John Chard Service Rivalry.

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 61 Location : UK

From the Link posted by JohnB. With reference to the topic "Victorian surgical procedure (John Chard) Help wanted" Posted by impi.

"It was at this stage of Major Chard's career that service jealousy and the issue of uncalled for critical comment came to the surface. It is stated that, privately, the new Commander-in Chief, General Sir Garnet Wolseley had little time for either Major Chard or Major Bromhead, but in public, was more than willing to bask in the adulation they attracted. This can be clearly seen from the comments he made in his journal. On recording the award of The Victoria Cross to Major Chard, at Inkwenken Camp, St.Paul's Nission Station,Zululand, he wrote - "A more uninteresting or more stupid looking fellow I never saw. Wood tells me he is a most useless officer, fit for nothing. I hear in their camp also that, the man who worked hardest in defence of Rorke's Drift Post was a Commissiariat officer,who has not been rewarded at all. The only one who behaved badly was the Doctor and reports say he was a coward. Bromhead of the 24th. Regiment, who was the second-in -command of the Post, is a very stupid fellow also". He also wrote in his journal on llth.September,1879,when he presented Majoor Bromhead with his Victoria Cross, at a parade held at Utrecht, Transvaal - "I have now given away these decorations to both the officers who took part in the defence of Rorke's DrIft and two duller,more stupid,more uninteresting men or less like gentlemen it has not been my luck to meet for a long time"

Highlighted in yellow. His he referring to Reynolds. "He's says the reports say" Doe's anyone have any information on this slanderous comment. Idea

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

Its a shame that fellow officers made these comments. None of those who took part in the Battle of Rorkes Drift wanted to. It was a case of like Bourne say's "Because we are are here, no body else"
Chard well he was sent to built a bridge. I wonder if any of those who made the comments really knew Chard. Perhaps because they didn't get a VC.

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

I don't think Chard was phased by the comments. The people of Britain certainly let their feelings be known. He had a hero's welcome when he returned. But it doe's not really matter what was thought of Chard before the Battle or after, Because when the time came he showed himself to be a brilliant solder. As for the Doctor being called a coward this can only be referring Reynolds, but we have seen eyewitness accounts from those who were there, I believe we should take note of what they say. Not some report mentioned by some jealous officer

Posts : 558 Join date : 2012-05-05

Does anyone know the real reason why they disrespected Chard. Did any of the officers who escaped from Isandlwana make any comments about Chard or anyone else that took part in the defence of Rorkes Drift.

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

The only one that comes to mind was Isanlwana survivor
" Curling"

Posts : 558 Join date : 2012-05-05

Royal Aritillery Officer. What comment did he make...

Subject: Re: John Chard Service Rivalry. Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:16 am

Lieutenant Curling R.A., met Chard & Bromhead while he was at Rorke’s Drift in the days after the battle and is quoted as saying:

"It is very amusing to read the accounts of Chard and Bromhead. They are about the most common-place men in the British Army. Chard is a most insignificant man in appearance and is only about 5 feet 2 or 3 in height. Bromhead is a stupid old fellow, as deaf as a post. Is it not curious how some men are forced into notoriety? "

Subject: Re: John Chard Service Rivalry. Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:04 pm

Chard was an engineer, Reynolds was a doctor.
As for Wolseley, well, did he ever have a good word to say about anybody?

Subject: Re: John Chard Service Rivalry. Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:07 pm

Curling didn't have the right to make any comment, relating to the two officers who stayed with then men to defend RD.

Subject: Re: John Chard Service Rivalry. Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:00 pm

littlehand wrote:: Curling didn't have the right to make any comment, relating to the two officers who stayed with then men to defend RD.

Curling, Wolseley. Funny, but the word "jealousy" springs to mind. I know officers of this sort only too well, sadly.

Subject: John Chard Service Rivalry Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:32 pm

Hi Littlehand / Tasker .
I'd say there was serious case of Professional Jealousy in regard to Chard & Bromhead , lets face it ,they werent your 5 ' 10 '' Private School chums were they , Class Captains , Prefects etc etc . Happy to be corrected . Rolling Eyes

As for Curling's statements , I doubt very much he thought they'd be aired publicly - and more than likely he was only thinking aloud or expressing his thoughts to a family member , not like Wolseley , who seemed to fire off both barrels Publicly or not at anyone who looked at him the wrong way !. Again happy to be corrected .
90th.

Subject: Re: John Chard Service Rivalry. Sat Sep 29, 2012 8:18 am

Spot on 90th!
B and C were not "private school chums" as you say.
Class snobbery was institutional in the military up until WW2 when it had to change; glad to say that today though, the army is much more a meritocracy than a publlic schools old boys club, though this remains to an extent in a very small number of regiments. (You know the ones, more interested in having their servants polish their helmets day and night, than rolling their sleeves up and getting on with some real work).

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