News & Blog

Rorke's Drift still popular at DNW

Posted on Fri, 22 May 2020 by Phil Mussell - General News, Medal News

An 1877-79 South African War (Zulu) medal awarded to Private John Waters, 1st Battalion, 24th Foot, who was severely wounded in the right shoulder at Rorke’s Drift where he was one of the men defending the hospital has sold for £54,650 in Dix Noonan Webb’s recent live online auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria on Thursday, May 21, 2020. Waters almost didn't survive the battle and the story of his escape from the hospital building after hiding in a wardrobe as it caught fire despite being wounded is one of the well-known side stories of the famous Defence of Rorke’s Drift.

According to Christopher Mellor-Hill of DNW the medal was bought by a doctor working overseas who loved the connection with the ‘Rorke’s Drift’ hospital and the fact that Waters was in there defending it.

For further details visit www.dnw.co.uk