George Smith

Destroyed umuzi near where Napoléon, Prince Imperial was killed; man in centre is possibly Padre George Smith. 'Padre' George Smith (8 January 1845 – 26 November 1918), an army chaplain, was a defender of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1879, an action which saw the awarding of eleven Victoria Crosses.

Biography He was born in Docking in Norfolk in 1845, the youngest of three sons of William Smith (1801–1877), a master shoe-maker who employed two men in his business, and Frances, née Peacock (1805–1876).

'Padre' George Smith served as a missionary in South Africa from 1870. However, he is best remembered for his part in the famous defence of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War of 1877–1879 which won him the praise of several officers involved in that action in their reports. As an assistant army chaplain, and therefore a non-combatant, Smith played a supportive role in the defence, where he distributed ammunition to the soldiers of the 24th Regiment of Foot (2nd Warwickshires) who were manning the barricades. Smith was not portrayed in the 1964 film Zulu.

After the Zulu War he was often referred to as "Ammunition Smith". and stationed at Caterham. During his retirement he resided in the Sumner's Hotel in Preston, where he died on 26 November 1918 aged 73 from bronchial trouble which had afflicted him for six months. After a small military ceremony, he was buried in the Church of England plot in New Hall Lane cemetery in Preston, Lancashire.

Depictions and legacy He is depicted in The Defence of Rorke's Drift (1880) by Elizabeth Thompson and in the identically named painting by Alphonse de Neuville. In Alphonse de Neuville's famous 1880 painting The Defence of Rorke's Drift (above) Padre Smith is depicted to the right of centre (recognisable in his blue tunic and red beard) distributing ammunition to the defenders.

George Smith is honoured at The Museum of Army Chaplaincy.