The Annual General Meeting of the Society was held on Thursday 11th April.

The minutes of the 24th A.G.M. were read, approved by members present and signed by the Chairman. The Chairman, Professor Ian Copley, then read his report on Society activities over the past year. Mr Mike Marsh, Hon. Secretary/Treasurer, presented his report and discussed the Society's financial position.

General Pretorius oificiated during the election of the Chairman and Prof Copley, who was re-elected, invited the General to address the meeting.

General Pretorius explained to the members present, how the Museum's new financial structure operates, highlighting the decrease in budget, escalation of Journal production costs, and the Museum's inability, at present, to finance even the first stage of the 5-Year Plan envisaged to upgrade and renovate the Museum.

General Pretorius thanked members for their past support and invited them to the National Museum Day which is on 18th May. An interesting programme is to be presented, of which the book-sale will be one of the highlights. Please support the Museum on this day and don't forget to bring your wallets!

After the General's brief address, the National Executive Committee was elected. The existing committee was re-elected with the exception of Mr Nick Kinsey and Mr Stewart Stiles, who were not available for re-election. Mr Avram Pelunsky and Mr John Mahncke were elected in their places.

The Annual General Meeting was concluded with the presentation of the Roderick Murchison prize to Captain Tony Speir.

The Chairman then introduced the guest speaker of the evening, Colonel Terry Leaver, who addressed the Society on the subject of: Captain R C Nesbitt V.C. and the Mazoe Patrol.

Captain Randolph Cosby Nesbitt was the first man to be awarded the Victoria Cross in Rhodesia.

In his introduction, Col. Leaver outlined the historical background to the Matabele and subsequent Shona rebellions which gave rise to the circumstances under which these acts of heroism took place.

On June 16th, 1896, reports of the murders of white prospectors in outlying areas reached Salisbury and caused great alarm. On June 17th, Salisbury went into "laager" and the white inhabitants of the Alice Mine were instructed to do likewise, while a mule-cart was despatched to Mazoe to fetch the ladies at the mine back to Salisbury.

A small telegraph post was situated at some distance from the mine and it was on returning from the successful transmission of a message from here to Salisbury that Rutledge and Blakiston were slaughtered. Their heroic sacrifice was justified to some extent by the fact that the recipient of their message, Dan Judson, set out from Salisbury on the 18th with 4 men and, having met up with 6 men, his reinforcements, pressed on early the following morning.

Judson's party, after finding the Salvation Army Farm (between Salisbury and Mazoe) burned and plundered, and seeing at dawn that the surrounding hills were infested with armed tribesmen, galloped into the valley in time to hear the warriors attacking the mine and to mount a counter-attack from the rear.

In Salisbury, Judge Vincent had agreed to send an additional force of men, and on the 19th June at 22h30, Captain Nesbitt's force left Salisbury for Mazoe, unbeknown to the besieged Alice Mine inhabitants.

On reaching Alice Mine, Nesbitt arranged to shepherd the inhabitants back to Salisbury, the 3 women in a wagon reinforced with steel sheeting, and the men (including his own patrol) 12 on horseback and 13 unmounted. There was more than one act of heroism along the return route. Two troopers were killed as were several horses.

At the Tatagura Drift, where the situation seemed hopeless, two men isolated from the party and under attack, assumed that the others had been massacred and galloped at once to Salisbury with the news. At 22h30, when the wagon and escort arrived in Salisbury, there was great jubilation.

As Colonel Leaver pointed out, Judson, Blakiston, Rutledge and Nesbitt were probably equally deserving recipients of the coveted Victoria Cross, but the former three, not being men enlisted in Her Majesty's forces, were ineligible for the award.

Professor Copley thanked Colonel Leaver for his fascinating talk.

Natal Battlefields Weekend

Mr Steve Watt of the Durban branch has been kind enough to notify us of a forthcoming weekend outing.

Friday 24th - Sunday 26th May

Accommodation will be at the Spioenkop Public Resort and the weekend, which will include coverage of Spioenkop, Ladysmith and the Battle of Tugela Heights, will cost approximately R249.00 on a self-transportation basis. Interested members are requested to contact Mrs Pam Brink directly, should they wish to participate.

Future Meetings

16th May - Dr Gideon F Jacobs "Experiences in Sumatra - 1945"
13th June - Mr Simon Calburn "German Authoritarianism"

Jennifer Copley