13 JANUARY 1902 - DOORNFONTEIN

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“Lieutenant-Colonel Sitwell, operating in the Kimberley district, has, during the month of January, covered the passage of two convoys into Griquatown.

 

On the first occasion he met with a somewhat stubborn resistance at Doornfontein, about midway between Campbell and Griquatown, where on the afternoon of the 13th January he was opposed by De Villiers, who, with 400 rebels, held an entrenched position on a ridge completely commanding the line of advance.

 

The enemy maintained their ground with great determination, although the 22nd Battalion Mounted Infantry succeeded in establishing themselves within a comparatively short distance of their defences, but at 6.40pm, on the arrival of a small detachment of the Royal Munster Fusiliers the position was carried by a well-executed bayonet charge.

 

Our losses in this engagement were 1 Officer and 5 men killed, and 6 men wounded. The enemy removed their killed and wounded but are reported to have 5 of the former and 30 to 40 of the latter. 50 Boer horses were found to have been killed in rear of their position, and 18 others were captured.”

Kitchener’s Despatch of 8 February 1902 (London Gazette, 25 March 1902).

5755 Pte. J. Moate, Munster Fus. 

 

Private Moate was killed in the bayonet charge and is buried in the West End Cemetery in Kimberley.