KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCH

Newsletter No. 558
May 2025

NOTICE OF JUNE MEETING

1. The June meeting of the SAMHS KZN Branch will take place on SATURDAY 14th June2025.

As promised the meeting will feature the highly anticipated presentation by Lt Col (Ret) Clive Wilsworth on the flying boat era on Durban Bay. During WW2 and for a number of years afterwards the port of Durban featured the thundering roar of the civilian C-Class as well as the Air Force Catalina and Sunderland flying boats which were based at the end of the Maydon Channel where remnants of the hangars and other infrastructure still exist. The subject was extensively researched by KZN Branch fellow member the late John Buchan who presented a few talks but sadly passed on before he could complete the project of publishing a book. After his passing the fruits of his work were passed to Clive Wilsworth, an already accomplished author, to complete the task. Clive used the data together with research of his own, to produce the recently launched “Cat on the Step – The Story of the Flying Boats of Durban Bay,” citing John Buchan as co-author.

The book will have its Durban launch at the meeting immediately after the talk.
The book is not available at bookshops,but copies will be available at the launch where a card payment machine will be available. Copies can be pre-ordered to be available at the meeting by urgently contacting.
clivewilsworth2024@gmail.com

The illustrated volume costs R385.00 plus courier costs if not obtained at the meeting (approx. R68).

The meeting will take place on SATURDAY 14th June 2025 at 1.30 for 2.00pm

The venue remains the St Cyprians Church Hall off Umbilo Rd, with secure parking and liquid refreshments for cash.

Entry is free and open to all, with visitors welcome, but a donation of R10 for a raffle and R10 for the car guard are requested from all attendees.

To facilitate provision of seating, visitors are requested to advise their intention to attend to Phil Everitt on Cell or WhatsApp: 0844371636 (WhatsApp preferred)

2. NEWS

PAST MEETING - MAY 2025 AGM (KZN BRANCH)

The Chair Phil Everitt opened the AGM, welcoming members and announcing apologies. He reminded members that it was the 80th Anniversary of VE Day and asked that those who had served and especially those who had made the supreme sacrifice be remembered. The AGM then took place.It was a short meeting as the report on activities and finances which had been circulated previously were taken as read. In the absence of Treasurer Donald Davies who is working in Nigeria, but attending to finances online Phil also presented a detailed Financial Report (attached) to the meeting, which was accepted by members. In summary, the finances of the Branch are in good shape with healthy reserves and income is just managing to cover expenses, although the grant from National HQ has declined substantially due to members passing away, moving, and some resignations. He stressed that efforts need to be made to increase membership and even visitor attendance at meetings.

There being no items submitted or from the floor the vice-chair, Charles Whiteing, took the floor to request votes for the position of chairperson. Members unanimously voted Phil Everitt to the chair,and he thanked them for their confidence. Phil then took the Chair and after calling for nominations for the committee, the committee for 2025-26 was elected. The existing members were all available for re-election and were elected en-bloc, and new member Matthew Everitt (no relation to the chair) was nominated, elected and welcomed! Phil also thanked others including Ulric Duebi, Audrey Fuller and his wife Heather for their help with setting up before and dismantling the venue afterwards. The meeting was then closed.

Main Talk:
David Hulme then delivered his fascinating, well researched, presentation titled “Warfare in the Classical World” which was supported by excellent Power Point visuals. The talk ranged over the rise and fall of the ancient civilisations finally ending with the Romans. He dealt in detail with the military forces and weapons with the rise and fall of the Egyptian chariots which were superseded by the much more manoeuvrable cavalry especially with the advent of stirrups. The Greeks developed the Hoplite infantry armed with small shields and spears. The Romans refined the tactic with larger shields and the more flexible Legions. The Greeks, Egyptians and Romans introduced the war elephant using Indian and African Elephants. These were originally faced by Alexander the Great in his battles in the Indian sub-continent. David also dealt with the common misconceptions in modern literary illustrations where clothing and armour bear little resemblance to that used. The highly informative talk was extremely well received by the audience, and it is likely that we will invite David again.

3. Forthcoming Events
KZN Branch of SAMHS

* The 12^th July meeting will feature a presentation by registered battlefield tour guide Warwick Baker on the Zulu Civil Wars,especially, the slaughter at Ndondakasuka near Tugela mouth, which preceded Cetewayo’s rise to power.

