PAST EVENTS
1. Fresh ground was covered at our May meeting by fellow-member Bryan Cooke, himself a "new acquisition" from the Cape Town branch, who spoke to us on "Some Aspects of the German South West African Campaign, 1914/1915". Although relatively near "home", this campaign had not featured previously on our programmes and this talk was therefore received with great interest. A series of high-quality colour-slides illustrated both past history and present scenery.
In the briefest of terms an outline of the campaign is simple enough: After the outbreak of World War I, the government of the Union of South Africa undertook, on 6 August, 1914, to assume all obligations resting upon the British regular garrison in South Africa and on 10 August to send a military expedition of its own to German South West Africa. Soon after the preliminary occupation of Luderitz Bay the 1914 Boer rebellion interrupted operations but once this was overcome the campaign against the Germans developed rapidly and successfully. In January 1915 South African forces advanced into the country from different points and after a campaign of swift movement in semi-desert and waterless country forced the surrender of the Germans on 9 July, 1915.
However, Bryan supplied a mass of fascinating detail which gave colour and substance to the bare outline. Geological and climatic conditions have favoured the preservation of camp sites, entrenchments and gun positions, and all the debris associated with such localities. The most destructive agencies are provided by man himself, who, in the course of "progress and development" builds roads, railways, fences and factory sites and bulldozes much of the evidence of the historical events of yester-year. This destruction has even affected some of the beautifully executed, huge regimental crests and emblems laid out on hill-sides with differently coloured stones and rocks. Some have been preserved by having been proclaimed historical monuments, others have been irretrievably lost.
Natal was well represented by its Natal Carbineers, the Durban Light Infantry and the Umvoti Hounted Rifles. From amongst the better known Transvaal units came the Imperial Light Horse and the Transvaal Scottish. One novel feature of this campaign was the fact that the Union forces were under the command and led in the field by the country's Prime Minister-in-Office, General Louis Botha. Other famous names which cropped up were Smuts, Sir Duncan McKenzie, Lukin, van der Spuy, and even "Bomber" Harri s, who at that time was a teenage bugler! On the German side worth mentioning were von Heyde, Colonel Francke, and the one and only German airman, Willy Truck, who two years ago was still alive, aged 91, and living with his wife in Sea Point, Cape Town.
In this campaign South African forces used, for the first time in warfare, aircraft with home-made but quite effective bombs, an AA gun, the "Skinny Liz", which was a converted fieldgun from Wynberg, and a Rolls-Royce armoured car. Slow flying spotter planes could fly in the mornings and evenings, as the air was too hot for takeoffs during the day.
Philip Everett proposed a well-deserved vote of thanks to the speaker.
2. The field trip over the weekend 4th and 5th June took the place of our normal monthly meeting. The outing, under sparkling wea ther conditions, was highly successful and enjoyed by all.
A convoy of 16 vehicles assembled at "Clouston's", the koppie of remembrance, near Colenso. The object of the outing was to visit the front along which General Buller made his fourth, and this time successful, attempt to breach the Boer-held Tugela Line, in order to relieve Ladysmith in February, 1900. Specific localities, normally by-passed by visitors and battlefield-bashers, were Fort Wylie, the Colenso koppies (Tugela Heights or Rooi-rantjies), Wynne'sHill, the Pom-Pom Bridge, Fort Molyneaux, and the si te of the Boer sleeper-bridge near the beautiful Tugela Falls and the ruins of an old cotton mill. This most interesting tour was very ably led by our Chairman, 'SB' Bourquin, assisted by Ken Gillings, 'Midge' Carter and Steve Watt.
FUTURE EVENTS
Monthly get-together
JULY 14TH VIDEO FILM EVENING
"BREAKER MORANT"
The venue for the July meeting wiII be the Lecture Room, 'SB' Bourquin building, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. Friends arrd interested persons are welcome to come along.
FELICITATIONS
1. Congratulations are extended to fellow-member (formerly of this branch) COMMANDANT IAN COPLEY, F.R.C.S., who has been appointed Neurosurgeon to the Defence Force. Ian heads a new unit in a new hospital - a bit of military history, since there has never been a full-time neurosurgeon appointed before.
