PAST EVENTS
Professor Donal McCracken kept a larger than normal audience enthralled by his wit and humour when he addressed our February meeting on "The Irish who fought for the Boers" in the second Anglo-Boer War. The subject itself was plain and serious, but was presented in such a charming manner, that it took the sting out of the business of politics and war and made it historical entertainment of the highest order. As the title implied, this was not a talk on the 28 000 Irish troops, who fought for the British, nor their leaders such as Roberts, Kitchener, Dundonald, White and Hart, but on two pro-Boer Irish Transvaal Brigades.
The first 'Brigade' was founded by John MacBride and his associates Tom Byrne and Dick McDonagh were sent round the mines in August 1899 secretly canvassing for an Irish Commando in the event of war. MacBride nominated an Irish American J. Y.F. Blake as the brigade's 'Colonel', retaining for himself the 2iC position and the less amhitious rank of Major. A recruiting office was opened in Pritchard Street, Johannesburg. Figures for the size of the brigade vary, but it seems to have rarely numbered more than 150 men. On 6 October the Irish Transvaal Brigade (ITB) was mobilised and left Johannesburg by train for Sandspruit, then moved to Volksrust on the Transvaal-Natal border. Here they pitched their 20 tents and many of the brigaders learnt to ride horses. They were assigned to Cmdt Trichardt's Transvaal State Artillery Corps and were reviewed by Gen Joubert. When war broke out on 11 October the ITB crossed the frontier with the invading Boer forces, being the only republican unit to carry bayonets.
Their first action was at the Navigation Collieries near Dundee, followed by the battle of Talana Hill. Siege duty at Ladysmith saw them in their camp at the base of Pepworth Hill near the Modderspruit railway siding. Long periods of boredom occasioned greater involvement 'with the bottle, than with battle', and raiding the British for pigs, mules and horses. But the ITB took an active part in the battle of Modderspruit; when the British attempted to break out of Ladysmith, the brigaders helped bring ammunition across a heavy line of fire to the Boer guns. Three brigaders were killed and six wounded. Brigaders became involved in the battle of Colenso; they fought and were killed in the battles of Spion Kop, Vaalkrantz and Pieter's Heights. By late February 1900 the war had begun to shift in favour of the British. Buller, with the spearhead of Hart's Irish Brigade, had broken through the Tugela defence barrier and had relieved Gen George White, a Ballymena man, in Ladysmith. The cost on both sides had been high. Blake later wrote: "The Tugela valley is now renowned as an Irish graveyard".
Prof McCracken also dealt briefly with a second ITD under Col Arthur Lynch, an Irish Australian, which, however contained few Irishmen, the majority of its members coming from continental Europe. He mentioned that possibly as many as 1 200 Irishmen had joined various Boer commandos and had no connection with the two ITBs. All fought to the bitter end. In addition, he interspersed his tale with interesting references to the extent the war and the involvement of Irishmen in the Boer Cause influenced public feeling in Ireland and Irish national politics.
It was left to a Scot, in the person of fellow-member Maj (Dr) John Buchan, to thank the Irish professor for a brilliant talk.
FUTURE EVENTS
Programme of Monthly Meetings:
MARCH 12TH WO I R.(Frank) FRANCIS, JCD, will give a talk on his experiences and the activities of the DURBAN LIGHT INFANTRY in the Operational Area over a number of years.
April 9th Evening outing to visit 8th Armoured Division HQ. TO BE CONFlRMED.
May 14th "Isandlwana reviewed" - A video presentation by fellow-rnembers Maj Darrell Hall, RSM Ken Gillings, and our Chairman, Cmdt 'SB' Bourquin. (SB will give detailed information on the various Zulu regiments).
June 11th "An Overview of the strategy of the Rhodesian Forces during the Bush War". Talk by Professor Richard Wood.
The venue for all meetings, other than outings, is the functions room, first floor, Westville North Library, 167 Blair Atholl Road, Westville, on the second Thursday in the month commencing at 19H45 (7.45 p.m.). Please bring your own glass and canned or bottled refreshments. Ice supplied. FRIENDS AND INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG.
Battlefields around Newcastle
Fellow-member, Raymond Steel, writes as follows: "I am now a tourist guide on the Battlefields around Newcastle and of military history in general. I take up many parties every month and if I can be of help to the Society in Natal I would be pleased. A full day including climbing up Majuba is R150." Mr Steel may be contacted at Box 3192 Newcastle 2940 or Telephone 013pmp and ask for No. 3nnn.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt
Secretary: Durban Branch
S.A. Military History Society
Box 870 Hillcrest 3650
Tel. 74mmmm