Alfred Henry "Harry" Hook VC (1850 – 1905), recipient of the Victoria Cross for actions at the Battle of Rorke's Drift during the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.

A gold fob medallion in the shape of the Victoria Cross, engraved "XIX MDX, 1st Drill Prize, Corpl Hook VC. H Co. 1885", 17 mm excluding suspender. Provenance: by descent to his granddaughter, thence to the vendor.

[The London Gazette, May 1879:"Private John Williams was posted with Private Joseph Williams, and Private William Horrigan, 1st Battalion 24th Regiment, in a distant room of the hospital, which they held for more than an hour, so long as they had a round of ammunition left: as communication was for the time cut off, the Zulus were enabled to advance and burst open the door; they dragged out Private Joseph Williams and two of the patients, and assegaied them. Whilst the Zulus were occupied with the slaughter of these men a lull took place, during which Private John Williams, who, with two patients, were the only men now left alive in this ward, succeeded in knocking a hole in the partition, and in taking the two patients into the next ward, where he found Private Hook. These two men together, one man working whilst the other fought and held the enemy at bay with his bayonet, broke through three more partitions, and were thus enabled to bring eight patients through a small window into the inner line of defence.". Alfred Henry Hook received a head wound from a Zulu assegai at the Battle and was the only Rorke's Drift VC recipient to be invested with the award at the scene of the Battle, being presented the award by Lt General Sir Garnet Wolseley, High Commander and GOC British Troops, South Africa. In 1880 Hook was discharged by purchase but subsequently served with the Bloomsbury Rifle Volunteers (19th Middlesex), 17th (North) Middlesex Volunteers and from 1896 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers, becoming Sergeant Instructor of Musketry. Contrary to his description as "malingering Hector" in the 1964 motion picture "Zulu", historian Saul David and others identify Hook as a teetotaler, Methodist preacher and model soldier. He worked until retirement at the British Museum as Inside Duster of Books and Umbrella Attendant; it is recorded that he wore his medals daily to work. His Victoria Cross is held by The Royal Welsh Museum at Brecon, Wales.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIRTVls5Wj8