2. Congratulations are also extended to former Durban Branch member, MAJOR DARRELL HALL, on his appointment as NATIONAL CHAIRMAN of this Society.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt, Secretary: Durban branch, S.A. Military History Society, bOX 870, Hillcrest. 3650. Tel. ~03l) 742970
When our Chairman, SB, offered to give a talk on "Colonel Anthony Durnford", at our monthly meeting in April, he obviously had no intention of recountirrg in detail the Langalibalele RebellIon or the battle of Isandlwana normally associated with the name of "Durnford". The main object of the talk was to show what sort of a man Durnford was, and how circumstances often take a hand in shaping a man's career and destiny. Of course, the bushman's River Pass affair and the battle of Isandlwana were two cardinal events, which could not be left out altogether, because the one earned him much public rancour; the other cost him his life.
The Durnford family's association with Natal began when Midshipman Durnford had Point Durnford on the Zululand coast named after him in 1822, later followed by Port Durnford; and again when a Captain George Durnford in June 1842 led the Grenadier company from the 27th Foot from the Conch to relieve the small British garrison being besieged in the Fort at Port Natal. Then in 1871 our Captain Anthony William Durnford, R.E. arrived on the South African scene.
Before this point was reached, however, the story took us from Durnford's ancestral home in Ireland to his schooling in Germany, his training at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich, commission, service at various homestations, to his first overseas posting to Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka); his unfortunate marriage there; further postings to Malta and Gibraltar; growing domestic troubles, aggravated by his early gambling bouts; the tragic break-up of his marriage and a break-down of his health.
Then only came his posting to South Africa, where a degree of happiness, but a greater measure of tragedy lay in wait for him. The sincere friendship with the Colenso family and the gratitude of the hunted and oppressed Putini tribe, whom he helped, protected and uplifted, gave him comfort and happiness. The tragic circumstances of his friendship with Frances Colenso and unmerited blame and racially-inspired hatred shown him by the white community of Natal after the "rebellion", subjected him to hurt and sorrow.
Then came the Zulu War, and although he had been in formal command of the camp at Isandlwana for but one hour, it was found convenient at the time, to blame him for the defeat.
He was now dead and could not speak for himself; but Sir Henry Bulwer, Lieut-Governor of Natal, sketched a true picture of this man, when he said:- "Colonel Durnford was a soldier of soldiers, with all his heart in his profession; keen, active-minded, indefatigable, unsparing of himself, and utterly fearless, honourable, loyal, of great kindness and goodness of heart." I speak of him as I knew him, and as all those who knew him will speak of him."
The talk was illustrated by colour slides, some water-colour paintings of early Maritzburg and Fort Napier, being shown, by courtesy of the Killie Campbell Library, for the first time in public. Ken Gillings moved a well-deserved vote of thanks.
FUTURE EVENTS
Monthly Meeting
MAY 19TH Fellow-member MR. BRYAN COOKE, presently Head of Department, Architecture & building, Technikon Natal, will give a slide talk on "Some aspects of the German South West African Campaign 1914-1916". (N.B. This meeting will take place on the third Thursday in May).
June 4/5 THE FIELD TRIP wiII be in lieu of our normal monthly get-together.
The venue for the May meeting will be the Lecture Room, 'SE' Bourquin building, the Port Natal Administration board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own canned or bottled refreshments. INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG.
ITINERARY - Field Trip over the weekend 4th/5th June.
Saturday, 4 June 1983:
10h30 RENDEZVOUS at Clouston Koppie of Remembrance on the main road between Chievely and Colenso: Inspection of monumen t s and gun positions followed by an introductory talk at 11h00. Thereafter proceed to "Ambleside" memorial site, Tugela Loop.
12h30 to 13h45 Picnic Lunch at the Colenso caravan park.
14h00 to 16h00 Explore Colenso Koppies line of defence.
16h00 Depart for hotels.
Sunday, 5 June 1983:
09h15 RENDEZVOUS on main road just north of Colenso, at T-junction with private road leading to Hart's Hill Quarries, Tugela Heights etc. Proceed to explore defence and battle line from Langverwacht spruit to Wynne's Hill, Green Hill, Pom-Pom bridge, site of Boer railway-sleeper bridge, Hart's Hill, Railway Hill to, possibly Pieters. Brief explanatory talks will be given at strategic points. Picnic lunch at a convenient site and time.
l5h00 Depart for home.
Please bring your own picnic lunches and refreshments and make your own hotel/caravan site/Spionkop Dam Resort bookings in good time. (Please note that the Crown Hotel's telephone number has been changed by the addition of an extra 2 digit and is now 0361-ccccc. )
WELCOME
A hearty welcome is extended to new members: Mrs. Belinda Gordon (Greytown Museum) and Prof. J. Meester.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv