THE 125th anniversary of the battle of Rorke's Drift takes place next Thursday (January 22) to honour one of Somerset's greatest heroes.
John Chard was the lieutenant in the Royal Engineers who commanded a small force which successfully beat off repeated attacks from 4,000 Zulu warriors during the Boer War.
Chard died of cancer in 1897 shortly after becoming a colonel and was laid to rest in a churchyard at Hatch Beauchamp.
A small band of Royal Engineer veterans will gather at his graveside in a short wreath-laying ceremony to mark the anniversary.
Local ex-sappers and interested historians are welcome to attend the ceremony at Hatch Court, Hatch Beauchamp, from 10.30am onwards. More details from Captain Bob Wimbury on 01823-412443.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article