Britain invades Zululand

125 years ago British troops invaded Zululand -- a campaign which saw one of Britain's worst military defeats at Isandlwana and a 'Boy's Own' fight by a hundred or so soldiers of the 24/2nd against overwhelming odds at Rorke's Drift.

To get you in the mood have a look at these three articles from Primedia's Military History magazine.

Night of the Assegais
At the tiny British station of Rorke's Drift in Southeast Africa, 140 men huddled behind walls of mealie bags and biscuit boxes faced 4,000 Zulu warriors in hours of battle that swirled room to room.

Zulu Mountain Trap Sprung
Colonel Henry Evelyn Wood had expected little trouble as his cavalry ascended Hlobane Mountain. What he got was a Zulu army, 22,000 men strong.

Dramatic Zulu Reversal at Khambula
Flushed with past victories, including one the day before, the Zulu inGobamakhosi Regiment charged the British at Khambula in March 1879, shouting, 'We're the boys from Isandlwana!'