Colonel John Rouse Merriott Chard (21 December 1847 – 1 November 1897) was a
British Army officer
This is a list of senior officers of the British Army. See also Commander in Chief of the Forces, Chief of the General Staff, and Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
Captains-General of the British Army, 1707–1809
See article on Captain gene ...
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. He 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.
Born near
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
, Chard attended the
Royal Military Academy in Woolwich and was commissioned into the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
in July 1868. He was involved with the construction of fortifications in the
Bermuda Garrison (three years) and at
Malta (two years) before he was deployed to southern Africa at the start of the
Anglo-Zulu War. At the end of the war he returned to a hero's welcome in England and was invited to an audience with
Queen Victoria. After a series of overseas postings he took up his final position in Perth, Scotland. He retired from the army as a colonel in 1897 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died at his brother's home in
Somerset later that year.
Early life
Chard was born at Boxhill near
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
on 21 December 1847 to William Wheaton Chard and his wife Jane Brimacombe.
He had two brothers and four sisters. His elder brother William Wheaton Chard served with the
Royal Fusiliers
The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881.
The regiment served in many wars ...
, rising to the rank of colonel, and his younger brother Charles Edward Chard became rector of a parish church in
Hatch Beauchamp,
Somerset.
He was educated at
Cheltenham Grammar School
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and Plymouth New Grammar School, and after a period of private tuition he enrolled at the
Royal Military Academy in
Woolwich.
On 14 July 1868 Chard received a commission as a lieutenant in the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
and continued his training at
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
for the next two years.
[Greaves (p.230)] He was posted to
Bermuda, along with Lieutenant HP Knacker, in 1870 to construct fortifications at the Naval Dockyard near
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and returned to England four years later for his father's funeral.
He was then sent to
Malta to assist with the improvement of the island's sea defences.
He returned to England in 1876 where he was based at
Aldershot and Chatham, and was assigned to the 5th Company Royal Engineers.
[Greaves (p.231)]
Rorke's Drift
On 2 December 1878, the 5th Company Royal Engineers were sent to the
Colony of Natal in response to a request from
Lord Chelmsford
Viscount Chelmsford, of Chelmsford in the County of Essex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for Frederic Thesiger, 3rd Baron Chelmsford, the former Viceroy of India. The title of Baron Chelmsford, of Chelm ...
, commander of the British forces in southern Africa, for an additional unit of engineers to assist with preparations for the
invasion of the Zulu Kingdom. After their arrival on 5 January, Chard was dispatched with a small group of sappers to repair and maintain the
ponts at one of the few crossings of the
Buffalo River which ran along the border of Natal and the
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom (, ), sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or the Kingdom of Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa. During the 1810s, Shaka established a modern standing army that consolidated rival clans and built a large following ...
. A short distance downstream was Rorke's Drift, an isolated
mission station used as a staging post for the British invasion force. It consisted of two thatched bungalows about apart—the western building was used as a hospital, and the eastern building had been converted into a storehouse. Garrisoned at the Drift were Chelmsford's
quartermaster general, Major Henry Spalding, a company of the 2nd Battalion
24th Regiment of Foot
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
commanded by Lieutenant
Gonville Bromhead
Major Gonville Bromhead VC (29 August 1845 – 9 February 1891) was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British armed forces. H ...
, and a large company of the 3rd
Natal Native Contingent (NNC).
Chard's group arrived on 19 January and set up camp near the crossing. On the morning of 22 January, he received an order that his sappers were required at
Isandlwana to the east, where Chelmsford had set up an advanced camp for his main invasion column which had marched into Zulu territory two weeks before. However, when he arrived Chard was informed that only his men were required and that he should return to Rorke's Drift. While at Isandlwana, Chard had witnessed a Zulu army approaching the camp in the distance and upon his return to the Drift at about 1 pm, he informed Spalding of the situation. Spalding decided to depart the Drift to hurry British reinforcements en route from Helpmekaar, but before he left, he checked a copy of the
Army List which confirmed that Chard was senior to Bromhead. Therefore, Chard, a "notoriously relaxed" man with no combat experience, was unexpectedly placed in command of the small garrison.
[Knight (p.564)]
Unconcerned by the presence of the Zulus nearby, Chard returned to his tent by the river crossing, but he was soon after disturbed by two NNC officers on horseback who informed him that the camp at Isandlwana had been overwhelmed and annihilated by the Zulus. Returning to the station, Chard found Bromhead and Assistant Commissary
James Dalton had already instructed the troops to use
mealie
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
bags to construct a defensive perimeter between the storehouse and hospital. Chard consented and by 4 pm the hastily constructed perimeter was complete. Soon afterwards, the Zulu ''
impi'', which contained some 3,000–4,000 men, was sighted advancing on their position. This caused the NNC troops to panic and desert the station, reducing the number of defenders from around 350 to approximately 140 (including 30 sick and wounded). 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.
The first waves of Zulu assault were repulsed by British volley fire, but the attackers pushed on relentlessly, particularly along a vulnerable section of the British perimeter by the hospital which became the centre of fierce hand-to-hand combat. With British casualties mounting, Chard ordered his troops to withdraw behind the biscuit boxes, which left the western half of the station in Zulu hands, including the hospital, which was subsequently set alight by the attackers. Once inside, 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. The Zulus continued to attack in intermittent waves during the night, but they were illuminated by the burning thatch, which enabled the defenders to spot their advances. By 5 am, the exhausted Zulus had abandoned the attack, and British reinforcements arrived later that morning. Chard counted 351 dead Zulus scattered around the perimeter. The British suffered 17 killed and 10 wounded.