* During August the SAMHS, Gunners Assoc and others are invited to join with the SA National Society for their Ken Gillings Memorial lecture. This year it is scheduled to take place on the morning of 23rd August at St Margaret’s Church, Delaware Ave, Virginia. Phil Everitt has been invited to present a power point on talk on master mariner T B Davis. He was the millionaire businessman and resident of Durban who was responsible for purchasing and presenting the old light cruiser HMS Thames to South Africa, where it became the SATS General Botha, Training School, just one of his many philanthropic acts. Although he had risen from poverty, he also became a friend and yachting rival of King George V and donor of Howard College to Durban in memory of his son Howard who was killed at the battle of the Somme.

4. Rhumbelow Theatre World at War this month (Cunningham Rd, Umbilo)
Tuesday 17th June 2025, at 18:30.
Episode – 21 Nemis Germany Feb -May 1945.
Episode – 22 Japan 1941 -1945

Please contact me if you wish to attend. Entrance will be free for SAMHS, MOTHs and veterans and I can negotiate for others.

Secure parking and Full Bar facilities available for cash.

5. Society for the Preservation of Militaria,
Saturday 21 June at 1400
Clive Wilsworth will also be at the SPM meeting in on 21 June 2025.The venue is the Amabutho Mess at QNMR (previously NMR HQ opposite the Durban Country Club).

Information from Matthew Everitt Phone or WhatsApp 0826533599.

Details of all the future SAMHS events will be covered in the relevant monthly Newsletters.

That’s all for now folks, see you on the 14th June and bring a friend! Regards Phil P R Everitt, Chair KZN Branch, SAMHS Cell/WhatsApp:  0844371636

Ancient warfare including arms, unit organisation and tactics which were not static. There was constant development of the various aspects throughout the period, with changing tactics and new threats influencing both the development of arms and the organisation of units used.

His presentation will deal with the development of Greek and Roman warfare during the period 600 BCE to 400 CE. This period saw the introduction of the Greek Hoplite phalanx which developed into the Macedonian pike phalanx, giving way in turn to the Roman legion. This period saw the infantry become the ‘Queen of Battle’ in contrast to previous Bronze Age chariot dominated warfare. Heavy infantry remained the main arm of the military throughout the period although cavalry and missile troops were important supporting elements. The end of the period featured more numerous and more heavily armoured cavalry, which anticipated the pre-eminence of heavy cavalry in the feudal period. Having seen other presentations by David on this period of history I can assure members that they are in for a unique, interesting and absorbingafternoon with excellent visual backup, which will illustrate the foundations of the modern military. This is definitely a “not to be missed”!

NEWSLETTER

Previous Meeting on 12th April 2025

The DDH consisted of a video on the “cash and carry” programme set up with the USA to fund the start of WW2, with strict payment provisions due to Britain defaulting on their WW1 Loans. But owing to the rapid bankruptcy of Great Britain with most of the gold shipped to Canada ending up in Fort Knox, President Roosevelt set up the “lend lease” programme which allowed supplies to be provided against long term loans which were only eventually paid off in 2006! The subject was topical in the light of President Trump’s handling of support for the Ukraine.

The main talk after the short break was by Col Brian Adams and was based on his personal experiences with the Bushmen Battalion during the Border War This was one of the elite units formed by South Africa during the Border War, which harnessed the unique talents of the San/Bushmen who were being forced from their age-old way of life into the rough and tumble of the modern world by the events unfolding in Angola with the collapse of the Portuguese colonies.Prior to enlisting in the SADF most had assisted the Portuguese forces in Angola and after the revolution in Portugal they found partners with the SADF who gave weapons and training.

To encourage espirit de corps, the unit developed their own badge and headgear as well as operational doctrine. Although their fighting spirit, tenacity and weapons handling was second to none, and they did excel in contacts with the enemy, their real deployment was in tracking where they were unrivalled and could follow a spoor at a run. They gave excellent service in conjunction with 32 “Buffalo Bn” and other elements of the SA and SWAT forces. When the war came to an end most were relocated to South Africa but unfortunately have in most instances not been properly rewarded.

ADVANCE NOTICE OF JUNE 2025 SPEAKER <

Regards
Phil
P R Everitt
Chair KZN Branch SAMHS
Cell or WhatsApp: 0844371636
Email: everitt@iafrica.com