Reviving memory of SA WW2 hero and activist that Nats wrote out of history

It’s over a decade since David Rattray was murdered at his famous Fugitives Drift Lodge. Historian Rattray was a masterful storyteller whose tales of the 1879 Anglo Zulu War, and particularly the historic battles of Isandlwana and Rorkes Drift, built him a global following that attracted packed houses, especially in London. The obvious successor to the famous Rattray is chartered accountant turned storyteller Michael Charton, who works off a wider canvass, but like his fellow South African, specialises in forgotten stories drawn from the troubled history of his homeland. Charton, whose events at home are booked out months in advance, will be addressing London audiences for the first time this month. His first event was sold out within 24 hours. The second one, on Tuesday 30th October, is filling up fast. I caught up with Charton to tap him on another fascinating topic, the story of Second World War fighter pilot Sailor Malan, a war hero written out of history by the apartheid government.