THE NEXT MEETING TAKES PLACE IN THE DU TOIT ROOM OF THE ATHENAEUM, 154 CAMPGROUND ROAD, NEWLANDS ON THURSDAY 9TH MARCH 1989 AT 8 p.m.
TOPIC: "THE DESTRUCTION OF AN ARMY: THE SOMME - 1916",
a slide-illustrated talk by Dr R M Wolfswinkel
On 1st July 1916 a dream was put to the test. Could a complete army be brought into the field, hardly a year after it had been raised? When the war broke out in August 1914, Germany and France had their vast conscript-armies, while England had only its Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), a little more than 100,000 men.
Lord Kitchener, the newly appointed Secretary for War, foresaw that it might be a long and bloody affair. He decided to raise a volunteer army that could compete with the armies of the other countries. Their first "official" battle was to be on the Somme.
Dr. Wolfswinkel - a Dutch historian from Amsterdam who is currently lecturing in the Department of Afrikaans/Nederlands at the University of Cape Town, has spent much time exploring the trenches and sites of old battlefields, trying to find answers to puzzling questions.
An article of his on soldier poets of World War One appeared in the Argus in November 1988.
VISITORS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
The Society wishes to express its regret at the fact that the talk on "The History of Ceremonial", scheduled to have been presented at the February meeting by Commandant Paul Grobbelaar, Captain of the Castle, did not take place due to apparent forgetfulness on his part which further led him to commit himself to an engagement elsewhere on the same night. The Society's deepest and most grateful thanks go to Dr. Dan Sleigh, a member, for coming to the rescue at literally the last moment in true U.S. Cavalry manner, by presenting a slide-illustrated talk on "The Battle of Blaauberg" in spite of short notice and inconvenience to himself. His obvious enthusiasm, together with the very special "Dan Sleigh style", undoubtedly made the meeting a fascinating, very enjoyable and most memorable one.
RENEWAL OF SUBSCRIPTIONS:.l989
No doubt due to an oversight, a number of subscriptions both in the "Full" and "Associate"cateqories are still outstanding although the closing date for doing so has already passed. The kind co-operation of the persons concerned in finalising matters as soon as possible will be much appreciated.
VICE-CHAIRMAN: MAJOR TONY GORDON.
PAUL LANGE : CHAIRMAN