# Henry Hook (VC)

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Recipient of the Victoria Cross

Alfred Henry Hook Born (1850-08-06)6 August 1850 Churcham, Gloucestershire Died 12 March 1905(1905-03-12) (aged 54) Gloucester, Gloucestershire Buried St Andrew's churchyard, Churcham 51°51′42.2″N 2°20′15.1″W / 51.861722°N 2.337528°W / 51.861722; -2.337528 Allegiance United Kingdom/British Empire Branch British Army Service years 1877–1904 Rank Sergeant Unit Monmouth Militia 24th Regiment of Foot Royal Fusiliers Conflicts 9th Xhosa War Anglo–Zulu War Rorke's Drift Awards Victoria Cross

**Alfred Henry "Harry" Hook** [VC](/source/Victoria_Cross) (6 August 1850 – 12 March 1905) was an English recipient of the [Victoria Cross](/source/Victoria_Cross), the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and [Commonwealth](/source/Commonwealth_of_Nations) forces, for his actions at the [Battle of Rorke's Drift](/source/Battle_of_Rorke's_Drift).

## Early life

Henry Hook's grave, Churcham

Born in [Churcham](/source/Churcham), [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire), Hook originally served in the Monmouth Militia for five years before enlisting in the regular army in March 1877, aged 26. Previously serving in the [9th Xhosa War](/source/Xhosa_Wars#9th_Xhosa_War.2C_1877-1879) in 1877.

## Rorke's Drift

Alfred Henry Hook was 28 years old, and a [Private](/source/Private_(rank)) in B Company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later [The South Wales Borderers](/source/The_South_Wales_Borderers)), [British Army](/source/British_Army) during the [Anglo-Zulu War](/source/Anglo-Zulu_War) when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Hook and five other privates were ordered on the afternoon of 22 January 1879 to protect approximately 30 patients unable to be moved from the temporary hospital at Rorke's Drift station.

On 22/23 January 1879 at [Rorke's Drift](/source/Rorke's_Drift), [Natal](/source/Colony_of_Natal), South Africa, a distant room of the hospital had been held for more than an hour by three privates, and when finally they had no ammunition left, the Zulus burst in and killed one of the men and two patients. One of the privates ([John Williams](/source/John_Williams_(VC))), however, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition and taking the last two patients through into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. "These two men then worked together – one holding the enemy at bayonet point while the other broke through three more partitions – and they were then able to bring eight patients into the inner line of defence."[1] He received a scalp injury during the battle of Rorke's Drift.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### The medal

He received his VC from [Sir Garnet Wolseley](/source/Garnet_Wolseley%2C_1st_Viscount_Wolseley), GOC South Africa at Rorke's Drift on 3 August 1879. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the [South Wales Borderers Museum](/source/South_Wales_Borderers), Brecon, Powys, Wales.

## Later life

He was discharged (by purchase) from the regular army 17 months later on 25 June 1880. [2]

The 1881 census shows Henry Hook V.C. as a servant in the household of George Owen Willis, a doctor in Monmouth, Monmouthshire.[3]

He later served 20 years in [1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers](/source/1st_(City_of_London)_Battalion%2C_London_Regiment_(Royal_Fusiliers)#Volunteer_Force), its drill hall located in [Bloomsbury](/source/Bloomsbury), reaching the rank of sergeant-instructor. After his 1880 discharge he was found the position of inside duster at the [British Museum](/source/British_Museum) thanks to the intervention of [Gonville Bromhead](/source/Gonville_Bromhead), [Lord Chelmsford](/source/Lord_Chelmsford) and the [Prince of Wales](/source/Prince_of_Wales). He was subsequently promoted to take charge of readers' umbrellas, before resigning due to ill health in 1904.[4] During this period he lived at [Sydenham Hill](/source/Sydenham_Hill). He died of [pulmonary tuberculosis](/source/Pulmonary_tuberculosis) on 12 March 1905 at Osborne Villas, Roseberry Avenue, Gloucester and is buried in St Andrew's churchyard, Churcham.

## Legacy

### In media

A poem describing Hook's part in the battle of Rorke's Drift was written by [William McGonagall](/source/William_McGonagall) in 1899.[5]

A fictional version of Hook was portrayed by English actor [James Booth](/source/James_Booth) in the 1964 film *[Zulu](/source/Zulu_(1964_film))*, in which Hook is depicted as an insubordinate malingerer placed under arrest in the hospital, though he redeems himself and proves himself to be an excellent soldier during the battle. [Saul David](/source/Saul_David) writes in his book, *Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879*,[6] that Hook was there as the hospital cook, subsequently as part of a small guard detail assigned to protect the patients. Saul David notes that far from the miscreant portrayed, Hook was actually a [teetotaler](/source/Teetotaler), Methodist preacher, and model soldier. Further to this, he had been awarded good conduct pay shortly before the battle[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. Hook's elderly daughters were so reportedly offended at the fictional portrayal of their father that they walked out of the premiere.[7][8] A campaign was organized by family members and historians to have Hook's documented historical reputation restored.[9] In his autobiography, punk singer [Mark E. Smith](/source/Mark_E._Smith) claimed that Hook was an ancestor of his father, which led to the Smith family being invited as guests of honour to the Whitefield showing of *[Zulu](/source/Zulu_(1964_film))*.[10]

