Forgotten Defenders of Rorke's Drift.

Next up is Sergeant Henry Gallagher.
Henry Edward Gallagher was born in March 1855 at Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland.
His parents died when he was young so the Catholic Church took over the running of the family farm and
1/8

the care of young Henry
When Henry was 19 years old he headed to Liverpool with the intention of joining the British Army. On the 13 March 1874 he enlisted for 12 years service with the 24th (Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot. He was assigned to 'B' company of the 2nd Battalion
2/8

He was promoted to Lance Corporal in March 1875 and Corporal in 1876 and Finally Sergeant in 1877.
On the 1st February 1878 he boarded the troopship Himalaya at Plymouth which was bound for South Africa. Over the next year he was saw his first active service in what became
3/8

known as Cape Frontier Wars.
On 9 January 1879 his battalion advanced to the mission station on the Buffalo River known as Rorke's Drift. It was a place Henry and his comrades would remember for the rest of their lives.
4/8

As well as the mental scars the men carried after the battle, Henry had a permanent reminder in the shape of a blue burn mark on the right side of his nose caused by a powder burn from the constant firing of his Martini Henry Rifle.
After the war was over Henry re attested
5/8

with the colours and was known from then on as a Rorke's Drift man. He arrived back at Brecon, after a brief stop off at Gibraltar in 1880 and he was promoted the Colour-Sergeant.
In 1883, Henry, his wife Carolina and his new born daughter Caroline set sail for India where
6/8

they were to spend the next ten years including campaigning in Burma.
After a last tour of duty in Egypt Henry was discharged in 1897 after serving 23 years with the colours. He was entitled to the South African Medal with Clasps
7/8

and the Burma Medal with Clasps.
He became Barrack Warden at Portsmouth and died on the 17th December 1931.

8/8