Is Rorke's Drift the highest number of VC's awarded for one action?

Is Rorke's Drift the highest number of VC's awarded for one action?
By Adrian Greaves

Some confusion has arisen over the number of VCs awarded for Rorke's Drift; there seems to be a belief that more VCs were awarded at Rorke's Drift than any other battle. In terms of numbers of VCs awarded for any one battle, Rorke's Drift is fifth in the league - but top of the number awarded to any one regiment for any one battle. There were 19 VCs awarded for Inkerman on the 5th Nov 1854; 20 for Great Redan 18th June 1855; 12 for Great Redan 12th Sept 1855; 17 for Sikandar Dagh 16th Nov 1857 and 11 for Rorke's Drift 1879, seven of which went to the 24th Regiment, (awards spread out over 14 months).


Incidentally, I believe that the awards to Chard and Bromhead were unique; they were technically in breach of military protocol. Chard and Bromhead were not recommended by the commander in the field or their immediate commanding officer. They were recommended personally by Lord Chelmsford who added their names to the brief report from Lt. Bromhead to Col. Glyn praising the action of six soldiers of B company. Glyn forwarded the report to Chelmsford who added Chard and Bromheads names before sending it to London.

Wasn't Sir Garnet Wolsey very disapproving of the V.C.'s dished out at Rorkes Drift on the grounds that they were surrounded by an enemy known to take no prisoners so they had no option but to fight ?

Hi Bruce
Wolseley , along with the rest of the british high command , had no idea if the Zulu would take prisoners , due to it being so early into the campaign , after all , it was day one basically . Wolseley , I think was stating along the lines that they had no other option than to fight , so therefore he thought the awards were negligible , I think he was more upset that Melvill & Coghill were nominated ( is that the correct word ? ) for the VC , as they were seen by him , to have deserted the field under the guise of saving the colours .
90th

90th
Yep I would go with that.

Garnet Wolseley may have been "The Very Model of a Modern Major-General" but he was a vain and jealous man. Despite being mentioned in dispatches on a number of occasions he did not suffix his name with the letters V.C., I strongly suspect it might account for his sniping machinations.

John Y.