The South African
Military History Society
Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging


Durban Meeting schedule

Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday evening of each month at 7-30pm (unless the 2nd Thursday is on a public holiday).

Meetings are held at:
1st Floor lecture theatre
Dept of Civil Engineering
University of Natal
Durban
In building on right of Memorial Tower Building
Contact: Ken Gillings (031) 702-4828(H)
or Prof M Laing
61 Baines Road, Durban 4001.
Tel: (031) 205-1951.
laingm@eastcoast.co.za

Non-members welcome!

Bring your own refreshments and a glass.

Lecture programme 2010
DDH signifies Darrell Hall Memorial lectures in honour of a former Chairman
Date   Lecturer Title
21st January DDH Ricky Nortje 'The South African War Graves Project'
NB THIRD THURSDAY! MAIN Prof. Philip Everitt 'General Sir Charles Warren'
11th February DDH Donald Davies 'Erik Holm - South Africa's Lord Haw-Haw'
  MAIN Capt (SAN) Retd Brian Hoffman '1914 - 1918: Clandestine Operations in Central Asia - the Plot to bring down the British Empire'
11th March DDH Colonel Steve Bekker 'Steve versus the Kudu'
  MAIN Lt Col Dr Graeme Fuller 'More about Egypt and Libya'
8th April DDH Paul Kilmartin 'The Life & Career of the First VC of the Anglo-Boer War'
  MAIN Robin Smith 'Langverwacht - de Wet's last fling'
Lecture programme 2008
The 40th Anniversary Year
Date   Lecturer Title
17 January DDH Philip Everitt The European Fortifications Part 1- Vauban
  MAIN Dave Matthews Operations in the Sudan, 1885 to 1898
14 February DDH John Oliver Aircraft Carriers
  MAIN Adrian van Schaik The Six Day War
13 MarchDDH Paul Kilmartin Field Marshal French v Gen Smith-Dorrien
  MAIN John Parkinson HMS Durban
10 AprilDDH Ken Gillings Spioenkop - curtain-raiser to Indirect Fire
  MAIN Robin Taylor The Korean War - Comparisons of the F86 Sabre & Mig 15
08 MayDDH Jesse Wesseloo The Dutch-East India Company as a fighting force
  MAIN Bill Brady Kenneth Campbell VC - The Natal Connection
12 JuneDDH Prof Mike Laing Quiz evening
  MAIN Bill Bizley The sinking of U-197 - a flashpoint in German/South African surveillance politics, 1942/1943
10 JulyDDH Ken Parry-Hughes My Experiences in France, 1944 to 1946
  MAIN Ganes Pillay The Indian Mutiny
14 August - NB-PmbDDH Mike Laing Lili Marlene
  MAIN Robin Smith Recent Discoveries at Rietfontein
11 SeptemberDDH Brig Gen Albie Gotze My experiences in the Ossewa Brandwag
  MAIN Gilbert Torlage Die Weisse Rose
09 OctoberDDH Peter Ardington The Battle of eNdondakusuka
  MAIN Robin Smith Grant’s Overland Campaign, 1864
11 November Tuesday 10.30 am Paul Kilmartin Armistice Day - Warriors Gate
       
13 November DDH Charles Whiteing Eagle's Nest
  MAIN Paul Kilmartin The Fighting on The Last Day - 11 November 1918
13 December      
  Annual Dinner Organiser Charles Whiteing  

Lecture programme 2007
Date   Lecturer Title
18 January DDH Ian Sutherland Scapa Flow
  MAIN Ken Gillings The Anglo-Boer War: The Aftermath
8th February DDH Sam Willis Dunkirk; I was there
  MAIN Cdr Barry Crossley The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage
8th March DDH Capt Brian Hoffman The Naval Battle of Copenhagen: 1801
  MAIN Lt Col Ged Argyle RLC The Falklands Wars of 1987
12 April DDH Dave Matthews Gordon of Khartoum
  MAIN Charles Whiteing WW2 Battlefields Revisited
10 May DDH Philip Everitt The other side of Gen Sir Charles Warren
  MAIN Nicholas Schofield Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt, 1798 - its influence on European tastes
14 June DDH Adrian van Schaik The SANDF's A and B Vehicles
  MAIN Robin Taylor Yorktown, 1781. The Last Battle of the Revolution
12 July DDH Mike Laing Who is it? (A Quiz)
  MAIN Brian Kennedy The English Civil War in Ireland
09 August DDH Brian Hoffman Admiral Drake
  MAIN Peter Schneider The 1956 Revolution in Hungary
13 September BASE VISIT Arranged by
Maj Adrian van Schaik		 Natal Mounted Rifles Base Visit
11 October DDH Paul Kilmartin The Guns at Nery - 1 September 1914
  MAIN Robin Smith Robert E Lee's greatest victory, Chancellorsville, 1863
08 November DDH Charles Whiteing Normandy Cameos
  MAIN Andre Sharashkin World War II: The Russian Front
11 November 10.30 am Paul Kilmartin Armistice Day - Warrior's Gate
13 December evening Bill Brady - organiser Annual Dinner

Lecture programme 2006
Date   Lecturer Title
19 January DDH    
  MAIN Robin Smith The American Civil War. The Chickamaugh Campaign.
9th February DDH Capt Adrian van Schaik My border operational experiences
  MAIN Prof Philip Everitt The South African Artillery at Tobruk
9th March DDH Terry Tremaine Being shot down in Italy in World War II
  MAIN Lt Col Peter Harvey 15 Squadron, SAAF, Mozambique 2000
13th April DDH Brian Thomas A DCM Won at The Battle of Mpanga: 3/4 April 1906
  MAIN Ken Gillings The Bhambatha Rebellion - the 100th Anniversary
11th May DDH Maj. Gen. Chris Le Roux Political Scandals
  MAIN Brian Kennedy The Battles of Fontenoy (1745) and Culloden (1746)
15th June DDH Mike Laing Sherlock Holmes and The Great Boer War.
  MAIN Jimmy Alberts/Peter Spiller Bridge 14
13th July DDH Captain Brian Hoffman Naval Traditions
  MAIN Bill Brady "Operation Sea Lion", the planned German invasion of Britain.
10th August DDH Dr Graeme Fuller Inside the Edinburgh tattoo
  MAIN Prof. Mike Laing The Importance of Jan Smuts in World War II
14th September BASE VISIT Natal Field Artillery HQ  
       
12th October DDH Brian Kennedy The Curragh Mutiny, 1914
  MAIN Paul Kilmartin The Battle of the Somme: Day 1 - 1 July, 1916.
9th November DDH Charles Whiteing Lawrence of Arabia and the First World War
  MAIN Ganes Pillay The role of Indians at the Siege of Ladysmith
11th November Armistice Day Paul Kilmartin Warriors Gate - Saturday 10.30 am
       
14th December Annual Dinner Bill Brady - Organiser  
       
Lecture programme 2005
Date   Lecturer Title
20 January DDH Phylomena H Badsey The life of Vera Brittain
  MAIN Dr Stephen Badsey The Battlefield of Normandy: 1944
10 February DDH Pieter Zeeman I was Under the Bombs Dropped by Edwin Swales 60 Years Ago
  MAIN Paul Kilmartin 60th Anniversary of the Death of Edwin Swales, VC, DFC
10 March DDH Dave Matthews The Diary of a Military Photographer - Durban 1899
  MAIN Frank Bullen No Scarlet - No Bearskin: A Guardsman in Battledress
14 April BASE VISIT to 1 Medical Battalion Group Lt. Col. Graeme Fuller - Organiser
12-May DDH Prof. Philip Everitt The Devil of a Gentleman
  MAIN John Parkinson Vice Admiral Nagumo in the Indian Ocean : April 1942
4-5 June
TOUR		 Annual Battlefield Tour: Ken Gillings: Organiser to the Ladysmith Siege Battlefields
09-Jun DDH Bill Brady The death of Adolph Hitler
  MAIN Dr. Gus Allen The Spanish Armada 2: The Naval Battles
14-Jul DDH Maj. Gen. Chris le Roux History of the South Africa Parachute Battalion
  MAIN Lt. Col. Clive Wilsworth South African Artillery
11-Aug DDH Prof. Mike Laing The Chemistry that made The Atom Bomb Work
  MAIN Bill Brady The End of World War 2 in The Pacific : August 1945
8-Sep SOCIETY VISIT TO PIETERMARITZBURG    
  Talk 1 Gilbert Torlage Missionaries in Zululand in Times of Conflict
  Talk 2 Robin Smith Gravestones and Memorials of the ILH
  Talk 3 Dr. Mark Coghlan The History of the Umvoti Mounted Rifles
13-Oct DDH John Oliver Battleship: The All Gun Dreadnought
  MAIN Captain Brian Hoffman The Battle of Trafalgar: The 200th Anniversary
10-Nov DDH Prof. Mike Laing 60th Anniversary of the Death of Gen. G. Patton: Dec. 1945
  MAIN Prof. Brian Kearney Aspects of Durban in the Anglo-Boer War
11-Nov Friday 10.30 am Paul Kilmartin Armistice Day - Warriors Gate
8-Dec   Bill Brady - Organiser Annual Dinner

