21-23 NOVEMBER 1900 - DE WETSDORP

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“Major WG Massey is in command of the garrison consisting of three companies of the Gloucester Regiment, one of the Highland Light Infantry, 50 mounted infantry, a few police and other soldiers totalling about 450 men with two guns and a Maxim.

 

He has positioned his main force on the heights west of De Wetsdorp with a smaller force on the eastern side. Chief Cmdt Christiaan R de Wet, with Lategan and Philip Botha, attack from three sides on 21 November, taking one defensive post after the other.

 

Approaching from the east on 22 November, Field Cornet Wessel Wessels surrounds and captures an isolated post on Lonely Hill and the British are also soon forced to abandon their post called Crow’s Nest. The Boers can now approach the main eastern position along a donga and the Highlanders abandon this strongpoint and fall back to the main position to the west.

 

Here, the trenches are overcrowded and efforts to extend their positions are hampered by a shortage of picks and shovels. On 23 November a Gloucester trench north of town is taken after some resistance and the burghers can now direct plunging fire into the main position.

 

On the eastern side, the Boer Krupp opens fire from Lonely Hill and, as the day progresses, the defenders’ supply of water and ammunition becomes critical. At 16:00, a junior officer in an isolated gun pit raises the white flag but it is immediately ordered down.

 

Soon afterwards on an absurd report that the burghers are murdering the wounded it is raised again and Dewetsdorp, named after his father, is captured by Chief Commandant CR de Wet.

 

British losses amount to 14 killed, 52 wounded, 30 slightly wounded and 384 taken prisoner.”
“The Anglo-Boer War: a Chronology” by Pieter G Cloete.