Discover the events and impact of the Battle of Tamai, the links between the battle and the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and the speaker's personal experiences of the battlefield in this talk from Ian McLeod.
Date: Sunday 4 October 2026
Time: 3.00pm - 4.00pm
Duration: 1 hour
Location: Royal Hospital Chelsea - Soane Stable Yard Activity Space (enter via Chelsea Gate)
In March 1884, in eastern Sudan, a British force clashed with Mahdist warriors in a fierce and bloody battle during which the Sudanese fighters, armed mainly with spears and swords, broke a British infantry square and inflicted the greatest number of casualties of all the battles during the Anglo-Sudan campaigns.
Although a British victory, it resulted in a lasting respect by the British soldiers of the bravery and skill of their adversaries.
The events of this battle inspired the well-known poet, Rudyard Kipling, to write a stirring poem to this effect.
In March 1884, in eastern Sudan, a British force clashed with Mahdist warriors in a fierce and bloody battle during which the Sudanese fighters, armed mainly with spears and swords, broke a British infantry square and inflicted the greatest number of casualties of all the battles during the Anglo-Sudan campaigns.
Although a British victory, it resulted in a lasting respect by the British soldiers of the bravery and skill of their adversaries.
The events of this battle inspired the well-known poet, Rudyard Kipling, to write a stirring poem to this effect.
Tickets: £12 (plus £2 per booking fee per transaction)
Additional information
To enter the Activity Space, please arrive via Chelsea Gate into the Soane Stable Yard. A member of our team will greet you, scan your ticket, and guide you inside. We look forward to welcoming you to your talk.
About the speaker
Ian McLeod is a Friend of and Volunteer at the Royal Hospital, and a former career officer in the British Army. After 35 years, he retired in the rank of brigadier and subsequently worked in various conflict areas in stabilisation and humanitarian roles. His last post in the Army was the Defence Adviser to the British High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, which gave him the opportunity to visit many of the battlefields of the British era, Chillianwala being his ‘first choice’.