The South African
Military History Society

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Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging

Military History Zoom Library

Lectures on Zoom from May 2020

Biological terrorism

Zoomlecture by Malcolm Kinghorn on 11 May 2020,hosted by SAMHSEC Malcolm Kinghorn

Biological terrorism is the deliberate release by non-state entities of biological agents such as viruses, bacteria or toxins to cause illness or deaths in target populations. In spite of international efforts to eliminate such weapons though the Biological Weapons Convention, some states are suspected of being likely to have offensive biological weapons, which could target animals and crops in addition to humans. There is growing international concern that some terrorist groups are recruiting the expertise required to develop biological weapons.

Link to video file:Biologicalterrorism

File size:11.3 MBytes

File type:mp4

Detective constable John Christian Hoehler, KPM, SAP

Zoomlecture by Mac Alexander on 18 May 2020,hosted by SAMHSEC Malcolm Kinghorn

History of how Christie Hoehler,a policeman on the East Rand for 14 years between the First and the Second World Wars, was awarded the King's Police Medal, highest medal for police bravery, for saving a person from being crushed by a train in April 1927. Later he left the SAP and established with his brother an asbestos mine in what is now Mpumalanga, did very well from it and he was able to retire early. He then devoted himself in his passion, which was breeding racing pigeons and competing with them.

Link to video file:Christie Hoehler KPM

File size:10.3 MBytes

File type:mp4

Visit to Gothenberg Air Force Museum,Sweden

Zoomlecture by Franco Cilliers on 18 May 2020,hosted by SAMHSEC Malcolm Kinghorn

Visit to the ..... museum which highlighted cold war era Swedish underground air force base. Aircraft included Viggen,

Link to video file:Gothenburg Air Force Museum

File size:19.5 Mbytes

File type:mp4

The Military Service of the Wiggill 1820 Settler Family by direct descendant, Mac Alexander

Zoomlecture by Mac Alexander on 8 June 2020,hosted by SAMHSEC Malcolm Kinghorn

McGill Alexander is a direct descendant of an 1820 Settler, Isaac Wiggill. The year 2020 marks the Bi-centennial of the arrival of the British 1820 Settlers in South Africa.

The 1820 Settlers arrived almost halfway through the Cape Frontier Wars, which lasted from 1779 to 1878 along the Eastern Frontier of the Cape Colony.

The Wiggill family were involved in the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Frontier Wars between 1834 and 1853 in the Bathurst and Fort Beaufort areas and were besieged in Bathurst in the Sixth and Seventh Wars and Post Retief in the Seventh and Eighth. During each of these wars, their farms were destroyed and they lost all their possessions.

The talk is filled with illustrations showing structures built by the settlers to provide protection and support their farming. Structures such as Bradshaw's Mill (the first wool mill built in South Africa), the Wiggill house in Bathurst and Wiggill's kraal and horizontal windmill, Post Retief fort and barracks in the Winterberg. Includes views of the landscape in the area and views from where Khoi rebels shelled Post Retief with a cannon.

Link to video file:Wiggills in the wars.mp4

File size:29.1 MBytes (26 minutes)

File type:mp4

The Hydrogen Bomb - Peace or Annhilation by Gil Jacobs

Zoomlecture by Gil Jacobs on 11 June 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

Gil started by explaining the differences between the Atomic Bomb used in WW2 and the Hydrogen Bomb which increased the yield by 1000 times. The hydrogen or "thermo-nuclear" bomb comes from the fusion of hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei.

Edward Teller, one of the team which developed the first atomic bombs, started agitating for the development of the H-Bomb during the A-Bomb build. The other scientists strongly opposed this emphasizing that a development path should be observed. However, in August 1949 the Soviet Union exploded an atomic bomb causing President Harry S Truman to give the go-ahead for developing the H-Bomb 1n 1950. In November of 1952 the first hydrogen bomb was detonated on Eniwetok Atoll. With a yield of 10 megatons, the island of Elugelab was wiped away. Testing took place at Bikini Atoll, the "Castle Bravo" test being on 1st March 1954. No fewer than 23 Atom and Hydrogen bomb tests were conducted at Bikini Atoll between 1956 and 1958. The H-Bomb is deliverable several ways; by air with Bombers such as the B-52; Submarine launched missiles such as Polaris and by Minuteman missiles, ground-launched from deep silos.

