Dear Fellow-member ,

"THE EAST AFRICA CAMPAIGN: 1914-1917" was the subject matter for Col. W. P. Lunn-Rockliffe's talk to the Society at the October Meeting.

For those of you who heard this most interesting and educational talk, supplemented by first-class slides, will agree with me that it was informative (most informative) and was a subject of which the Colonel is indeed an authority.

It was obvious that a great deal of home-work had been necessary and there must have been nights and nights of preparation. We are indeed thankful for the story of this little-known side of the First World War in Africa and we hope to hear from the Colonel again one day.

Colonel Lunn-Rockliffe, who is a member of the Society, is an officer in the British Regular Army and has been in the Artillery since 1938. He served with the B.E.F. Force in France in 1940, in the Tunisian Campaign of 1942/3 and later in Sicily and Italy. Since the end of the war he has seen service in Germany, NATO Headquarters and at the Ministry of Defence in London.

At present he is the British Military Attache in South Africa. We had two people present who had served in the East African Campaign of 1914-17and they were Mr. Graham, father of one of our members and that old stalwart member of ours, Mr. Stan Beadle.

It has been a practice of the Society to have a short address, talk or films etc. for some 10 to 15minutes prior to the general business of the evening and then the main speaker to have the floor for the remainder of the evening.

At the October evening, Mr. C. Rattray gave us a most interesting talk on the terrain in the vicinity of Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift and his knowledge of the area is quite remarkable, partly because he owns a farm in the area and there is no doubt that he will have no alrternative but to take a party of members down that way some time in the future.

Dr. Machanik thanked the speakers on behalf of the Society.

Our Durban Branch is most active. They meet on the same night as we do here in Johannesburg and most months they do a tour to some battlefield area. They welcome members to these tours but as a rule they do not know until the last few days before they do go somewhere, just where they are going. For those members who may be down Durban way, if you are keen, here are the names and telephone numbers of two of Durban's stalwart members and you may be lucky in accompanying them on a tour.

NAME	Tel. No. Business	Tel. No. Residential
Major Justin Hulme	31-4111	26-841
Major Daryl Hall	31-6785	63-940

On a business trip recently, your Chairman had the pleasure of spending a most enjoyable evening with these two members and the party was made a foursome by Ken Gillings, one of their very keen members. Where are your notes for the Newsletter, Ken?

The sounding of a call termed "Retreat" on bugles every evening throughout the British Army probably has its origin as far back as the sixteenth century. A seventeenth-century reference to the call is found in an order dated June 18, 1690, in a book of an officer in the Army of James II, which states: "The general to be beate att 3 clock in ye moming ... ye retreat to beate att 9 att night, and take it from ye gards."

Another seventeenth-century mention is contained in an order of William III of 1694, which reads: "The Drum-Major and Drummers of the Regiment which gives a Captain to the Main- Guard, are to beat the Retreat through the large street, or as may be ordered. They are to be answered by all the drummers of the other guards, and by four Drummers of each Regiment in their respective Quarters."

In 1727 Humphrey Bland published his "TREATISE OF MILITARY DISCIPLINE", where he writes: "The Retreat, or Tattoo, is generally at "ten-a clock at Night in the Summer and at Eight in Winter .. It is performed by ... "

He then repeats the routine stated in the order of William III. From this it is more than probable the "Retreat" mentioned in the orders of 1690 and 1694 is the same as what is now known as the Tattoo particularly from the fact that it was carried out at night and not in the evening at dusk.

The modern Retreat also originated in the sixteenth century, when it was called "Watch Setting", and is referred to in the "Rules of Ordynaunces for the Warre" .. of 1544 and by Robert Barret in his "Theorike and Practice of Moderns Warres" of 1598, where he says: "the Drumme Major of the Regiment had to advertise" (by beat of drum) those required for the Watch.

Notice of Shutting of Gates

Bland, in the work referred to above, describes this ceremony thus: "Half an hour before the Gates are to be shut, which is generally at the Setting of the Sun ... the Drummers of the Port-Guards are to go upon the Ramparts and beat a Retreat to give notice to those without that the Gates are to be shut ...

