Editing Battle of Rorke's Drift (section)

=== Defence of the hospital ===
Chard realised that the north wall, under near constant attack from the Zulus, could not be held. At 6:00&nbsp;p.m., he pulled his men back into the yard, abandoning the front two rooms of the hospital in the process. The hospital was becoming untenable; the loopholes had become a liability, as rifles poking out were grabbed at by the Zulus (who were still shot) yet if the holes were left empty, the Zulu warriors stuck their own weapons through in order to fire into the rooms. Among the soldiers assigned to the hospital were Corporal [[William Wilson Allen]] and Privates Cole, Dunbar, Hitch, Horrigan, [[John Williams (VC)|John Williams]], Joseph Williams, [[Alfred Henry Hook]], [[Robert Jones (VC)|Robert Jones]], and [[William Jones (VC)|William Jones]].

Now low on rifle ammunition they decided to switch to [[Beaumont–Adams revolver|revolvers]]. Privates Horrigan, John Williams, Joseph Williams and other patients tried to hold the hospital entrance with bayonets and revolvers. Joseph Williams defended a small window, and 14 dead Zulus were later found beneath said window. As it became clear the front of the building was being taken over by Zulus, John Williams began to hack a way of escape through the wall dividing the central room and a corner room in the back of the hospital. As he made a passable breach, the door into the central room came under furious attack from the Zulus, and he had time only to drag two bedridden patients out before the door gave way.

The corner room into which John Williams had pulled the two patients was occupied by Private Hook and another nine patients. John Williams hacked at the wall to the next room with his bayonet, as Hook held off the Zulus a firefight erupted as the Zulus fired through the door and Hook returned fire – an assegai striking his helmet and stunning him.<ref>Private Henry Hook's account in ''[[The Royal Magazine]]'' 1905.</ref>

Williams made the hole big enough to get into the next room, occupied only by patient Private Waters, and dragged the patients through. The last man out was Hook, who killed some Zulus who had knocked down the door before he dived through the hole. John Williams once again went to work, spurred on by the fact that the roof was now ablaze.

After 50 minutes, the hole was large enough to drag the patients through,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/defence-rorkes-drift|title=Defence of Rorke's Drift &#124; National Army Museum|website=www.nam.ac.uk}}</ref> and most of the men were now in the last room, defended by Privates Robert Jones and William Jones. From here, the patients clambered out through a window and then made their way across the yard to the barricade. Privates Waters and Beckett hid in the wardrobe, Waters was wounded and Beckett died of assegai wounds.

Of the 11 patients, nine survived the trip to the barricade, as did all the able-bodied men. According to [[James Henry Reynolds]], four defenders were killed in the hospital: one was a member of the Natal Native Contingent with a broken leg; Sergeant Maxfield and Private Jenkins, who were ill with fever and refused to be moved were also killed. Reportedly, Jenkins was killed after being seized and stabbed, together with Private Adams who also refused to move. Private Cole, assigned to the hospital, was killed when he ran outside. Another hospital patient killed was Trooper Hunter of the [[Natal Mounted Police]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Wood|first=M.J.|title=Leaders and Battles: The Art of Military Leadership|year=2009|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|page=138|isbn=9780307537034|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GCkXtLTgs6UC&q=%22Trooper+Hunter%22+%22Natal+Mounted+Police%22&pg=PT202}}</ref> Among the hospital patients who escaped were a Corporal Mayer of the NNC; Bombardier Lewis of the Royal Artillery, and Trooper Green of the Natal Mounted Police, who was wounded in the thigh by a bullet. Private Conley, with a broken leg, was pulled to safety by Hook, although Conley's leg was broken again in the process.<ref>{{cite book|last=Clammer|first=David|title=The Zulu War|year=1973|publisher=David & Charles|isbn=0-7153-5672-0|page=111|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRwiAAAAMAAJ&q=conley+%22broken+leg%22}}</ref>