30 DECEMBER 1901 - ZOUTPANDRIFT

[archie777]

Stirling’s “The Colonials in South Africa” p261, in the section dealing with Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts, incorrectly states “On the 20th December 3 men were killed and Lieutenant J Sampson and 6 men were wounded at Zoutpans Drift”.

 

The incident actually took place on 30 December and is, strangely enough, not covered in the standard Boer War sources.

 

However, according to the “mentions” obtained by 3 men (LG 25 April 1902, p2770, 2777 and 2778) the Scouts held a ridge against a much superior force of the enemy for over half-an-hour.

 

When Lieutenant Sampson was wounded, he was bandaged by Corporal E P Berlyn under very heavy fire.

 

Berlyn then carried Sampson under cover, being twice wounded in doing so, and continued to give directions as to the wounded men.

 

Walter Chapman enlisted in the Imperial Light Infantry on 20 November 1900, serving until his discharge on 19 August 1901.

 

Some 3 weeks later, on 9 September 1901, he enlisted in Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts. 

 

He was one of the three men killed in the Zoutpandrift skirmish and is buried on the farm Rietfontein.