Victoria Cross, later career and death
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; Chard became ill with fever and was taken to
Ladysmith for treatment.
Once recovered he was attached to Colonel
Evelyn Wood's column for the second invasion of the Zulu Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Chard's report of the battle had been dispatched to England and received with enthusiasm by the British press and public. The
War Office subsequently promoted Chard to captain and
brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
major and awarded him and 10 other defenders of the station with
Victoria Crosses, the highest decoration for valour that could be awarded to British troops.
The citation for the award was published in the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
'' on 2 May 1879:
Some of Chard and Bromhead's superiors, however, were resentful of the adulation bestowed on the pair.
Wood took a particular dislike to his new subordinate. Unimpressed with his temperament and sceptical of his role in the battle, he denounced Chard as a "useless officer" and "a dull, heavy man, scarcely able to do his regular work".
[Greaves (p.186)] Lieutenant General
Sir Garnet Wolseley
Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, (4 June 183325 March 1913), was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, We ...
, who thought the desperate defence of the Rorke's Drift was merely a case of "rats
ightingfor their lives which they could not otherwise save" presented Chard with his VC on 16 July. Likely influenced by Wood, he subsequently said of Chard that a "more uninteresting or more stupid-looking fellow I never saw".
Chard was present in the British
square during the decisive victory at the
Battle of Ulundi
The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi (Zulu:''oNdini'') on 4 July 1879 and was the last major battle of the Anglo-Zulu War. The British army broke the military power of the Zulu nation by defeating the main Zulu army ...
and remained in Africa until the end of the war.
His arrival back in
Portsmouth in October 1879 was greeted with celebration. In addition to a series of presentations and dinners bestowed in his honour, he attended
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle () is a large estate house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and a residence of the British royal family. It is near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and west of Aberdeen.
The estate and its original castle were bought ...
to dine with
Queen Victoria who was impressed by his modest and unassuming demeanour.
[Greaves (p.190)] Chard returned to duty at
Devonport in January 1880 and was posted to
Cyprus in December 1881. His brevet majority was substantiated on 17 July 1886 and he returned to England in March 1887 to take up a position in
Preston
Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to:
Places
England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
.
He was ordered to
Singapore in December 1892 and received a promotion to lieutenant colonel.
He 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.
While stationed in Perth, Chard—a lifelong pipe smoker—was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. He underwent two operations: the second—which took place in March 1897—resulted in the removal of his tongue but despite this it was reported that he could still converse clearly.
However, by August it was discovered the cancer was terminal and Chard retired to his brother, Charles', rectory at
Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset. After two weeks of "terrible suffering", Chard died on 1 November 1897.
He was unmarried.
He was
buried at
The Church of St John the Baptist in
Hatch Beauchamp, Somerset.
Legacy
Chard was buried in the churchyard by the south east
transept of the
Church of St John the Baptist in Hatch Beauchamp. Among the numerous messages of sympathy and floral tributes was a wreath of laurel leaves sent by the Queen, who had remained in contact with Chard and frequently enquired about his health. The wreath bore the handwritten inscription "A mark of admiration and regard for a brave soldier from his sovereign". In 1899 a stained glass memorial window dedicated to Chard was installed in the south wall of the church's
chancel. Another memorial donated by the Royal Engineers was placed in
Rochester Cathedral.
A display at the
Royal Engineers Museum
The Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive is a military engineering museum and library in Gillingham, Kent. It tells the story of the Corps of Royal Engineers and British military engineering in general.
History
The 'Ravelin Building', ...
in
Gillingham, Kent, commemorates Chard's leadership at Rorke's Drift and includes the
Webley Revolver he used in the battle.
Welsh actor
Stanley Baker portrayed Chard in the 1964 film
''Zulu'' which depicted the defence of Rorke's Drift. Baker acquired Chard's campaign medal and a "cast copy" of his Victoria Cross at an auction in 1972 but they were sold by his family after his death in 1976.
However, in 1996 the Victoria Cross was discovered to be the original rather than a copy after its metallic characteristics were compared with the bronze ingot from which all Victoria Crosses are cast. The medal was subsequently acquired by
Lord Ashcroft
Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is ...
, owner of the world's largest collection of VCs, and is on display at the
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
, London.
Chard was commemorated by the South African military with the
John Chard Decoration
The John Chard Decoration, post-nominal letters JCD, was a military long service decoration which was instituted by the Union of South Africa on 6 April 1952. It was awarded to members of the Citizen Force of the South African Defence Force for ...
and the
John Chard Medal
The John Chard Medal is a military long service medal which was instituted by the Union of South Africa on 6 April 1952. Until 1986, it was awarded to members of the Citizen Force of the South African Defence Force for twelve years of efficient ...
which were awarded to members of the
Citizen Force. Instituted by Queen Elizabeth in 1952, the Medal and the Decoration were awarded for 12 years and 20 years service respectively until 2003 when they were superseded by the
Medalje vir Troue Diens and the
Emblem for Reserve Force Service.
Notes
References
*
*
External links
John Rouse Merriott Chard(biography, photos and memorial details)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chard, John Rouse Merriott
1847 births
1897 deaths
Anglo-Zulu War recipients of the Victoria Cross
British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
British recipients of the Victoria Cross
Deaths from cancer in England
Deaths from oral cancer
Royal Engineers officers
British colonels
Burials in Somerset
Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon