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  28-29 APRIL 1901 - NEAR PAARDEBERG DRIFT

  By archie777 · Posted 9 minutes ago

  “The convoy got safely across, and we camped at a pan of water in the flats. About an hour after camping, some of the officers, among whom was the captain of the New Zealand squadron, said they were anxious to see Cronje’s last stand, and whether, if permission was granted by Major Paris, I would go with them.   I agreed, and shortly after saw Major Paris, l who said he would allow them to go, providing I went in command. I agreed, and we started about 2pm. One captain of the 4th Scottish Rifles, staff officer to Major Paris, also accompanied us.   We reached the memorable camp of General Cronje about an hour later, and after placing a couple of lookouts on points of vantage, I allowed the party to scatter and look for curios. We were about sixty five all told, chiefly New Zealanders, scouts, and some Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who were attached to me under Lieutenant Holroyd.   After spending about half an hour, I gave orders to return- the column had meanwhile gone on—and after some little difficulty got the party collected, and we started back through the river, when I at once extended the men and sent out the necessary scouts.   When almost opposite Kitchener’s Kop (so called, being the position held by Lord Kitchener during the shelling of Cronje’s camp and trenches along the river banks), firing was reported on our left, and shortly after I noticed two of four men, New Zealanders, I had sent forward on our left point coming on at a gallop…” ‘A Fight to a Finish” by Major C G Dennison. “Were with a patrol of about 60 men. Hearing that the left flank was being attacked, Captain Dennison rode out to it. About 60 of the enemy cut them off, and they eventually surrendered.” “SA Surrenders” (WO108-372).   According to the SAFF Casualty Roll one man was killed and Captain Dennison and 4 men (one of them severely wounded) were taken prisoner. One of the prisoners, a New Zealander, 2634 Tpr Frank Perham covered the incident and his early release by the Boers in a book “The Kimberley Flying Column”
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  28 APRIL 1901 - DEFENCE OF THE MAGISTRACY: MAHLABATINI

  By archie777 · Posted 44 minutes ago

  One of the most serious conflicts in which the Natal Police took part in was the defence of the magistracy at Mahlabatini on 28 April 1901. About a score of the police under Sgt Locke were brigaded at Dundee and received orders to entrain for Zululand.   From the Tugela they rode up to Melmoth, where a standing camp was pitched for some weeks until further orders were received for them to go on a four days’ patrol to Mahlabatini.    A camp was established outside the courthouse and every morning before dawn a four-man patrol was sent along the road towards Emtonjeneni. This patrol went out as usual on the day of the attack. As the men were riding past a mealie patch, about two miles from the camp, a shot was fired, and one of the patrol galloped back to camp reporting the incident.    The whole force quickly moved out under Sergeant Locke, with Mr. Wheelwright, the magistrate, and Colonel Bottomley. They rode quickly down the road, made a thorough search of the mealie patch.   Finding nothing they went along the veldt towards the Emtonjeneni store, about three miles away, until they came to where the road divides with the main track passing to the left, and a path going straight on through some wattle trees.    The magistrate, with four men, went to the left, galloping to the top of a ridge, where they came under a hail of bullets. The sun was just rising, showing the troopers up very clearly on the skyline, and providing an excellent target for the Boers, who were concealed in the trees.   On hearing shots, the advance party of the men who had gone along the path got into skirmishing order, and entered the trees, where they were ambushed.    They were shot down to a man, every one of them receiving two or more wounds. The remainder of the troop hastily opened out, and arrived on the scene at a gallop, just as a Boer named Van Niekerk, more courageous than the others, came out of the trees to demand the surrender of the whole troop.  This was refused, so he instantly fired, hitting one of the horses; but he in return received a bullet fired by Trooper J. Smith.   The police dismounted and took cover, spreading well out and firing at the slightest movement of the enemy. After some hours the Boers were driven off and the dead and wounded troopers were placed in a police wagon. Sergeant Locke had been very badly injured within an hour of the opening of hostilities.   He was found lying on the ground with his head on his saddle, and Van Niekerk, also badly wounded, being near him. Sergeant Locke was with difficulty lifted on to the wagon, which went slowly towards the camp, but as the jolting was so bad a stretcher was improvised.   No natives had been seen about all day, but fortunately at this moment a party of thirty of them in full war paint appeared. They were told to carry the stretcher in which Sergeant Locke was lying, but they were in a violent frame of mind.   Killed: Sergeant Collett (seven wounds in one leg), Troopers Cameron, Salmond and Nelson. Mortally wounded: Sergeant Locke and Trooper Aldwinkle. Wounded: Trooper Smith.   Sergeant Locke died the same evening and Trooper Aldwinkle about a month later. Trooper Smith recovered and became a warder at the central gaol at Pietermaritzburg.   The defence had been maintained by 3 non-commissioned officers and 19 troopers of the Natal Police. It was afterwards discovered that the enemy had numbered about 150 (some reports suggest 400), and the little British force killed nine of them.   The rest went back, and, thinking they had been opposed by a regiment, shot their native spies, who had told them that there were only a few men of the police there. When they discovered how many troopers there really were at Mahlabatini they sent along a disconcerting message to the effect that they would pay a visit to the camp on the first moonlight night and wipe out every man there. In “The Nongqai” – the official police magazine – a photograph of the survivors appeared along with a brief account of the action which read as follows: “The Magistracy, Mahlabatini, Zululand, was attacked by a large force of Boers at 5am yesterday. The defence was maintained by a detachment of the Natal Police Field Force, comprising 3 N.C.O’s, 19 men and 2 civil servants.   The fighting lasted 6 hours, and resulted in the defeat and repulse of the Boers, who numbered 400 strong (according to computation of prisoners captured).
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  22 APRIL 1901 - REEBOKFONTEIN BETWEEN CYFERKUIL AND KLERKSDORP

