Gonville Bromhead

Major Gonville Bromhead VC (29 August 1845 – 9 February 1891) was a British Army officer who received the Victoria Cross (the highest award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British armed forces) for his part in the defence of Rorke's Drift in January 1879, in which a small British garrison of 139 soldiers successfully repulsed an assault by some 4,000 Zulu warriors.

Born into a notable military family, Bromhead was brought up in Thurlby, Lincolnshire. He entered the 24th Regiment of Foot as an ensign in 1867 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1871. Bromhead's battalion was deployed to southern Africa in 1878 and subsequently served in the Ninth Cape Frontier War and the Anglo-Zulu War. He spent most of the remainder of his career in south Asia, where he was promoted to major in 1883 and saw service in the Third Anglo-Burmese War. He died in 1891 in Allahabad, India, aged 45.

Early life Gonville Bromhead was born on 29 August 1845 in Versailles, France. He was the youngest child born to Maj. Sir Edmund de Gonville Bromhead, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Judith. He came from a notable military family: his great-grandfather, Boardman Bromhead, fought under Major General James Wolfe at Quebec; his grandfather, Sir Gonville Bromhead, was a lieutenant general who fought in the American Revolutionary War; his father was a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo; and his three older brothers were officers in the British Army.

His family resided at Thurlby Hall in Thurlby, Lincolnshire, and he was educated at Magnus Grammar School in Newark-on-Trent. After purchasing an ensign's commission he entered the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot on 20 April 1867, and was promoted to lieutenant on 28 October 1871. Nicknamed "Gunny" by his colleagues, (Sometimes spelled "Gonny".)

Later career and death On Bromhead's return to England, the villagers of Thurlby presented him with an illuminated address and a revolver, and the citizens of Lincoln awarded him a sword in recognition of his services in the Zulu campaign. He and Chard were invited to dine with Queen Victoria at Balmoral, but Bromhead was fishing in Ireland and did not receive the invitation until the date had passed. The Queen did not invite him again, but instead sent him a photograph of herself. Bromhead was posted to Gibraltar in 1880, and in August was dispatched to India, where he remained until March 1881. He then returned to England, where he attended the School of Musketry, Hythe, between October and December 1882, and gained a First Class Extra Certificate. He returned to India in 1883 with his battalion, which was based at Secunderabad, and was promoted to full major on 4 April that year. From 27 October 1886 to 24 May 1888, he served in Burma, where the battalion took part in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, being used to pacify the north of the region. The battalion was subsequently posted to Allahabad, India, where Bromhead died of typhoid fever on 9 February 1891 at the age of 45. Bromhead was buried in the New Cantonment Cemetery in Allahabad.

Legacy Bromhead's Victoria Cross medal is owned by his family, and is displayed at the Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon in Wales.

In the media Bromhead was portrayed by Michael Caine, in his first major film role, in the 1964 film Zulu, which depicted the defence of Rorke's Drift; Caine's Bromhead is a foppish aristocrat who fought well when the battle began. Bromhead is a main character in Peter Ho Davies's story "Relief", which appeared first in The Paris Review and was later published in Davies's 1997 collection The Ugliest House in the World. Bromhead was played by Edwin Field in a 1994 documentary on the battle.