Zulu Movie Myths

Another 'mistake' or omission in the film is the local South African Cavalry who refuse to stand and fight with them. Firstly they were Black African troopers not white as shown in the film. They did stay and fight but broke almost immediately the Zulu appeared.

What is shown in the film (as the cavalry stream by not by the pleas of a Swedish missionary) are the African infantry fleeing as well but what is not is their European NCO's ran as well or that the redcoats opened fired upon them as they ran killing at least one-- as it happens a European NCO.

Another film myth is Commissary Dalton is shown as 'upper class' pen pusher who can not handle his rifle in reality he was ex senior NCO reemployed because he knew how to deal with civilian contractors who'd try to 'rob the army blind' and all the ticks of the Quartermasters.

As a civilian he was initially refused a VC but there was uproar among the defenders because he was at the heart of the defence, indeed some historians give him the credit and not Chard of organising the defence ( I think a little unfairly but Dalton was at the centre of things).

A true episode is when he calmly asks "Pot that fellow somebody" it is reported he said that as a Zulu was about to kill him but not because he didn't know how to use his rifle but rather he had a blockage and was a sign of his calmness. He then cleared it and kept up an accurate fire (think he was an ex instructor).