PAST EVENTS
A capacity audience filled the lecture room at our July get-together to listen to our most popular speaker, Major Darrell Hall. The "supporting programme" presented by Metro Goldwyn Hall consisted of a short, but unusual and, therefore, most interesting slide show on Hitler's mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden, as it was during the heydays of its occupancy and what became of it after American bombers had set to work. Then followed a colourful thumb-nail sketch, bubbling with humour, on the comrades' marathon achievements of the Society's recently elected national chairman, Ian Uys.
The main talk was a followup of an earlier talk given by Darrell, "At the call of King and Country", which was about his uncle Wilfred Hall, who was killed at Bullecourt, France, in 1917. "Above the Trenches" is the story of Wilfred Hall's friend Norman Lovemore, who served in the Royal Flying Corps during WWI. This was not the usual war-time story of a fighter pilot, but of a little known aspect of early aerial activity during WWI. Slow, 70 mph, low-level planes were used both for reconnaissance, aerial photography and the direction from the air of artillery bombardments. Painstaking research had enabled Darrell to trace the career of Norman Lovemore and by the use of available aerial photographs, some taken by Lovemore himself, pinpointed localities common to both Wilfred Hall and Norman Lovemore during the battle of the Marne, even to the extent of identifying the location of tents within the Flying Corps camp occupied by Lovemore. A fascinating aspect of the story was also that Darrell had been able to identify the officer, who was operating almost as Lovemore's counterpart on the German side, engaged in similar activities on the same front sector. He was Lieutenant Erwin Jolasse and here again, Darrell had succeeded in collecting much information from German sources about Jolasse and his career. He eventually ended up, presumably in WWII, as a Lieutenant-General.
This was military historical research at its best and fellow-member Denne McCullouch aptly described the audience's reaction as 'spell-bound' when he conveyed the meeting's appreciation of this masterly presentation.
FUTURE EVENTS
A repeat of the highly successful one-day outing in May to Colenso has been organised for SUNDAY 31ST AUGUST 1986. PURPOSE To follow on the ground the course of Col Long's artillery on the day of the battle of Colenso, 15 December 1899, and to hear details of incidents associated with different localities up to the point when, after an heroic effort two guns were saved, and the remaining ten fell into the hands of the Boers.
RENDEZVOUS 09h15, on Sunday 31 August 1986 at Clouston's Koppie of Remembrance, a low ridge, studded with monuments and clearly sign-posted, to the left of the main road, and some 5 km from Colenso on the south (Estcourt) side. Commentary.
10h45 Drive from Couston's to Large Donga. Commentary.
12h15 Drive from Large Donga to Caravan Park for picnic Lunch.
13h45 Drive from caravan park to Gun Position. Inspection and commentaries.
16h10 Depart for home.
There will be a minimum of walking, but even so,wear comfortable shoes and outdoor clothing, bring picnic lunch, refreshments, hats, sun-glasses, binoculars, cameras.
SA NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY: PROPOSED TOUR OF ZULU MILITARY SITES This tour has been planned for the long weekend commencing Thursday afternoon 9th October to Sunday 12th October 1986. Accommodation to be reserved through the Tour Director and not directly with the Ulundi Holiday Inn. Interested persons should address all communications to: The Tour Director, SA National Huseum of Hilitary History, PO Box 52..., Saxonwold. 2132. Telephone: (011) 646-5513.
LADYSHITH HISTORICAL SOCIETY: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WEEKEND
8th - 10th August 1986. "The Drakensberg Then and Now" For details of the itinerary please contact the undersigned Tour includes a visiu into the bowels of the Drakensberg to see the Escom Hydro-Electric Scheme and how it works.
ZULU HEARTLAND COACH TOUR: FRIDAY 22 - SUNDAY 24 AUGUST 1986
A coach tour to many famous and scenic sites in Zululand to be led by Dr Charles Ballard, Natal historian and author of John Dunn: The White Chief of Zululand. The cost of the tour is R150 per person and includes bed and breakfast for two nights at the Ulundi Holiday Inn, Friday night buffet, Sunday lunch and Sunday morning tea. Interested persons should address all communications to: Heritage Tours, 12 Edgecourt Road, Roseglen, Durban 4001. Telephone: 816.... (work) or 28.... (Home).
FOR SALE
Sets of ten prints of Durban Light Infantry uniforms by well-known military artist Andy May will be on sale at a cost of R40 (inclusive of GST) at our next meeting. Andy can be contacted at nn, 8th Avenue, Greyville, Telephone 309 .... with effect from 18th August 1986. In the meantime his address remains nnn Carlton Towers, Somtseu Road, Durban 4001.
RESEARCH PROJECT: RORKE'S DRIFT: APPEAL FOR INFORMATION
The following letter has been received from Mr George Chadwick, Secretary, Rorke' s Drift Liaison Committee: "Members of your Society will undoubtedly be pleased to learn that, with the agreement of all parties concerned, the Rorke's Drift site is now being developed to portray all aspects of its history. The aspect which is of particul interest to members is that of the events which took place during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. If anyone would like to participate in the research, or make a contribution towards the store of knowledge which we already have, I should be very pleased to hear from them. Incidentally, if anyone can supply any information regarding James Rorke or the Rorke family, it would be appreciated if they would contact me" Mr. Chadwick's address is: Private Bag 1,. Berea Road, 4007 (nnn Berea Road, Durban) Telephone (031) .n.n.n.
AUGUST GET-TOGETHER
AUGUST 14TH Fellow-member MIDGE CARTER will present a slide talk entitled "THE BATTLE OF TARAWA: BIRTH OF A LEGEND". (Pacific WWII)
The venue will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, '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 refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv