Britain's highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross, was instituted by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856. Since that date only 1,354 have been awarded. This is the Victoria Cross awarded to Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead for his actions at the Defence of Rorke's Drift, the mission station and temporary hospital on the banks of the Buffalo River, Natal, on 22 January 1879. Bromhead was the officer commanding B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment. This Regiment whose depot was based in Brecon later became The South Wales Borderers.