No Zulus in Normandy.
Men of 2 Batt., South Wales Borderers, advancing in France as part of British 49th Division, 30 September, 1944. This was the only "Welsh" unit to take part in the Normandy campaign. Under their previous designation of 24th Regiment of Foot/2nd Warwickshire Regiment, the SWB had taken part in the 1879 Zulu War. On 22 January of that year, one company of 2nd Batt. shared the fate of 5 companies of 1st Batt. in being annihilated by Zulu forces at Isandlhwana, Zululand, a defeat that resulted largely from command ineptitude on the British side, including the failure of force commander General Lord Chelmsford to follow his own declared strategy. Matters were somewhat redeemed when, over the following 36 hours, another company of 2nd Batt., along with a small number of local volunteers, successfully defended the very difficult position of the Rorke's Drift mission station, across the Buffalo River in Natal, against three Zulu regiments (three to four thousand warriors) who had not been involved in the main battle and attacked across the Buffalo against explicit orders. Best regards, JR.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/british-forces/47711/no-zulus-in-normandy.