19 MARCH 1902 - GARIES VICINITY

[archie777]

A patrol left Garies on 18 March 1902 and during an engagement at Brandy Wyn’s Kop, Lieutenant Charles Darter was killed in the “the Gorge”… after the engagement they encamped in the gorge and buried Lieutenant Darter at 12pm.

 

On 19 March 1902 they were nearly surrounded at Rietkloof by the Boers, who failed also to occupy Brandy Wyn’s Kop.

 

Captain Montagu led the Cape Police to capture a kopje occupied by the Boers;  he was successful with no one being hit.

 

The Boers were unable to bottle up the column. The column retired from Brandy Wyn’s Kop with the assistance of Lieutenant Maddison, who held the pass in advance of the withdrawal.

 

Captain Montagu and his men covered the retreat. Sergeant Bidmead was mortally wounded and Corporal Kenney slightly wounded.

 

At a subsequent time, Commandant de Villiers told Major Cobbe that he thought the attack on the Kopje one of the smartest things he had seen. Garies was reached but Sergeant Bidmead died. 
“O’Okiep” by Brian Kieran, p.46