PAST EVENTS

"The Helpmekaar Duel": Under this title fellow member Ken Gillings gave a well researched and illustrated talk on the last major episode of the Anglo-Boer conflict in Natal in May/June 1900.

Following the fiasco at Colenso on 15 December 1899, the debacle at Spionskop on 23 January 1900 and the extraordinary, but futile, experiment at Vaalkrans on 15 February 1900, General Buller had finally broken through the Boer line along the Tugela Heights and relieved Ladysmith, after great loss of life, on the 28 February 1900 - the day after Lord Roberts had secured the surrender of General Piet Cronjé at Paardeberg, on "Majuba Day", the 27 February.

The British Field Force in Natal, after finally succeeding in relieving Ladysmith, continued to have its way north, to the Transvaal, blocked by a skilfully deployed, consolidated and well motivated Boer army holding a line along the Biggarsberg range with some 9 500 men.

General Sir Redvers Buller, although superseded by Lord Roberts as supreme commander in South Africa, remained in command of the Natal front and had at his disposal an army in excess of 25 000. What the Boers lacked in numbers was in no small measure made up by the qualities of their own commander, the redoubtable General Louis Botha who himself had succeeded some earlier less effective, leaders such as the ageing Commandant General Piet Joubert, and his earlier second-in-command, Lucas Meyer.

Touching on the continuing indecision, vascillation and the ensuing tactical shortcomings on the part of General Buller our speaker outlined the marching and counter marching which led to repeated contacts and skirmishes between the opposing forces with Helpmekaar, in view of its geographical position becoming one of the focal points.

The final battle for Helpmekaar, however, like Elandslaagte at the beginning of the war, had been well-planned and well executed by General Buller's staff. The advance had covered some 85 km. Ahead of the Natal Field Force layover 200 km of marching and two more major battles to be fought (Botha' s Pass and Allemansnek) before they reached Volksrust, the first Transvaal town to be occupied subsequently by General Buller. General Buller had taken about twice as long as Lord Roberts to move the same distance; as it was, Lord Roberts had already marched into Pretoria a week before General Buller had occupied Volksrust.

Fellow-member Colin Hamlinton moved a warm vote of thanks.

FUTURE EVENTS

Programme of Monthly Get-togethers:

OCTOBER 11TH
Talk by AIR-MARSHAL SIR PHILIP LAGESEN.

November 8th
Fellow-member Vic Conrad will give a talk on the Independence of Poland, 1918, entitled "Re-birth of Poland".

There will be no meeting in December as this Branch will be in recess.

The venue for all meetings will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Natalia Development Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, at the foot of Mayville hill, (entrance in Buro Crescent) on the second Thursday in the month commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to attend.

REMINDER RE STAMPS
A further set of 1st Day Covers of Historical Military Uniforms of Ciskei will be available at all philatelic counters of Post Offices an 26th October 1984. The artist, Andy May, will be happy to sign covers for members at our November get-together.

TAILPIECE
War is much too serious a thing to be left to the military men. (Charles de Talleyrand).

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