OUR story on a West Kirby soldier at Rorke's Drift prompted this letter about a West Kirby, five miles from the famous battle scene in Zululand.
Reader Brian Frazer, of Carpenter's cottage, West Kirby, writes:
"About five miles from Rorke's Drift is the Fugitive's Drift Lodge in the middle of a 2,000 acre nature reserve along the Buffalo River.
"In 1991, my wife and I visited this remote spot. Imagine our surprise to see a notice with West Kirby in bold letters at the entrance to the Reserve!
"The photo shows the sign with my wife Pauline and the owner, Peter Rattray, who told us that the reason was the first Surveyor of the area had called it after his home town in Wirral.
"Peter had in fact taken the opportunity to visit West Kirby on a recent UK trip. Despite arriving unannounced at the Sailing Club, he received a warm welcome.
"The 'Fugitives' were the few survivors of the South Wales Borderers from the Battle of Isandlwana, at which 1,800 British soldiers had been overpowered by a Zulu Army of 20,000, 4,000 of whom were themselves repulsed by the brave stand at Rorke's Drift on the next day.
"It is interesting that everyone has heard of the glory of Rorke's Drift, but only very few of the disaster which immediately preceded this at Isandlwana!" concludes Mr Frazer.
Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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