259: Zulu's John Chard VC: He Really Did Come To Build A Bridge

Send me a messageIn the 1964 film Zulu, Stanley Baker's Lieutenant Chard delivers one of cinema's most quietly memorable lines: "I came up here to build a bridge." This is the real story of Lieutenant John Rouse Merriott Chard VC, officer in command at the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879— possibly, the most reluctant and unlikely hero of one of the most celebrated last stands in British military history.Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.Get my Free weekly newsletterSupport My Work - Make A Donation - Buy Me A CoffeeSupport the show