Hook was played by Craig Appleton in a 1994 documentary on the battle of Rorke's Drift.[11]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["No. 24717"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24717/page/3178). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 2 May 1879. p. 3178.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Fold3 Records"](https://www.fold3.com/search?docQuery=%28filters:!%28%28type:place,values:!%28%28label:United+Kingdom,value:rel.62149%29%29%29,%28type:general.title.id,values:!%28%28label:%27UK,+Royal+Hospital+Chelsea+Pensioner+Admission+and+Discharge+Records%27,value:%27967%27%29%29%29%29,keywords:%27Hook,1373%27%29). Retrieved 15 April 2024 – via Fold3® by Ancestry. Search on "Hook 1373" within UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admission and Discharge Records

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["1881 Wales Census"](https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/8059/?name=Henry_Hook&birth=1854_gloucestershire-england-united+kingdom_5265). Retrieved 15 April 2024 – via Ancestry. Search where surname equals "Hook" and birth place equals "Churcham, Gloucestershire"

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *The Story of the British Museum* by Marjorie Caygill, British Museum Press, 2nd edition 1992, p44

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** McGonagall, William (1899). ["The Hero of Rorkes Drift"](https://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/gems/the-hero-of-rorkes-drift). *McGonagall Online*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** David, Saul (2004), *Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879*, [Penguin](/source/The_Penguin_Group), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-670-91474-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-670-91474-6)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** von Tunzelmann, A. (2015). [*Reel History: The World According to the Movies*](https://books.google.com/books?id=M5rlCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT131). Atlantic Books. p. 131. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-78239-647-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-78239-647-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Reel history | Zulu: Michael Caine loses the plot, but wins the battle"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/11/reel-history-zulu-michael-caine). *the Guardian*. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Swaine, Jon (15 August 2008). ["Battle to restore 'Zulu' hero Henry Hook's reputation"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/2563377/Battle-to-restore-Zulu-hero-Henry-Hooks-reputation.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Smith, Mark E.; Collings, Austin (2008), *Renegade – The Lives and Tales of Mark E Smith*, Viking (Penguin), p. 12, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-670-91674-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-670-91674-0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPmfQRYImYA). Retrieved 20 January 2026.

## Further reading

- Brazier, Kevin (2018). *Victoria Crosses of the Zulu and Boer Wars*. Pen & Sword Military. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-39-909913-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-39-909913-4).

## External links

- [Pte. Henry (Harry) Hook](https://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/vc/hook.htm) *(biography, photos, memorial details)*

- [Location of grave and VC medal](https://web.archive.org/web/20070822214645/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/gloucest.htm) *(Gloucestershire)*

- [Rorke's Drift](https://web.archive.org/web/20041108202128/http://freespace.virgin.net/sean.farrell/index.htm) *(information within Frederick Hitch site)*

v t e Royal Welsh Predecessors 1st generation Royal Welch Fusiliers (1689–2006) South Wales Borderers (1689–1969) 41st (Welch) Regiment of Foot (1719–1881) 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot (1756–1881) 2nd generation Welch Regiment (1881–1969) 3rd generation Royal Regiment of Wales (1969–2006) Victoria Cross William Wilson Allan David Bell Gonville Bromhead Edward Stevenson Browne Alexander Cobbe Nevill Coghill William Griffiths Frederick Hitch Alfred Henry Hook Dudley Graham Johnson William Jones Teignmouth Melvill Ivor Rees John Williams John Henry Williams Angus Buchanan James Cooper Campbell Mellis Douglas James Fynn Edric Gifford Robert Jones Thomas Murphy Albert White Ambrose Madden Hugh Rowlands William Charles Fuller Hubert William Lewis Edgar Myles Tasker Watkins Frederick Barter Edward William Derrington Bell John Collins James Llewellyn Davies Joseph John Davies Charles Doughty-Wylie Albert Hill George Monger Luke O'Connor Henry Weale Thomas Bernard Hackett Robert Shields William Henry Thomas Sylvester William Herbert Waring See also Battle of Rorke's Drift Prince of Wales's feathers Men of Harlech Firing Line Prince of Wales' Division Welsh Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Henry Hook (VC)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hook_(VC)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hook_(VC)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.