As soon as the Drummers have finished the Retreat, which they should do in less than a quarter of an hour, the officers must order the Barriers and Gates to be shut."

Bland, therefore refers to the ceremony performed after nightfall (at "ten-a clock") as "The Retreat or Tat-too", but that carried out at the "Setting of the Sun" as "beating a Retreat".

In the General Orders of the Duke of Cumberland a distinction is made between the two ceremonies: "The Retreat is to beat at Sunset", whereas "Tattoo is to beat at (ten, nine or eight) ‘clock at Night".
While the army was serving in Flanders the Duke's orders have these references to Retreat:

1745, Aug. 17. "Soldiers who take their arms out of the bell tents after Retreat to suffer death."
1747, May 5. "No drummers to practice ... after the Retreat."
1747, May 26 "If any officers meet soldiers strolling from Camp after Retreat beating ..."

Towards the latter part of the eighteenth century, Retreat and Tattoo appear to have been definitely separated and had become distinct ceremonies. In "An Universal Military Dictionary" of 1779 by Capt. George Smith, Inspector of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, he describes the Retreat.
Acknowledgment to "INDABA".

For the benefit of our new members we give hereunder the programme for the remainder of the year and will do so each month so that they will know what our future lectures are:-

Date	Topic	Speaker
October 8th	"THE EAST AFRICA CAMPAIGN 1914-1917"	Col. Lunn-Rockliffe
November 12th	"THE JAMESON RAID - NEW THOUGHTS"	Mr. P. Cartwright
December 3rd	"THE GREAT WAR - THE AIRFORCES"	Sqn-Leader D. Tidy

Please note that the December Meeting is on the first Thursday and not on the second as is our usual practice.

The Programme for 1971 is almost complete and this will be published in our next Newsletter. As is our usual practice, there will be no Meeting in January, 1971.

The success or otherwise of a campaign has never been a factor in determining the award of a British campaign medal.

It was originally intended to issue a special Gallipoli star and ribbon to members of the 1914 contingents of the Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Expeditionary Force who had fought in Gallipoli. The award was never issued as it was felt to be somewhat unfair to British, Indian and other troops who had fought in Gallipoli or in other theatres of war. The eventual result was the issue of the 1914-15 Star to all those of the British, Dominion, Colonial and Indian forces, including naval forces, who had served in any theatre of war up till 31 December 1915 and had not already been awarded the 1914 Star.

The Gallipoli Star, according to "Ribbons and Medals" (Captain H. Taprell Dorling ("Taffrail") and L.F. Guille) was to have been a bronze eight-pointed star with a circular centre inscribed "Gallipoli 1914-15" with a crown above. The yellow in the ribbon represented the wattle of Australia; grey, the fern leaf of New Zealand; red, the Army; and blue, the Navy.

The following tapes are available to members at the prescribed rates of R5-00 (five Rand) per tape. On the return of the tape, a refund of R3-00 will be made to the borrower:-

"RORKES DRIFT & ISANDHLWANA"	by Dr. G.A. Christidis
"GENERAL LOUIS BOTHA AND THE BATTLE OF COLENSO"	by Dr. C.J. Barnard
"UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE"	by Lt.-Gen. C.A. Fraser, SSA SM
"GENERAL DE VILLEBOIS-MAREUIL"	by Mr. R. McNab
"THE BATTLE OF MAGERSFONTEIN"	by Col. D.E. Peddle
"THE BATTLE OF SPIOENKOP"	by Dr. J. Barnard
"THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND"	by Mr. T. Tolhurst

All these were recorded at our Meetings when the respective Speakers addressed us. Others will be ready soon and you will be advised accordingly.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
Please notify change of address promptly and see that the new address is printed; and not written.

LECTURE - NOVEMBER
Details of this lecture:-

Venue : War Museum, Saxonwo1d, Johannesburg
Date : Thursday - 12th. November
Time : 8 p.m.
Topic : "THE JAMESON RAID - NEW THOUGHTS"
Lecturer : Mr. A. P. Cartwright

Kind regards.

B. G. Simpkins
CHAIRMAN