Did “Zulu” Get It Wrong? The Mystery of Lt. Gert Adendorff

In a shocking revelation that could rewrite the narrative of one of the most famous battles in British military history, doubts are being cast on the heroic portrayal of Lt. Gert Adendorff in the iconic 1964 film “Zulu.” While the film depicts Adendorff as a valiant officer who rides to Rorke’s Drift to deliver dire news and then fights alongside his comrades, historical accounts suggest a far less flattering reality.

Adendorff, a lieutenant in the Natal Native Contingent during the Anglo-Zulu War, is alleged to have fled the battlefield of Isandlwana before any fighting began, a claim that contradicts his cinematic legacy. According to Donald R. Morris’s influential book “The Washing of the Spears,” Adendorff abandoned his post, escaping the carnage while others stood to fight. This raises a critical question: Was Adendorff a coward or a survivor?

Eyewitness accounts from Rorke’s Drift paint a murky picture. Some insist he remained to defend the mission station, while others assert he was merely an invisible figure among the defenders, overlooked in the chaos. The absence of his name in many historical records only deepens the mystery.

The controversy escalated when it was revealed that Adendorff faced a court martial for desertion, a trial that never occurred, likely due to the inconvenient truth of Lt. Chard’s report praising Adendorff’s participation in the defense. As the British Army grappled with the fallout from Isandlwana, scapegoating became rampant, and Adendorff’s fate hung in the balance.

With conflicting narratives and missing records, the legacy of Lt. Gert Adendorff teeters on the edge of myth and reality. Was he a hero who survived two battles, or a man who fled when his comrades needed him most? As historians delve deeper into this enigma, the truth may finally emerge from the shadows of history. The stakes are high, and the implications could reshape our understanding of the Anglo-Zulu War. Stay tuned as this gripping saga unfolds.