  By archie777 · Posted 1 hour ago

  On 22 April 22 two hundred men of the 8th M.I. were escorting a supply convoy from Cyferkuil to Klerksdorp when it was attacked on Reebokfontein Farm by 700 of De la Rey’s burghers.   During the fight Lieutenant Percy Goodwyn, who was in command of the left flank guard, saw sixty Boers making for a kopje which commanded the position from which the British guns were firing.   Gathering ten of his men, he raced the enemy for the top of the hill. As the East Lancashires galloped for the kopje, Corporal Connery received five wounds, and his horse was hit twice, but still he rode on.   Both sides arrived simultaneously, and, although overwhelmed by numbers, Goodwyn and his men maintained their position long enough for the guns to withdraw.  The Boers massed 180 men against the little band, who were eventually rushed with the loss of two killed, three wounded and the remainder taken prisoners, but not before Private Burrows had collected rifle bolts from the casualties and thrown them away to prevent the enemy getting them.   For gallantry on this occasion, Lieutenant Goodwyn was awarded the DSO and Corporal Connery and Private Burrows were Mentioned in Despatches and received Special Promotion from Lord Kitchener for Distinguished Conduct in the Field. Red Roses on the Veldt, p277.
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  21 APRIL 1901 - NELSKOP, CALVINIA

  By archie777 · Posted 1 hour ago

  On 21 April 1901 Commandant Manie Maritz with 10 mounted men surprised a 15-man patrol of the Western Province Mounted Rifles who were on their way to the farm Nelskop, some 40 km south of Brandvlei in the direction of Calvinia.   After a short skirmish the majority of the WPMR men remounted and made for a nearby hill, Swartkop. Maritz and five men charged in parallel and ascended Swartkop on the opposite side as the British.   As Maritz dismounted near the summit, he received a flesh wound in the arm. One of his men helped him to get up and as he started a charge up-hill he received two further light wounds in the arm and back.   He again got up and stormed the WPMR men. At this stage he was joined by the rest of his party and after a short exchange of fire the WPMR party surrendered.  The British losses were two men killed, Lt Tidmarsh and 2 men wounded, and 9 men taken prisoner.   The Boers gained 13 horses and 13 rifles with ammunition. Maritz was the only casualty on the Boer side, and he was nursed on a nearby farm T’Boop by the owner’s wife, Mrs Hessie Nel. Later in the war the farm was to become a hospital for wounded Boer rebels. Translated from Memoirs of Commandant Manie Maritz.
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  12 APRIL 1901 - RUIGTESPRUIT

  By archie777 · Posted 1 hour ago

  After the successful Rietspruit action Lt-Col Monro set out again 2 nights later towards Ventershoek. In the Ruigtespruit vicinity the party became entangled in difficult country, and owed its escape with but seven casualties largely to its being mistaken for friends by the Boers, who were met with in considerable strength.  Official History, Vol IV, p163.