PAST EVENTS

Group Captain Rupert Taylor approached military history from a new angle when he presented his talk on "History in Hindsight" at our February get-together. The speaker introduced his subject by some general remarks relating to the military dispositions' during the Victorian era when the 'Pax Britannica' was maintained basically by the Royal Navy. The British army was not so much an 'army' as a royal gendarmerie, because regimental units were spread allover the Empire, often not even as whole regiments and its individual members were sometimes on overseas duties for 8 to 12 years at a stretch.

Names of battles of the past hold a special romance through their association with individual generals and regimental units. War by land and sea took on a new dimension with the introduction of aerial warfare during WWI, and in fighting the enemy one had to consider not only fights with and between one's generals and admirals, but now also with air-marshals.

In assessing battles from the point of view of their failure and the blame attaching to generals many factors must be considered, since many aspects only move into focus in hind-sight. By way of examples, too extensive to be detailed, Group Captain Taylor mentioned General Buller's initially dominant endeavour 'not to be caught on the wrong side of the Tugela'. During WWI the Dardanelles Campaign seemed ill-conceived. The flaw must be sought in the execution because the idea of getting at Germany through a backdoor was as good as the much earlier idea not to fight Napoleon in central Europe but on the Peninsula.

At Jutland in WWI, the Battle of the Mist, when visibility was reduced to barely 10 miles, half the battle took place without anyone knowing what was going on, and the other half became virtually a battle between the two British admirals, Beattie and Jellicoe, each one with his own story, strategy and jealousy. In WWI the British had developed and used tanks for the first time; General Fuller had written much about tank warfare and strategies. All this made little impression on his fellow generals, but it was left to the German general, Guderian, who had studied and taken it all in, to make himself one of the most outstanding tank commanders in WWII.

The pre-war negotiations at Munich, the Battle of Britain, the bombing of Germany, the war in Greece, Pearl Harbour and the battle of Aarnhem - there was some pithy comment on each event to fill an interesting evening.

A warm word of thanks was expressed on behalf of the audience by Chairman, 'SB' Bourquin.

WELCOME

A hearty welcome is extended to new member Mike Rowan.

FUTURE EVENTS
MARCH MEETING

MARCH 12TH       There will be a short illustrated talk by fellow-member Ken Gillings on "Some Artillery Traditions". (All Gunners are welcome).

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 7.30 P.M. Glasses and ice wilI 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.

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