by Allan Gordon | Mar 7, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 2 March 1902 Lieutenant-General Methuen left Vryburg with a column to locate Boer General de la Rey who was engaged in guerrilla tactics in the Western Transvaal (now North West). His force comprised over 100 men, with most of them mounted. However many of...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 6, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Houtwater was a farm in the Northern Cape, 20 km from Britstown. Britstown was established as a ‘stop over’ between Cape Town and Kimberley during the days of the ‘Diamond Rush’. During the South African War Britstown was the base for British Forces, for...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 6, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Frederick Walter Kitchener died on 6 March 1912. He was the young brother of Lieutenant-General (Lord) Horatio Herbert Kitchener who executed the policy of concentration camps and the scorched earth policy of the South African War, initiated by Lord...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 5, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General Arthur Singleton Wynne was born on 5 March 1846. He served in the South African War and was given command of the 11th Infantry Brigade when General Woodgate was killed at the Battle of Spioen Kop. His brigade was very active during the Battle of...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 4, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Major-General Hector McDonald, or ‘Fighting Mac’ as he was more commonly known, was born on 4 March 1853. He served in the First Boer War (1880–81), and at the Battle of Majuba Hill. The Boer General Joubert, after arresting McDonald, gave him back his sword, after...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 4, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 4 March 1900 a British force commanded by Brigadier-General Brabant attacked a Commando of Boers at Labuschagne’s Nek. Labuschagne’s Nek is in the Eastern Cape near the town of Dordrecht, and after the Battle of Stormberg (which is in the same area) in...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 1, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
1 March 1900, Ladysmith, after 118 days of being besieged, was finally relieved. The Boers had fired the last shell from the Long Tom on Bulwana Hill before dismantling it and preparing it for the move. Boer convoys had been seen moving from their camps around...
by Allan Gordon | Mar 1, 2020 | Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Arthur Henry Paget was born on 1 March 1851. He saw action in the South African War and was in command of a Division in the Relief of Kimberley.
by Allan Gordon | Feb 28, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Edmond Knox was born on this day. During the South African War he was part of the force that relieved Kimberley. Thereafter he was at Paardeberg where he was wounded on 18 February 1900.
by Allan Gordon | Feb 28, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 28 February 1900 the Boer commanders ordered their troops to withdraw to the Biggarsberg, a mountain range close to the town of Dundee – the Battle of Talana. The Boers were able to regroup as the British forces did not go in pursuit.