Notable amongst the people who were opposed to thermonuclear weapons were Robert Oppenheimer - "Father of the Atomic Bomb", Joseph Rotblatt - the only scientist who left the A-Bomb project after Germany's surrender, Albert Einstein who deeply regretted the part he played in initiating the bomb's development, and the great controversial philosopher Bertrand Russell who was nuclear's most vociferous opponent.

Gil discussed how when many countries have such technology (currently 9), the possibility of an unplanned war increases.

Link to video file:Hydrogen Bomb - Peace or Annhilation

File size:54 MBytes (21 minutes)

File type:avi

Kitchener's Ladies by Dr Anne Samsom

Zoomlecture by Dr Anne Samsom given from Sussex,UK on 25 June 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

Presentation on the women who influenced Lord Kitchener in his later years

Link to video file:Kitchener's Ladies

File size:21 MBytes (18 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to pdf file:Kitchener's Ladies (script)

Military History - one heavy metal song at a time by AL du Pisani

Zoomlecture by AL du Pisani given from Johannesburg on 9 July 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

Lecture about the popular Swedish band Sabaton, who sing about war and heroes and other things relating to military history

Link to video file:Sabaton

File size:74 MBytes (35 minutes)

File type:mp4

Additional reading for lecture on Sabaton

Knit your bit: Patriotic Knitting by Barbara Ann Kinghorn

Zoomlecture by Barbara Ann Kinghorn on 11 August 2020 hosted by SAMHSEC.

An illustrated talk by Barbara Ann Kinghorn on how persons of all ages and on all social levels at home in the British Empire and the United States were encouraged to knit garments for the Forces during both World Wars. Barbara Ann covered the history of knitting and showed how knitting had been made socially acceptable by Queen Victoria herself knitting scarves for British soldiers serving in the South African War of 1899 to 1902. She stressed the therapeutic benefits of knitting and the opportunity of knitting for others presented during the COVID 19 pandemic crisis.

Link to video file:Knit your bit

File size:32 MBytes (41 minutes)

File type:mp4

The Royal African Corps at the Cape from 1817 to 1823 by Patrick Irwin

Zoomlecture given from Grahamstown on 11 August 2020 hosted by SAMHSEC

The Royal African Corps (RAC), a disciplinary regiment composed largely of so-called permanent punishment men, who were military misfits with criminal records and who required tough officers to maintain order, was stationed at the Cape from 1817 to 1823 to garrison the Eastern Frontier. Though rated at a low military value due to criminal activities by its soldiers, the RAC gave a good account of itself at the Battle of Graham's Town in April 1819 during the Fifth Frontier War. The unit remained on the Eastern Frontier until 1821. While awaiting transport to West Africa, the RAC assisted the Royal Engineers in building the Franschhoek Mountain Pass, which is still in use today."

(Eastern Cape,Disciplinary Regiment,Fredericksburg Military Village,Military misfits,Condemned units,Fifth Frontier War)

Link to video file:The Royal African Corps at the Cape

File size:40 MBytes (34 minutes)

File type:mp4

'The impact of the 1909/10 Union discussions on South Africa's entry into WW1'. by Martin Plaut

Zoomlecture by Martin Plaut given from the UK on 13 August 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

The lecture discussed how the South African franchise was shaped by the imminence of the First World War when the Union of South Africa was formed. The Imperial Defence Conference in 1909 overshadowed the discussions on the Union, when the MP's arrived in London (including Smuts and Botha) to present their case Britain had little option but to accept their demands, and endorse the Union Constitution unamended, since they needed South Africa's support in the coming conflict - thereby removing the black population's right to vote.

Link to video file:The impact of the 1909/10 Union discussions on South Africa's entry into WW1

File size:100 MBytes (22 minutes)

File type:avi

Link to video file:Discussion after presentation session 1

File size:17 MBytes (5 minutes)

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Link to video file:Discussion after presentation session 2

File size:129 MBytes (36 minutes)

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"Tribute to Sergeant-major Jock Hutton" by Mac Alexander

Zoomlecture given at the SAMSEC RPC meeting on 31 August 2020

Jock Hutton died on 12 August 2020. He served in the British Airborne Forces (1943-56), the Rhodesian SAS (1961-80) and the South African Special Forces (1980-85). He participated in parachute operations Normandy on D-Day (1944), crossing the Rhine (1945), Suez (1956) and Chimoio/Tembué in Mozambique (1977).

