Battle Ready: British Kit & Unexpected Weapons of the Zulu War

"If given the choice, you won't wear it" - One thing that hasn't changed in 144 years of military kit evolution.😄

As a 79th Cameron light company member I can tell you the uniform is not the problem but the age of most of us. The age of most of the real soldiers would have been under 30 the age of most reenactors is 40 ++ like we see in this splendid group of men. Young recruits are most of the time family members because it is a very expensive way of spending your free time. It is also made more and more complicated by those in power . They hate people walking around with old fire arms or even a bayonet. Maybe you can visit us at the end of august in Almeida.

As a Civil war reenactor here in the U.S. I love video like this. I really like hearing from other reenactors from different time periods able their hobby. If I live in England I would have joined their unit/club since I am fascinated by this time period for England. Keep up the good work and stay patriotic. GOD SAVE THE KING! 👍🇬🇧

A little known trivia is that it was a living history group of re-enactors who rediscovered how Roman soldiers built defensive ditch and spike palisades. There was just one old contemporary drawing showing a v-shaped ditch approx 1 yard wide and deep with the spoil forming a bank behind it, but with a small ledge on the earthwork side. There was also a written description of the double pointed wooden stake that each soldier carried.. but nothing existed that described how the two fit together. For many years the assumption was that the stakes were just driven vertically into the top of the earth bank behind the ditch but the re-enactors found that it was all rather easy to step over the ditch, placing one foot onto the ledge (monody could understand what the ledge was for) and to force a way through the vertical stakes. Instead they eventually hit upon the idea of tying two stakes together to make an X shape, stick the ends into the ledge and then tying a third stake on top, resting on the crux of the X, with one point facing the enemy and the other pressed into the earth bank.. to create an effect similar to a modern day tank obstacle. Three men could thus man some 6 feet of frontage and alongside their comrades would form two ranks, front rank with one man standing each side of where the central spike was and another directly behind where the third spike was driven into the earth bank.. The solution was so simple and effective (and solved the ledge question) that there was no better way that the Romans could have done anything different, so the art of this style of palisade was effectively rediscovered, by the the re-enactors, after being lost for some 2000 years

I've been obsessed with the Anglo-Zulu War since I was a kid. This is turning out to be one of my favorite channels.

As a former US Navy sailor who had to wear whites I can feel for these soldiers with the white belt. Their NCOs probably made them spend hours each day cleaning them.

24th Foot, is a great reenactment group, done stuff with them in events before.

Thanks folks, great to see all those uniforms and equipment. From that period, my favourite sidearm is the Webley No.5 Army Revolver. I once got to fire one and was impressed by how naturally it pointed exactly where I wanted to shoot,

Excellent presentation. As an Army veteran, I'm always drawn to military history, especially when it involves Anglo-Zulu or Anglo-Boer wars. My great, great grandfather ( on my father's side ), born 1803 in Ireland, served in the 45th Regiment of Foot, the Sherwood Foresters. Apparently, they had taken a beating in Afghanistan, 1841 or 42. The survivors were shipped down to the Cape of Good Hope. Arrived in 1843. Some were deployed in the Northern Cape, others including my great, great grandfather were sent to Natal, objective was to keep the peace between the Burgers ( Boers ) and the Zulus. Apparently he was a Major with the 45th. While in Natal he met his second wife, a Dutch Girl ( a Boer ), born in Utrecht, Holland. They settled in the lower Umzimkhulu River valley, and farmed, after he retired from the Army. One of his sons was killed during the Anglo-Zulu Battle at Isandlwana, 1879. Thank you for sharing those details, has special significance to me. My great grandfather, from Bethnal Green, London, a recent arrival in Natal, married one of the Major's daughters. They settled in the Himeville, Underberg area. One of their sons, my grandfather, a Corporal with the Border Mounted Rifles, fought against the Germans in South West Africa during WW1. My father, a Staff Sergeant with the Natal Mounted Rifles, fought and was wounded during the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt during WW2. My oldest brother, a Sergeant, tank commander, took part in the conflict in Angola about 40 years ago. I was in the process of transferring to a Commando Unit, as Signals Officer, Lt. when my wife and I decided it was time to emigrate. My mother and her family were from England. Her father fought in WW1 in France and WW2, stationed in Egypt. He died with the rank of Lt. Colonel with the King's Royal Rifles. His son, a Captain with the 7th Gurkhas, fought against the Japanese Army in Burma during WW2. My sister-in-law, married to my oldest brother, her father was a Spitfire pilot, took part in the Battle of Britain during WW2. My sister-in-law married to my third oldest brother, her father was taken POW during the battle of Tobruk, WW2. Shipped off to POW camp in Italy. My father-in-law, a Sergeant, was the navigator in a bomber crew, stationed at Cairo during WW2. It appears I'm connected to a few wars, conflicts which have taken place in various countries around the world, hence the interest in military history.

I was surprised to hear that wearing the uniform when it was 42 degrees was merely 'warm'. I would have expected it to be bloody roasting! When he was talking about bayonets I couldn't stop thinking of Corporal Jones in Dad's Army. 'They don't like it up 'em!'

Great reenactors of uniforms and weapons of 24th foot during Zulu War

“… make British military history fashionable again.” As a Yank, it never went out of fashion, for me!

Really loved this video, I do Canadian Northwest Rebellion reenactment which uses a lot of the same type of equipment. The British army always knows how to dress sharp!

Thank you for the video. We need to preserve our history and learn from it ,not forget about it.

Wow! From Sharpe I get all the info about the Army in India/Peninsula in the Napoleonic era; there's loads of info about the army in the Great War and WWII; but this was the first time I watched a vid about kit in Victorian times! Thanks again!

I applaud these men in helping keeping history alive. A big thank you to them, and a big thank you to you for sharing. Excellent work. :)

I enjoyed the exhibition very much. It was great meeting you and having a quick chat.Matt the big guy had a long chat with me and my mate. Very interesting and knowledgeable guy!!

Makes you wonder why modern soldiers can’t go anywhere without atleast 20kg of kit

Brilliant. Fascinating to see the details of the uniforms and weapons up close. :)

I absolutely love the living history groups!