Lecture programme 2004
Date . Lecturer Title
9 December . . .
. MAIN Bill Brady - Organiser Annual Dinner
11 November DDH Prof Mike Laing Gen. George Patton in WWI
. MAIN Bill Brady The Battle of the River Plate: Dec 1939
11 November . Armistice Day -
Warriors Gate		 10.30 am - Paul Kilmartin
14 October DDH Col. Pat Acutt The Reserve Forces
. MAIN Charles Whiteing The Dam Buster Raid - 16/17 May 1943
9 September DDH Graham Harvey I was there - Italy 1944
. MAIN Major Keith Archibald The Italian Campaign 1944-45
12 August . BASE VISIT: 19th Field Regiment HQ .
8 July DDH Brian Kennedy The Battle of Crossbarry - 1921
. MAIN Dereck Petersen The Capture of Winston Churchill: 1900
10 June Talk 1 Lt. Cdr. Colin Lawton D-Day: I was There
. Talk 2 Prof. Mike Laing D-Day: The Role Played by Gen. G. Patton
. Talk 3 Paul Kilmartin D-Day: The Invasion - 6 June 1944
May
TOUR		 Annual Battlefield Tour: Ken Gillings: Organiser iNtabamnyama and Vaalkrans Jan-Feb 1900
13 May DDH Prof. Mike Laing Rommel gets a Gazelle for Dinner
. MAIN Ron Lock The Action at Ntombi Drift 1879
15 April NB Third Thursday! DDH John Goodrich Military Traditions
. MAIN Robin Smith The American Civil War: The Wilderness to Appomattox
11 March DDH Bill Brady The Rescue and Fall of Mussolini
. MAIN Gen. Albie Gotze My Role as a Fighter Pilot at Arnhem, 1944
12 February DDH Hilary Graham The Sinking of the Troopship MENDI: 1917
. MAIN Dr Gus Allen The Origins of the Spanish Armada
15 January
3rd Thurs		 DDH Ken Gillings Lt. G.H.B. Coulson, VC
. MAIN Lt Col Graeme Fuller Medical Services during the Natal Campaign. Part 2
Lecture programme 2003
Date . Lecturer Title
11 December . . .
. MAIN . Annual Dinner
13 November DDH Prof Mike Laing What cost Patton the 3rd Army?
. MAIN Lt Col Graeme Fuller Medical Services During the Natal Campaign
11 November . Armistice Day -
Warriors Gate		 10.30 am - Paul Kilmartin
09 October DDH Bill Brady The Rescue of Mussolini
. MAIN Eric Winchester The Warsaw Uprising: I Was There
11 September DDH Ken Gillings Recent Discoveries on the Death of Bambatha
. MAIN Brian Thomas The First, and Last Surviving SA Recipients of the VC
16/17 August
TOUR		 Annual Battlefield Tour: Ken Gillings: Organiser The Battle of the Thukela Heights
and The Relief of Ladysmith
14 August . BASE VISIT: DLI HQ .
10 July DDH Lt Col Ray Lotter Custer's Last Stand - the Battle of Little Bighorn
. MAIN Charles Whiteing The Death of the Desert Fox
12 June DDH Dave Matthews Teddington Lock: An unusual Military Connection
. MAIN Prof Philip Everitt The Fall of Tobruk - June 1942
7 June
Sunday		 OUTING Ken Gillings & Keith Archibald: Organisers The Old Fort and The Battle of Congella
8 May DDH Ian Sutherland European Battlefields Photographed
. MAIN Paul Kilmartin The Run-Up to the Battle of the Somme
10 April DDH Prof Philip Everitt Bagged but Cheerful. A POW at Tobruk
. MAIN Lt Col Clive Wilsworth The Battle of Bakenlaagte
13 March DDH Brian Kennedy The Fighting 69th
. MAIN Major John Buchan The History of Flying Boats
13 February DDH Lt Ray Locke I Watched the Sinking of the Bismarck
