PAST EVENTS

Our first monthly meeting this year, held on 9 February, was graced by Colonel P. J. W. Hall, the OC, 84 Motorised Brigade, accompanied by Mrs. Hall. For a number of years Colonel Hall had been the OC, the Bushman Battalion, in the Caprivi and was thus eminently qualified to speak to us on the Bushmen, both as people and as soldiers.

The Bushman Battalion, now about ten years old, was never "planned" to exist - it just happened. The Portuguese in Angola had used Bushmen mainly as trackers. When Angola collapsed and S.A. troops had moved in they eventually brought out with them a number of Bushmen refugees. Groups of these men were eventually made available as trackers to different units. More and more Bushmen were attracted also from other parts of South Africa until eventually it became necessary to consolidate their numbers and thus the Battalion was born.

The Bushman community in West Caprivi now consists of approximately 750 soldiers, an equal number of women 1 400 children and some 250 old people. This is a relatively small number compared with the estimated total of 26 000 Bushmen in S. W. Africa. There are two distinct tribes: a physically smaller, yellowish type, the Khung, and a taller darker type the Barakwena. They speak sp.parate languages, but in their contact with whites have now adopted Afrikaans as the "lingua franca".

Hospitals, health training and improved feeding facilities have proved major factors in preserving the Bushmen from a general decline and have greatly reduced the mortality rate. The Bushmen soldiers and their children receive basic education, the womenfolk are taught domestic skills such as housecraft, sewing and needlework.

As soldiers the Bushmen are good trackers, good mortarmen and good drivers. Although they have Iittle mechanical understanding they have an essentially practical outlook on life. All of them receive training in medical aid and delight in practising injections on each other, pushing the needle in right "up to the hilt". When told not to do so, they ask naively: "Why then is the needle made that long?"

While susceptible to magical beliefs and mysticism their sense of realism leaves little room for imagination in work-day situations. This makes military training at times difficult, when, for instance, they have to imagine that a road has been mined or that they are facing imaginary enemy positions. The instructor might say: "Imagine this vehicle in front of you has just been blown up by a landmine. "What will you do?" The Bushman rifleman would quite conceivably look around and reply: "Well, the vehicle is still there, it has not blown up, so I won't do anything!" But in their own sphere Bushmen soldiers have become a valuable and appreciated element of the SADF.

They respond readily to good leadership and become intensely loyal and devoted. Once when one of their White officers was to be transferred his whole company fell in on the day of his departure, all packed up and ready to go with him.

Colonel Hall rounded off his most interesting talk by showing a series of slides, most of which had been taken by Mrs. Hall, who made a further contribution by telling us some more about the care and house craft training which the Bushwomen receive, she herself having been in charge of the Sewing and Needlecraft Centre.

With much wit and humour Prof. Clifford-Vaughan moved a well deserved vote of thanks both to the Colonel and Mrs. Hall.

FUTURE EVENTS

Programme of Monthly Get-togethers

MARCH 8TH
Fellow-member "Midge" Carter will video Episodes 15 and 16 "Home Fires" and "Inside the Reich" from the BBCTV series "World at War".

April 12th Our Chairman, Commandant 'SB' Bourquin, will give an illustrated slide talk on "The Cato Manor Riots of 1959".

May 10th Talk to be announced.

June 21st (Please note that this meeting will be held on the third Thursday in June.) Our National Chairman Major Darrell Hall will be coming from Johannesburg to give an illustrated slide talk entitled "Mafeking Revisited".

The venue for all meetings will be the Lecture Room, (or the adjoining Canteen) 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Port Natal Administration Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, on the second Thursday in the Month (unless otherwise announced) commencing at 8 p.m. There is ample parking under guard in the grounds. Glasses and Ice ,vill be supplied so please bring your own canned or bottled refreshments. Friends and interested persons are most welcome to, come along.

WELCOME
A hearty welcome is extended to new member Mr. J.N. Janse van Rensburg.

(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv