, despite being born in Versailles, France. His mother, Judith Christine Wood, was certainly Irish, being a native of Woodville, Co. Sligo. However, his father's home was Thurlby Hall, north of Bassingham, near Lincoln. He was educated at the Thomas Magnus Grammar School in Newark, Nottinghamshire where one of the School Houses - 'Bromhead' was named after him until their abolition early this century.

In the 1964 film "Zulu" Gonville Bromhead was portrayed by Michael Caine, in his first starring role.

References

*Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*Richard Howes, John Young

External links

* [http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/vc/bromhead.htm Lt. Gonville Bromhead] "(biography, photos, memorial details)"
* [http://freespace.virgin.net/sean.farrell/index.htm Rorke's Drift] "(information within Frederick Hitch site)"

Very rough location of where he is buried can be found on Google Earth at:25° 27' 06.31" N 81° 48' 31.30" E