. MAIN Bill Brady Barbarossa: The German Invasion of Russia
13 January
3rd Thurs		 DDH Ganes Pillay The Molly Ellis Affair - India 1923
. MAIN Maj. Gen Chris le Roux The SANDF. From the "Old" to the "New"
-
Lecture programme 2002
Date . Lecturer Title
12 December . . .
. MAIN . Annual Dinner
14 November DDH Prof Mike Laing Patton?
. MAIN Gilbert Torlage The Private War between Gen. Sir Redvers Buller and Gen. Sir Charles Warren
10 October DDH Ken Gillings What really happened at VLAKFONTEIN? May 1901
. MAIN Bill Brady Bomber Command
12 September DDH Prof. Paul Thompson Subject to be confirmed
. MAIN . PIETERMARITZBURG VISIT
15 August DDH . .
. MAIN . BASE VISIT
11 July DDH Charles Whiteing Robey Leibbrandt & Operation Weissdorn
. MAIN Prof Philip Everitt The Battle of Sidi Rezeg - 1941
13 June DDH Bill Brady USS Harry S. Truman
. MAIN Ken Gillings A Summary of The Anglo-Boer War in 1902
9 May DDH Dr. Gus Allen Irish Cameo No.2
. MAIN Paul Kilmartin The Battle of Loos. September 1915
11 April DDH Dr. Ingrid Machin The Formation of the Zulu "Regiments"
. MAIN Maj. Gen. Chris Le Roux The SANDF. From the "Old" to the "New"
14 March DDH Col. Harold Rosenberg Honorus Crux: The South African "VC"
. MAIN Col. Graham du Toit South African Casualties in World War 2
14 March DDH Col. Harold Rosenberg Honorus Crux: The South African "VC"
. MAIN Col. Graham du Toit South African Casualties in World War 2
14 February DDH Ian Sutherland The Retaliatory Air Raid on Bath - 1943
. MAIN Ken Gillings A Summary of The Anglo-Boer War in 1901
17 January DDHPaul Kilmartin Rudolf Hess: His Flight to Scotland, May 1941
. MAIN Brian Kennedy The IRA Campaign in Armagh
Lecture programme 2000
Date . Lecturer Title
8th June DDH Dave Matthews The Victoria Scarf
. MAIN Ken Gillings The Art of War
3/4 June . Battlefield Tour: Mandawe, oPathe Gorge,
Mgungundlovu,Gqokli Hill, Ulundi
11 May DDH Dr.Ingrid Machin SA Heavy Artillery in World War 1
. MAIN Paul Kilmartin The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, May 1915
13 April DDH Paul Kilmartin The Last Army VC in Europe, April 1945
. MAIN Bill Brady Fiasco in Norway, April/May 1940
9 March DDH Philip Everitt The Engineer at War
. MAIN Frank Bullen All the Queens Horses and All the Queen's Men
10 February DDH Charles Whiteing Normandy Re-visited
. MAIN Pat Budd The German Vi and V2: The World's
First Cruise and Ballistic Missiles.
13 January DDH Bill Brady Aircraft Carrier, USS Harry S. Truman
. MAIN Ken Gillings Review of the 1st 3 Months of the Anglo-Boer War
Lecture programme 1999
Date . Lecturer Title
10th Sept . Ken Gillings. ANGLO-BOER WAR CENTENARY MEETING
ORIGINS & CAUSES OF THE ANGLO-BOER WAR
12th Aug . . VISIT TO SA NAVY'S STRIKE CRAFT BASE
8th July DDH Bill Brady Lt Cmdr. EUGENE ESMONDE, V.C
. ML Fiona Barbour SIEGE OF KIMBERLEY
8th July DDH Bill Brady Lt Cmdr. EUGENE ESMONDE, V.C
. ML Fiona Barbour SIEGE OF KIMBERLEY
10th June DDH Ian Sutherland EUROPEAN BATTLEFIELDS' TOUR
. ML Gilbert Torlage Tpr RUPERT H. BISLEY - JUNE 1900
13th May DDH Paul Kilmartin Maj. Gen. REDVERS BULLER
