30 SEPTEMBER 1901 - MOEDWIL

[archie777]

On the afternoon of 29 September 1901, Col R G Kekewich halted on Moedwil Farm, 25km west of Rustenburg, near a drift across the Selons River.

 

There he made preparations for a bivouac site. The column of 930 men was composed mostly of infantry, mounted infantry, artillery and Yeomanry (the 27th and 48th Coys, 7th Bn, Imperial Yeomanry).

 

De la Rey ordered his subordinate, Gen J Kemp, to attack the bivouac site. A patrol of Yeomanry alerted the British troops about a party of burghers advancing towards their camp. General Kemp, with 280 men, had sent out two outflanking wings to surround the British camp, while the main thrust, in the centre, attacked from Selons River.

 

With a group of orderlies, cooks and batmen, Maj C N Watts soon realised that his own quarter was in little danger and swung around to attack the Boer left along the banks of the river, with support from the infantry, mounted infantry and the Yeomanry.

 

The Boer line along this flank was enfiladed and the burghers were forced to retire after sustaining losses amounting to eleven killed, 35 wounded, and ten taken prisoner. 

 

The British lost 61 killed or mortally wounded – there were twelve Imperial Yeomanry fatalities amongst them – and 158 wounded, including Kekewich himself.

 

Having lost 327 horses and hundreds of draught animals, Kekewich moved to Magatos Nek near Rustenburg to be refitted.