Cultural impact, burial and memorial Shangani Patrol

the shangani memorial, erected @ world s view in matopos hills in 1904

news of patrol s fate relayed rhodesia south africa, , on rest of british empire , world. in england, patriotic play overtly influenced incident, cheer, boys, cheer!, written augustus harris, cecil raleigh , henry hamilton, , staged @ theatre royal, drury lane, starting in september 1895. show tells story of young colonial army officer in south africa , rhodesia, culminating in third act fictionalised account of first matabele war. climaxes scene reminiscent of wilson s last stand. production ran 6 months in london, , toured british provinces more 2 years, reportedly drawing large crowds. according historian neil parsons, contributed patrol fast gain[ing] mythological status .

in historical terms, shangani patrol subsequently became integral part of rhodesian identity, wilson , borrow in particular woven national tapestry heroic figures symbolising duty in face of insuperable odds. last stand became kind of national myth, lewis gann writes, glorious memory, [rhodesia s] own equivalent of bloody alamo massacre , custer s last stand in american west . in 1895, 4 december declared shangani day , annual rhodesian public holiday endured until 1920, when folded occupation day, national non-work day commemorated several colonial events together. shangani day remained part of national calendar, however, , still marked each year.

the remains of patrol s members buried on 14 august 1894, in ruined city of great zimbabwe. rhodes later wrote wished have patrol re-interred alongside him @ world s view, in matopos hills, when died; done in 1904, 2 years after rhodes s death. according rhodes s wishes, memorial shangani patrol erected @ world s view in july 1904, , dedicated bishop gaul of mashonaland. monument, called shangani memorial, oblong, flat-topped structure, 33 feet (10 m) tall , made granite nearby kopje. designed herbert baker, , based on pedestal of agrippa @ athens acropolis. each of memorial s 4 sides bears bronze panel john tweed, depicting members of patrol in relief. main inscription reads, brave men , smaller dedication given beneath: erected enduring memory of allan wilson , men fell in fight against matabele on shangani river december 4th, 1893. there no survivor .