Henry Hook was born in Alney near Gloucester on the 6th August 1850. He had served in the local militia for 5 years before enlisting in the regular army in 1877.He traveled to South Africa with the rest of his battalion and took part in the 9th Frontier War.
He was present at Rorke’s Drift and was posted in the hospital during the battle.
For his actions in the hospital, including saving many patients when it fell, Hook was awarded the Victoria Cross. Hook served at Rorke’s Drift for the entire war and is one of the few men to receive their medal at the sight of winning it when Lord Wolseley presented it him there.
In 1880 Hook decided to buy himself out of the army at a cost of £18 but when he returned home he found that his wife had believed he had been killed so had sold his home and had remarried.
Hook moved to London and with the help of references from Lord Chelmsford and Major Bromhead VC secured a job as cloakroom attendant at the British Museum. He remarried and served part-time in the 1st (Volunteer) Battalion of Royal Fusiliers.
In later life he was plagued by ill-health so retired to his native Gloucestershire where he received a heroes welcome.
He died of Tuberculosis on the 12th March 1905. His funeral was a lavish affair with 24 different regiments represented. His pall Bearers were provided by the South Wales Borderers (including Corporal Hitch, Son of his old colleague Fred Hitch VC).
18 months after his funeral a marble memorial was erected above his grave.
His VC is in the regimental museum in Brecon.
Henry Hook’s life was much maligned by the film Zulu which cast him as a drunk and a malinger. This was about as far from the truth as you could get. Hook was a respected soldier who left the army with numerous good conduct medals.
Though the myth that he was teetotal is incorrect, he took a vow not to drink while in South Africa.
Also his daughter never stormed out of the Premiere of the Film, she in fact attended both premieres of the movie, though was wasn’t happy at the way her father was portrayed. She was also paid a nice chunk of money after she threatened to sue the film company.