PAST EVENTS

Fresh ground was covered when fellow-member Steve Watt presented to our October meeting an illustrated talk on 'Exploring Military Cemeteries in Natal'. As Field Officer (History) of the Natal Education Department he has had excellent opportunities of visiting all the battlefields and military cemeteries in the Province. An interesting feature of his talk was his "then" and "now" slides of battle sites. He had identified from old photographs converted to transparencies, the exact spot from which they were taken. Slides showing the present day appearance taken from the same spot permitted interesting comparisons with what they looked like "then".

With the aid of an overhead projector our speaker gave an outline of what war graves records had been compiled by different organisations and individuals and how and by whom the care and maintenance of war graves is being carried out. He presented his talk under five different headings -

1. The history of war graves commissions and soldier monuments.
2. Details of the battle area of Lancaster Hill, Vryheid, in 1900 and as re-visited in 1986.
3. The military graves in Natal - a resumé of graves and monuments over the period 1842 - 1914.
4. The Tugela Heights battle area - "then" and "now".
5. Recipients of the VC whose graves are located in Natal.

Under the last-mentioned item the speaker listed the following persons, indicating in parenthesis where the VC was won, followed by the locality of the grave:
Trpr H. Albrecht, ILH (Wagon Hill), Ladysmith cemetery.
Lt Digby-Jones, (Wagon Hill), Ladysmith cemetery.
Lt Col Wm H. Dick-Cunyngham, (Afghanistan) Ladysmith cemetery.
Lt The Hon. F.R.S. Roberts, (Colenso), Chieveley cemetery.
Lts Melvill and Coghill, (Isandlwana), Fugitives' Drift.
Capt J. Malone (Crimea), Pinetown cemetery.
Gunner officer R.V. Gorle (WWl), Stellawood, Durban.
J.J. Clements (Boer War) , Newcastle cemetery.
Pte Wm. Griffiths (Little Andaman Island), Isandlwana.

Group Captain Rupert Taylor proposed a well-earned vote of thanks for an extremely interesting and well-researched talk.

WELCOME
A hearty welcome is extended to new member Mr. T.P. Jackson.

FUTURE EVENTS

Next Meeting

NOVEMBER l3th       Fellow-member COMMANDANT JUSTIN HULME, JCD, will give a talk on "The History of the Commando System" (up to 1922). This talk will be based on research by the late Major Tylden.

The venue will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building, (Department of Community Services), on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 20h00. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. There is ample parking, under guard, in the grounds. FRIENDS AND INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG.

THERE WILL BE NO MEETING IN DECEMBER.

TAILPIECE

Notice at an English country churchyard (fortunately this does not apply to our military cemeteries):

"Nobody can be buried here except the dead who are living in this parish."

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