THE DAY OF THE DEAD MOON – DAVID RATTRAY’S 5 PART AUDIO SERIES OF THE ANGLO ZULU WAR OF 1879.

Click here to purchase the full 5 Part Series of David Rattray’s Day Of The Dead Moon as downloadable mp3 files at a cost of £45. Please note the CD Set is currently unavailable.

THE DAY OF THE DEAD MOON – DAVID RATTRAY’S 5 PART AUDIO SERIES

In 1879 the British invaded Zululand. The central of the three major invading columns forded the Buffalo River at Rorke’s Drift. Within days Lord Chelmsford’s invasion was in jeopardy. Part of his central column had been almost annihilated at Isandlwana in a battle rated as one of the greatest military disasters in British colonial history. A few survivors struggled back into Natal across the mighty Buffalo River. Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill died in a gallant attempt to save the Queen’s colours, earning the first posthumous Victoria Crosses in history. A great wing of the Zulu army went on to attack the British garrison at Rorke’s Drift, and these warriors were beaten off in a battle that lasted all night. More VC.’s were awarded for valour in this battle than in any other battle in history. There never was another day like this one…….

David Rattray devoted much of his life to the exploration of these troubled times by studying books and documents relating to this period and collecting stories handed down through the oral tradition of the Zulu people. He spent a great deal of time guiding people through the battlefields and entertaining them at the Lodge.

David’s moving stories of the Zulu War can be downloaded as mp3 files. Please note that the series is only sold as a full set and the brief synopisis below of each part is purely for information purposes only.

Part 1: Preamble to the battle of Isandlwana
A journey through the history of South Africa leading up to the invasion of Zululand by the British army in 1879.

Part 2: The battle of Isandlwana
The British invasion of Zululand in 1879 was marked by one of the greatest military disasters ever suffered by a modern British army at the hands of “a bunch of savages”. As there were very few British survivors of the battle and the Zulus left no written account of their actions at that time, the details of what happened at Isandlwana are largely unknown.

This account of the battle of Isandlwana comes from the oral tradition handed down by the Zulus who fought there and from the writings of soldiers, journalists and others who followed the British campaign in Zululand. All this has been combined with David Rattray’s personal observations to present a fascinating account of this dramatic event.

Part 3: Chelmsford’s story and the events at Fugitives’ Drift
Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford, was the Lieutenant-General commanding the British forces in South Africa at the time of the battle of Isandlwana. Blamed by many as the man responsible for the disaster, this is the story of his movements during the course of the battle, and of those fleeing the carnage at Isandlwana who tried to reach the safety of the Natal bank of the Buffalo River along a broken and precipitous piece of ground, to a crossing which subsequently became known as the Fugitives’ Drift. It was here that Lieutenants T Melvill and NJA Coghill lost their lives trying to save the Queen’s Colour of the 1.24th Regiment. Both were awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously, the very first ever to receive such honour. This is the gripping tale of these events.

Part 4: Rorke’s Drift
Lord Chelmsford had marched into Zululand with the ill fated third column en route to Isandlwana, leaving behind him a disgruntled B company of the 2/24th to guard the Post at Rorke’s Drift under the command of Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead. Together with fellow officer Lieutenant John Chard RE and a handful of brave men, he was about to face the biggest challenge of his life as the epic story of the defence of Rorke’s Drift began to unfold.

There were more Victoria Crosses awarded for the defence of Rorke’s Drift than for any other single action in British military history. This is an account of the gripping events at Rorke’s Drift – a narrative based on historic documents first hand accounts and personal observation. It is a tale of immense human courage and sacrifice and the stuff of which legends are made.

Part 5: Ulundi – The final chapter
Following the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the remarkable defence of Rorke’s Drift the British army in South Africa was significantly reinforced to bring an end to the Anglo Zulu war of 1879. The Day of the Dead Moon Part 5 is a chronicle of the events leading up to the destruction of the Zulu capital at Ulundi and the subsequent impact of this campaign on the Zulu people, including the battles of Hlobane, Khambula and the death of the Prince Imperial.