. ML Steve Lundestedt BATTLE OF KOEDOESBERG DRIFT
8th April DDH Ken Gillings. Cmdt. Gen. PIET JOUBERT
. ML Maj.John Buchan WORLD WAR I - AERIAL WARFARE
11th Mar DDH George Nel O'Neill's Cottage
. ML Dave Matthews The Gelib White Flag Incident
. ML2 Paul Kilmartin The History of the Irish Guards
11th Feb DDH Paul Kilmarrin Capt. Edwin Swales, VC
. ML Garth Benneworth The Battle of Driefontein
14 Jan DDH Major John Buchan POW and Refugee Camps of the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War
. ML Bill Brady Battle for Berlin - 1945
Lecture programme 1998
Date . Lecturer Title
10 December 98     Annual Dinner
12 November 98 DDH Prof Mike Laing Patton and Pearl Harbour
. ML Dr Alex Coutts The Military Brilliance of Shaka
8 October 98 DDH James Porteous The K-Class Submarines
. ML Dave Matthews The Siege of O'Kiep
12/13 September 98 Tour Battlefields Tour - Ladysmith Siege Sites Diarise!
10 September 98 DDH Prof Mike Laing Zukhov and the Khalkin Goll
. ML Pat Budd Arnhem
13 August 98 . Visit to the Natal Carbineers in Pietermaritzburg to be arranged.
9 July 98 DDH Prof Mike Laing. Dieppe
. ML Mrs M Richards Churchills in the Anglo-Boer War Context
11 June 98 DDH Charles Whiteing 'D-Day' Revisited
. ML Ken Gillings. "The Battle of Stormberg"
14 May 98 DDH John Buchan Major John Buchan
. ML Paul Kilmartin The First Battle of Ypres - 1914
9th Apr 98 DDH Dr Ingrid Machin The Maldon Embroidery
. ML Huffy Pott The Battle of Bergendal
12 Mar 98 DDH Pat Budd. "Arnhem - A New Perspective"
. ML Bill Brady. "The Channel Dash"
l2th Feb 98 DDH Paul Kilmartin Flt.Lt. L.Baveystock
. ML Dr Audrey Cahill "Between the Lines"
8 Jan 98 DDH Marge Zucchini "Gettysburg Today" - Talk by fellow member on her recent visit to the States.
. ML Mervyn Mitton Britain's Georgian Navy
Lecture programme 1997
Date . Lecturer Title
11th Dec 97 . . Annual Dinner
13th Nov 97 DDH Bill Brady. "Hometown V.C."
. ML Neil Lee "The Bayeaux Tapestry - A Pictorial History of the Norman Invasion of England in 1066"
16th Oct 97 . . Visit to Umvoti Mounted Rifles Base at 105 Haig Road, Redhill.
11th Sept 97 DDH . Video: The Boer War
. ML . Video: The Affiliation Ceremony of The Royal Regiment of Wales and 121 Battalion at Dukuduku
14 August 97 DDH Mark Coglan Pro Patria - Another 50 Carbineer Years 1945-95
. ML Panel discussion The future History of the Army in the Durban Area
10 Jul 97 DDH Rev Ernest Pugsley The History of Padres
. ML Bill Brady The Fall of France 1940
12 Jun 97 DDH Philip Everitt .
. ML Alan Mountain The Campaign against the baPedi of Sekukuni
8 May 97 DDH Steve Lundestedt The Kimberley Battlefields Route
. ML Paul Kilmartin The Battle of the Marne
10 April 97 DDH Prof Mike Laing Modern Science in SA WAR 1899-1902
. ML Richard Henry Restoration of Armoured Fighting Vehicles
13 March 97 . Ken Gillings The Bhambatha Rebellion: The Battleof Mome Gorge
13th Feb 97 . Nick Steele The use of mounted units in colonial wars

DDH = Darryl Hall Memorial . . . ML= Main Lecture

South African Military History Society / scribe@samilitaryhistory.org