Commisariat store at Rorke's drift

Posts : 65 Join date : 2011-12-15

This is my first post so hello everyone!

I've been wondering for a while now and a discussion on another forum where somebody is building a model reminded me to post here.

There is a contemporary photo in Adrian Greaves book Rorke's drift showing the mission station pre-battle, this picture seems to be at odds with Chards drawing of Rorke's drift.
In the photograph the store is seen to have an extension built onto the western face of the building with a lower but adjoining roof to the main building, yet Chards drawing shows a straight side with the 3 westside rooms all aligned and a staircase built onto the outside.
Which is right?, I don't see how a photograph can be wrong, the extension is clearly visible.
Perhaps the trauma of battle had an effect on Chard and his memory of the layout.

There is also another discrepancy, chards drawing shows the dirtroads leading from the front of the buildings whereas in the same book another photograph shows them (shaped exactly as chard drew them) but they are clearly coming from the direction of the Oskarberg and so are in the rear.
Perhaps I'm missing something but what is the view here on Chards drawing, is it known to be incorrect?

Cheers

Matt

Subject: Re: Commisariat store at Rorke's drift Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:57 pm

Hi Matt. Welcome to the forum. Does anyone have a copy of the photos in-question.

Subject: Commissariat Store At R.D. Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:33 pm

Hi Matt .
Welcome to the Forum , hope you enjoy your time on here . Idea

.
cheers 90th.

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

Matt,

I've just looked at the photograph and it is certainly not prior to the battle. The building in the background that you can see is the church which Witt built on the site of the storehouse in the 1880's and remains to this day. The main building shown in the photograph is Witt's house which now houses the Museum at Rorke's Drift.

So it is not John Chard that is incorrect, but whoever captioned the photograph.

kwaJimu1879

Posts : 65 Join date : 2011-12-15

Thank you for that clarification Kwajimu, it had been bugging me.

thanks for the welcome guys.

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