Thank you for your contributions to SAMHSEC IN 2024 and all the best for 2025!
Passing of Richard Tomlinson
We regret the passing of Richard Tomlinson on 23 December 2024. SAMHSEC was privileged to have had Richard as a founder member. His knowledge of South African fortifications was surpassed only by his willingness to share his knowledge.
16 December 1939
Commemoration of 16 December 1838 is so significant in this country that other events on 16 December are overlooked.
On 16 December 1939, Major Basil Schonland and Professor GR Bozzoli tested the prototype radar they had developed in just three months on the Wits University Campus; see Brian Austin’s 9 March 2016 presentation to the Cape Town Branch on 75 Years of South African radar:
http://samilitaryhistory.org/16/c16aprne.html
Sir Basil Ferdinand Jamieson Schonland OMG, CBE, FRS (1896–1972) was born in Grahamstown. He matriculated at the age of 14 from St Andrew’s College and studied at Rhodes University and Cambridge.
SAMHSEC meeting 9 December 2024
Claude Wessels told us about the SAAF Museum Port Elizabeth, see https://saafmuseum.org.za/about/the-history-of-the-saaf-museum/history-ofthe- port-eizabeth-museum/
Claude encouraged joining The Friends of the PE SAAF Museum, who are volunteers committed to the protection of our aviation heritage by marketing and maintaining the Museum.
Stephen Bowker shared an overview of SAMHSEC’s field trip to the Lower Fish River area on 17 November 2024. Stephen writes:
“The itinerary was to visit Cuylerville, Cawood’s Post, K Drift (K Drift because of sensitivity of original name) and Waterloo Bay on the Great Fish River.
At Cuylerville, named after Colonel Jacob Cuyler, we visited St Mary’s Anglican Church, built of stone from the area on the allotment of 1820 Settler Bailey’s Party. The Church served as a place of refuge for Settler families during the 7th Frontier War. St Mary’s was also used as a school and prominent missionaries of the times led worship there, including Reverend Boardman of Bathurst. We appreciated the wel maintained pews, gleaming white walls, yellowwood ceiling and the original organ.
A ten-minute walk from the church is the cemetery, where prominent Eastern Cape historian Edward Morse Jones and William Fletcher of the Black Watch are buried. The lychgate has memorials to the defenders the laager at the Church during the 7th Frontier War.
After stopping at Cawood’s Post, where the remains of the Post are inaccessible due to heavy overgrowth, we moved to K Drift Post, which was built in 1815 to prevent Xhosa raiding parties from entering the Colony. It was burned down in 1835, then rebuilt and occupied by the Grahamstown Levy under command of Field-Captain Thomas Bowker, better known as Holden, in the 7th Frontier War. It became a station for the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police in 1865.
The K Drift Cemetery has graves of soldiers from the 72nd Highlanders, the Royal African Corps, the FAMP and others.
When Thomas Bowker appeared before the Committee set up in 1854 to investigate how to defend the Eastern Frontier, he recommended “an active mounted and armed police force to patrol the area; men with fighting experience, commanded by a man with frontier warfare experience.” In 1855, the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police was established under the command of Commandant (later Sir) Walter Currie.
We then moved to the east bank of the Fish River where we discussed the use of Waterloo Bay to land supplies for Grahamstown and Peddie during the 7th Frontier War. The bay is inaccessible due to vandalisation of the abandoned Fish River Sun.”
Extracts from the field trip handout
Cuylerville
The Algoa Gazetteer by CJ Skead, Bluecliff Publishing, 2005, pg 120:
“Cuylerville, Ba, 3327/2701 17 ene Pt Alfred. On Bailie’s Location, 5 km from the sea. Was Harden’s Plot no 2.A5.13, folio 241 of Bailie’s Party. The name Cuyler Town first proposed Rev Wm Shaw 1875:35 “…on evening of 28 April [1820] arrived at a deserted farm called Korn Place [=Koornplaats] …under mud walls, not long since consumed by the enemy. Here the immigrants decided to sit down permanently and called the embryo village Cuylerville on compliment to Col Cuyler.”
1820 Settler Party: Bailey
https://www.1820settlers.com/genealogy/...
See SAMHS’ Zoom library for more on 1820 Settlers:
a. The Elizabeth Salt Saga 1819-2021 by Pat Irwin
b. The Great Sea Trek by Eric Kelly
c. The military service of the Wiggill 1820 Settler family by Mac Alexander
d. 1820 British Settler Bowker family in the Eastern Cape by Stephen Bowker
See Bailie’s Party of 1820 Settlers by M.D. Nash, Balkema, 1977.
Cawood’s Post
Skead, op cit, pg 96:
“Cawood’s Post. Ba. 3326/2657 25 nne Pt Alfred. Govt Ground GR105/1935 &
26/1943. Sub divs: Cawood’s Post: Cawood’s Post South: Fort A & Fort B.
Cawood’s Post: Hope Royal: Milton. Rockville annex. Alexander 1840.2:51 “..to
Cawood’s near K Drift”. Jones EM 1971:81/2. Named after David Cawood. Mitford-
Barberton & White 1968.1:10 for 31.12.1816. A new post was built at K Drift to
replace K Drift Post, formerly K Drift Station, west of Kap River [= Cawood’s Post].
op cit.pg5 for 31.11.1812. Was an outstation of a line of defended posts known as
the Kowie Line. Lewcock 1963:168 mentions the fort there as Fort Cawood.
