Rorke's Drift, the most ever awarded for a single action. Cast Stanley Baker as Lieutenant John Chard, a veteran commander serving with the Royal Engineers. He takes charge of the defence of Rorke's Drift by virtue of seniority, despite his distaste for the slaughter of war Michael Caine as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, an officer who places himself under Chard's command. He is portrayed as inexperienced, arrogant, and dismissive of the Zulu army's capabilities, but slowly comes into his own by following Chard's example Jack Hawkins as Reverend Otto Witt, an alcoholic Swedish missionary based at Rorke's Drift Ulla Jacobsson as Margareta Witt Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi as King Cetshwayo, his real-life maternal great-grandfather James Booth as Private Henry Hook, described as "a thief, a coward, and an insubordinate barrack-room lawyer" who has been confined to the hospital after falsely claiming sickness to get excused from his duties Nigel Green as Colour sergeant Frank Bourne, a seasoned NCO who plays a key role in organizing and leading the British defence Paul Daneman as Sergeant Robert Maxfield, Private Hook's bedridden and mentally broken commanding officer. He sacrifices himself to save Hook from an enemy warrior as the hospital burns down. Joe Powell as Sergeant Joseph Windridge Ivor Emmanuel as Private Owen, a Welsh baritone and head of the company choir. At the end, Owen leads the men in singing "Men of Harlech" Glynn Edwards as Corporal William Allen Neil McCarthy as Private Thomas, Owen's best friend who longs to return to his farm in Wales David Kernan as Private Frederick Hitch Gary Bond as Private Cole Peter Gill as Private 612 John Williams, a member of the company choir assigned to the squad defending the hospital. Richard Davies as Private 593 William Jones Denys Graham as Private 716 Robert Jones Patrick Magee as Surgeon-Major James Henry Reynolds Dickie Owen as Corporal Frederick Schiess, a hospitalised Swiss corporal in the Natal Native Contingent who volunteers for Chard's defenders Gert van den Bergh as Lieutenant Gert Adendorff, an Afrikaner officer serving with the Natal Native Contingent and a survivor of the battle at Isandlwana who advises Chard and fights alongside him Dennis Folbigge as Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton Larry Taylor as Hughes Kerry Jordan as Louis Byrne, the company cook who is forced to join the defenders despite his pleas of cowardice. He gets killed by a Zulu spear while carrying ammunition. Harvey