Burt Lancaster as Col. Anthony Durnford

Simon Ward as Lt. Vereker

Denholm Elliott as Colonel Pulleine

Peter Vaughan as QSM Bloomfield

James Faulkner as Lt. Melvill

Christopher Cazenove as Lt. Coghill

Bob Hoskins as C.S.M. Williams

David Bradley as Pte Williams

Paul Copley as Cpl. Storey

Donald Pickering as Maj. Russell R.A.

Nicholas Clay as Lt. Raw

Phil Daniels as Boy Pullen

Ian Yule as Cpl. Fields

Peter J. Elliott as Sentry

Brian O'Shaughnessy as Maj. Smith R.A.

Jan Bruyns as Elder Boer

Sydney Chama as S.M. Kambula

Len Sparrowhawk as Trooper James

Peter O'Toole as Lord Chelmsford

Nigel Davenport as Col. Hamilton-Brown

Michael Jayston as Col. Crealock

Ronald Pickup as Lt. Harford

Ronald Lacey as Norris Newman

Don Leonard as Fannin

Patrick Mynhardt as Col. Harness

Christopher Chittell as Lt. Milne

Simon Sabela as Cetshwayo

Ken Gampu as Mantshonga

Gilbert Tjabane as Bayele

Abe Temba as Uhama

Muntu Ndebele as Siswe

Paul Mafela as Zulu Prisoner

John Mills as Sir Henry Bartle Frere

Freddie Jones as Bishop Colenso

Anna Calder-Marshall as Fanny Colenso

Kenneth Baker as Mr de Witt

Claire Marshall as Mrs de Witt

Vivienne Drummond as Lady Frere

Graham Armitage as Capt. Shepstone (uncredited)

Terrick Fitzhugh as Jackson (uncredited)

Ross Kettle as Isandhlwana Redcoat (uncredited)

Michael Richard as Isandhlwana Redcoat (uncredited)

Larry Taylor as Grenadier (uncredited)

Ashley Waldorf as Field Hospital Casualty (uncredited)