“Cawood’s Post Cemetery, Ba. v Cawood’s Post. Stands on the Old Cawood’s Post
property. A large notice board on the righthand side of the road leading to K Drift
and one km from the Martindale-Shaw Park intersection points to the whereabouts
of the cemetery. Was well-kept in the 1970s.”
eGGSA Graves – Eastern Cape
Cemetery information: 'From the earliest British administration, fortifications were planned. Colonel Graham instituted a series of frontier posts from which patrols could guard the drifts across the Fish River. They were first manned by burghers (civilians) from George and Swellendam, and later by troops. These posts were either rehabilitated farmhouses of wattle and daub, or stone-built shelters enclosed by primitive earthen redoubts. Van Aardt’s Post, near the present Longhope siding, was the furthest north and was the recognised crossing place for communication between the colonialists and the Xhosa. Three other posts were the abandoned farm of Conraad Buys; Kranz Drift near the present Pigot Bridge, and Old K Drift Post, which was later called Cawood’s Post. This was about an hour’s ride from Upper K Drift Post, established about two years later on the heights overlooking the actual drift, and is not to be confused with Lower K Drift, about 3 km further down the Fish River and about 13 km from the mouth. (Source: Strategic Military Colonisation -Robson & Oranje) Album complete. eGGSA captions by: Annel Meyer. The GGSA Cemetery DVD only has information on the cemetery location. Cemetery ID: 5883 Google Earth Cemetery Initiative Information:-GPSID: 7050 GPS: Approximately -33 24.835, 26 55.743
K Drift
Forts of the Eastern Cape: Securing a Frontier 1799-1878 Colin Coetzee pg 268:
“K Drift. Ba. 3327/2702. 25 ne Pt Alfred: 21 ene Bathurst. Drift on Great Fish River
from Bathurst to Peddie in the Ciskei. Once tidal to the drift itself but by the 1980s
siltation had set the ebb-and-flow mark well downriver. A rubble causeway enabled
vehicles, including motorcars, to cross. Grocott’s Mail 03.09.1967 refers to
unveiling on 02.09.1967 by Mr JMP Bowker of a monolith at the drift beside the
deproclaimed road below K Drift Police Station which stood on the heights: “K
Drift. For years the main gateway to K and the most exposed outpost of the Albany
Settlement. Presented by Mr Reg Bowker, 1957”
Waterloo Bay and the Fish River Mouth during the 7th Frontier War
See 'A strange medley of filth and confusion: the history of Waterloo Bay and the Fish River mouth' http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol085vw.html
SAMHSEC meeting 13 January 2025
Dylan Fourie is to tell us about Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of World War 2.
Dylan has accepted a teaching post at Tarkastad High School from January 2005.
We wish Dylan all the best with his new career and look forward to a SAMHSEC
member sharing the military history of the Midlands with us.
SAMHSEC RPC 27 January 2025
SAMHSEC Requests the Pleasure of your Company to talk about military history on 27 January 2025.
RPC meetings are opportunities for you to share your knowledge of a military history subject or book with fellow military historians. Presentations should last approximately 15 minutes to allow time for sharing the pleasure of one another’s company. You can do any number of RPC presentations per year. Please contact André at andrecrozier@gmail.com if you want to share your knowledge.
SAMHSEC
Chairman, Acting Scribe and Field Trip Coordinator: Malcolm Kinghorn culturev@lantic.net
Secretary: Stephen Bowker stephen@stephenbowker.co.za
Members’ memories of Richard
Sad indeed. RIP
Dear Richard willingly shared so much with us on every trip he came on. Really sorry to hear of Richard's passing. He shared so much knowledge with me about fortifications. May he RIP
One thing that stands out for me is the way he used to bring interesting literature to our Conyngham Rd meetings and give it away for free
Condolences to his family and may they be at peace with the wonderful legacy he left in his historical works ... A treasure of history
Very sad. He was a lovely, gentle man and extremely generous with his vast knowledge. We will miss him with fondness
A true gentleman so able to share his vast knowledge willingly. Condolences to his family. RIP Richard
Always enjoyed a knowledgeable, friendly chat. Will always be remembered Rest in peace, Richard. You will be missed by many, Sir! Your legacy of friendliness, kindness and willingness to share your knowledge will live on for many years to come
RIV Richard. Jy was 'n ware heer
My condolences to the Tomlinson family. In spite of that, wishing them a blessed Christmas
Sincere condolences to family
Research assistance request
Please contact Willem (072 901 9337) directly:
From: willem hutten Perhaps you can help with a couple of questions I have regarding some research
projects I have at the moment. I am investigating several battles, including the
1806 Battle of Blaauwberg, the 1823 Battle of Dithakong, the 1845 skirmish at
Zwartkopjes and the 1848 Battle of Boomplaats. The focus of all of these is from
an archaeological perspective, but I try to incorporate as much historical
information as possible.
Could you please assist (if possible) with:
• Contact or contact details for the Castle Museum
• Do you know of any person who has investigated any of these battles (not
necessarily archaeologically)
• I have collected much information already from the archives, National
Library and other institutions, but do you know of any more information
that could be available
SAMHSEC