The real reason Chad took over command at Rorke's Drift

Rating: Null/10 (24 February 2018)

Many find it incongruous that Bromhead, an infantry officer in charge of a company of trained infantrymen, should hand over command of the position to Chard, an engineer.
The reason for this was simple: Officer training at the time meant that engineer officers were given more extensive training in infantry tactics than were the well-healed sons who bought their commissions in the infantry. While the former spent much of their officer training honing their skills at infantry tactics (essential for one who would be required to build defences, roads, breastworks etc.), officers like Bromhead were sitting around their club, out hunting, or riding at the head of a parade or display on Hyde Park.
Aside from being severely deaf and likely to be more of a danger to his own troops than to the enemy, Bromhead wisely sought and took the counsel of the more experienced (Chard was a veteran of several conflicts) and competent colleague. The absolutely correct decision in retrospect.