Link to video file:Jock Hutton

File size:9 MBytes (7 minutes)

File type:mp4

'Novels, some SA inspiration, and the formation of MI5 and MI6' Dr Anne Samson

Zoomlecture given from the UK on 10 September 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

William Le Queux, the author of various spy novels at the turn of the twentieth century is regarded as the inspiration for the formation of MI5 and MI6. However, Roger Pocock, founder of the Legion of Frontiersmen later commanded by Dan Driscoll of Driscoll's Scouts, also had a part to play. In this talk, Anne discusses the links between them all.

Link to video file:Novels and the formation of MI5

File size:29 MBytes (30 minutes)

File type:mp4

'War and Peace in the Anglo Boer War - starting a war is a lot easier than stopping one' by Robin Smith

Zoomlecture given from the Howick,KZN on 8 October 2020,hosted by MHS Jhbg

Starting with the Bloemfontein conference, then the Boer ultimatum and, like all the wars of the first half of the 20th century, the huge enthusiasm of the population on both sides to go to war. Roberts's reaction after the occupation of Pretoria and the advance to Komatipoort was that the war was practically over. He returned to England to become Commander-in Chief in London. Kitchener was left to mop up and, at first, without the vital resources of manpower.

Various offers and counter-offers for peace were made between February 1901 and 1902 but the final document was only agreed and signed about an hour before the deadline of midnight on 31 May 1902.

Lecture given in two parts, namely Starting the War and Ending the War.

Link to video file:Starting the War

File size:27.2 MBytes (22 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Ending the War

File size:30.4 MBytes (22 minutes)

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'The Great Sea Trek of 1820" by Eric Kelly

Zoomlecture given from Grahamstown on 12 October 2020, hosted by SAMHSEC

As part of SAMHSEC’s commemoration of the Bicentenary of the Arrival of the 1820 Settlers, Eric’s talk focused on the movement of the 1820 Settlers from the United Kingdom to South Africa. The talk was in two parts, namely Putting The Scheme Together and Departure.

In Part 1, Eric described how the Governor of the Cape Colony, Lord Charles Somerset’s scheme for British people to be settled in the Eastern Cape met an almost overwhelming positive response after it was approved by the British Government in July 1819. Eric described the purpose and terms of the scheme and the make-up of the various Settler parties.

Part 2 was to a large extent based on personal reminiscences of the voyages of the 21 ships which transported the approximately 4 000 men, women and children Settlers to South Africa. The ships sailed from various ports, with the first getting underway in early December 1819 and arriving in Algoa Bay to disembark the Settlers from April 1820.

Link to video file:Putting The Scheme Together

File size:132 MBytes (30 minutes)

File type:avi

Link to video file:Departure

File size:118 MBytes (22 minutes)

File type:mp4

'East London Railway Station War Memorial " by Malcolm Kinghorn

Zoomlecture given from Port Elizabeth on 26 October 2020, hosted by SAMHSEC

The War Memorial on the East London Railway Station consists of 2 panels with the Rolls of Honour of the South African Railways and Harbours' officers and men who have given their lives in the Great War 1914-1918 or in the World War 1939-1945. The inscriptions are in English and Dutch on the former and English and Afrikaans on the latter.
One of the soldiers on the Great War Memorial is Private J.J.C. Human. He is in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records as 21357 Private J.J.C. Human, Second Regiment South African Infantry, who died in England on 21 October 1918, after being evacuated wounded from France. He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery. The presentation closed with a photograph of one of his grandsons visiting his grave in the 1960s

Link to video file:East London Railway Station War Memorial

File size:3.3MBytes (3 minutes)

File type:mp4

'The Butcher of the Somme" by John Stevens

Zoomlecture given from Grahamstown on 9 November 2020, hosted by SAMHSEC

An illustrated talk by John Stevens on the reputation of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE (19th June 1861 - 29th January 1928). John covered the role of former Prime Minister David Lloyd-George in the decline of Haig's post-war reputation, which was further diminished in the 1960s by Charles Chilton's 1961 radio programme The long, long trail, Joan Littlewood's 1963 stage production Oh, What a Lovely War, Richard Attenborough's 1969 film of the same name and various historians who promoted the concept of the British soldiers of the Great War having been lions led by donkeys. After discussing other historians' more positive view the British Army leadership in the war, John covered the reality of Haig's military career and ended by quoting Churchill as having said of Haig that "He might be, surely he was, unequal to the prodigious scale of events, but no one else was discerned as his equal or his better".

Link to video file:Butcher of the Somme Pt1

File size:46 MBytes (35 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Butcher of the Somme Pt2

File size:55 MBytes (35 minutes)

File type:mp4

'Wireless in the Boer War" by Dr Brian A Austin

Zoomlecture given from Liverpool,UK on 12 November 2020, hosted by Johannesburg branch

The Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902) was the first occasion in which wireless communications were used in military conflict. Both the British and Boer forces had intentions to use this latest invention in the field of battle. Brian explained the state of the art at that time and the issues that were uncovered when technology meets the battlefield. This war further led to advancements in radio technology for the British Navy.

A discussion session was held after the lecture which provided further explanations and this discussion session is included.

Link to video file:Wireless in the Boer War

File size:62 MBytes (35 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Discussion session of Wireless in the Boer War

File size:139 MBytes (35 minutes)

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Air to air operations in the Ogaden War by Franco Cilliers

Zoomlecture given from Port Elizabeth on 30 November 2020, hosted by SAMHSEC

The talk focused on air to air operations during the war between Ethiopia and Somalia between July 1977 and March 1978. The war began with the ultimately unsuccessful Somali invasion of the Ethiopian region of Ogaden to gain control of its predominantly ethnic Somali population. The more effective use of air power by Ethiopia proved decisive in the defeat of the Somali invasion. The conduct of the war was influenced by involvement of both Cold War superpowers.

Link to video file:Air to air operations in the Ogaden War

File size:20 MBytes (12 minutes)

File type:mp4

"The story of the British 1820 Settler Bowker family in the Eastern Cape" by Stephen Bowker

Zoomlecture given from Port Elizabeth on 14 December 2020, hosted by SAMHSEC

Miles and Anna Maria Bowker and their young family from Mitford in Northern England arrived in Algoa Bay on 15 May 1820. They settled on their allotted farm Tharfield, between Port Alfred and the Great Fish River. The family was prominent in the affairs of the 1820 British Settlers in the Eastern Cape. The Bowkers participated in the 6th, 7th and 8th Frontier Wars. Stephen's talk included short descriptions of the respective contributions of each of the Bowker siblings to South Africa in the fields of politics, commerce, medicine, farming and natural history.

Link to video file:Bowker family history

File size:74 MBytes (55 minutes)

File type:mp4

"At their duty's post they stood - Poetry written by South Africans during the Great War." by Kathie Satchwell

Zoomlecture given from Johannesburg on 17 December 2020, hosted by Johannesburg Branch

Based on poetry published in local papers and magazines during and after the Great War, the lecture covers the change in emotions of white and black South African participants affected by the conflict. Together with the poetry, the talk was illustrated by 98 paintings and artworks depicting the actions and consequences of the war.
Not much had been published in South Africa but the sheer number of poems which the speaker had unearthed in newspapers, school and social and soldiers' magazines should not appear surprising. Since most, if not all, of the writers were soldiers rather than poets the emphasis was on cultural history rather than literary form.
The speaker identified several themes and divided the poetry accordingly, i.e. "sites of memory","the south african experience","motherland"; "the colonials";"the inferno";"delville wood"; "comradeship","the enemy";"grousing":"rescue";"german east africa";"imbongi";"s.s.mendi";"duty honour glory";"death"; "golgotha";"memorials";"afterwards".

Link to video file:South African Poetry - Part1

File size:42 MBytes (35 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:South African Poetry - Part2

File size:32 MBytes (16 minutes)

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"Italy 1943 - 1945 War and Civil War" by Alan Mantle

Zoomlecture given from Johannesburg on 11 January 2021, hosted by SAMSEC

The Allied attack in July 1943 and their invasion of Italy forms the backdrop to the talk with the perspective on the lesser known events following Italy’s armistice with the Allies.
The resulting German Invasion and Italy’s formal reaction divided the nation into a state of War and Civil War between the Italian Fascist forces supporting the Germans and the partisan and Italian military forces fighting them and playing an active role in the Allied Campaign.

