Put a name to these chaps.

From left too right
Alfred Saxty, Caleb Wood, Frank Bourne,  ? ,  John Jobbins, William Cooper

Gateshead Tattoo 1934

I can probably hear the laughter issuing from Essex now.......( ) but having had a nose on the internet, it says that there were 5 surviving members of the RD garrison (at Gateshead) - the ones named by Kate above.

Is it possible that the uniformed officer (who looks younger) was a 'modern' representative from the SWB?

Cheers

Sime

The serving officer was Capt H M StJ Carpendale MC South Wales Borderers. During the tattoo at Revensworth Castle 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers re-acted the Defence of Rorke’s Drift under the direction of Capt Carpendale over the period 7-14 July 1934.

Thanks Kenny.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

From The South Wales Borderers ( 24th Regiment of Foot ) 1881-1969
Martin Everett 1999.

Thanks Lee. Great photo. Very close to the original painting.

Hi,

This may be a strange question (and its not meant to be anyway 'racist') but where did the (few) 'Zulus' come from in the photograph above.

Its been estimated that 10,000 Afro-Caribbean people lived in the UK (total population - around 46m) at the start of WW2.

Was there an attempt to recruit the 'Zulus' from the local Geordies or were they Europeans in make-up?

Thanks

Sime

Certainly at the Cardiff Tattoos in 1968 and in 1979, where the Defence of Rorke’s was re-created for audiences, the Zulus were members of the regiment dressed up, i.e. 1 SWB and 1 RRW.  This was most likely the case in 1934 at Gateshead. I am not sure this approach would be possible today - how the world has changed.

Probably something like we see here on these two postcards from 1912

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Related-Pc-Photos-British-Cavalrymen-1911-12-Norwich-Gt-Yarmouth-Zulus/113156333313?hash=item1a58a49f01%3Ag%3Aj-oAAOSw1zpbT4hF&_sacat=0&_nkw=zulu++photograph&_from=R40&rt=nc

Quite out of the blue the programme for the 1934 Gateshead Tattoo turned up on ebay. There is a description of the defence which is pretty standard but the sequence of the display is quite interesting.
I have also included a screen grab from Pathe News which shows the 2nd Battalion SWB lined up for the finale - I don't know whether the five gentleman on the right are the original defenders who were present. Finally, why do you think that it was that De Neuville's painting was portrayed in the tableau and not Lady Butler's?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Steve

Your question is answered in the final paragraph describing this item in the Tattoo brochure - a Marquette (an initial working copy) by de Neuville of the Defence of Rorke’s Drift is held by the regiment (now The Royal Welsh). The full sized version is in the NSW National Gallery in Sydney. Lady Butler’s painting is part of the Royal Collection and hangs at the top of the staircase in St James’s Palace. I suspect that the figures in blue are those representing Army Medical Services and Army Commissariat for the display. The former defenders attending that day were wearing civilian clothes/suits.