Link to video file:Italy campaign - Part1

File size:39 MBytes (26 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Italy campaign - Part2

File size:31 MBytes (18 minutes)

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"No grave but the sea" by Capt Charles Ross

Zoomlecture given from Johannesburg on 21 January 2021, hosted by Johannesburg branch

How the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorate those that have no grave, but the sea

A talk detailing the various memorials set up by governments and the War Graves Board to commemorate persons that were lost at sea.

Memorials that were detailed were Thiepval, Menin Gate, Chatham Naval, Plymouth Naval, Portsmouth Naval, Bombay (Mumbai), Chitagong, Bombay 1939- 45, Halifax, Victoria, New Zealand Naval, Tower Hill, Liverpool Naval, Lee-on-Solent, Lowestoft, Runnymede Air Force, Malta, Hollybrook, Brookwood, Maseru, Attridgeville, Avalon, El Alamein, and Seaforth.

Link to video file:Buried at Sea - Part1

File size:51 MBytes (31 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Buried at Sea - Part2

File size:26 MBytes (14 minutes)

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"14 Platoon of B Company of Die Middellandse Regiment escape from Tobruk" by Ian Pringle

Zoomlecture given from Port Elizabeth on 25 January 2021, hosted by SAMSEC

The escape from Tobruk of 14 Platoon of B Company of Die Middellandse Regiment led by Lt. Cecil “Quills” Featherstone, MC in June 1942. It is the story of a dash through advancing enemy forces to avoid capture and fight another day. The talk includes a discussion of the history of Die Middelandse Regiment and the close ties maintained by veterans of the unit after WW2.”

Link to video file:Die Middellandse Regiment escape from Tobruk

File size:32 MBytes (19 minutes)

File type:mp4

"The Siege of the Alcázar of Toledo" by McGill Alexander

Zoomlecture given from Port Elizabeth on 8 February 2021, hosted by SAMHSEC

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is a conflict that is little known in South Africa. This presentation provides background to the war before focusing on the 70-day siege of the Alcázar (Fortress) of Toledo by Republican militia forces. The Alcázar, dominating the ancient city of Toledo, was defended by a disparate Nationalist force and some civilians. It was subjected to aerial and artillery bombardment that reduced it to a pile of rubble before it was relieved by Franco’s Army of Africa, consisting of the Spanish Foreign Legion and Moroccan Regular troops. Though of no strategic value, Toledo held tremendous symbolic significance because of its historic and religious importance. The relief of the Alcázar was a propaganda victory for the Nationalists, sealed Franco’s position as their leader and severely dented the morale of the Republican government forces.

The presentation is amply illustrated and is interspersed with personal observations by Mac Alexander, who studied for two years at the Spanish Army Staff College.

Link to video file:The Siege of the Alcázar of Toledo

File size:58 MBytes (43 minutes)

File type:mp4

"Why is there a statue of Jan Christiaan Smuts in Parliament Square near the Houses of Parliament in Central London?" by John Myburgh

Zoomlecture given from Cape Town on 18 February 2021, hosted by Johannesburg branch

The talk seeks to give a Briton’s view of Smuts, which would have been very different from the view that many fellow Afrikaaners, Africans, and Indians, had of him. The period covered is the first 40 years of the history of South Africa as a country, from Union in 1910 to the death of Smuts in 1950, which coincides with the last 40 years of his life.

Link to video file:Statue of Jan Christiaan Smuts Part 1 (up to WW2)

File size:132 MBytes (30 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Statue of Jan Christiaan Smuts Part 2 (WW2 onwards)

File size:139 MBytes (26 minutes)

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"Facial furniture: beards and moustaches in the early UDF" by Dr Anne Samson

Zoomlecture given from UK on 22 February 2021, hosted by SAMSEC branch

The changing British regulations regarding facial hair and how that links with the Boer Commandos and Union Defence Force till the end of the 1914-1918 war.

Link to video file:Facial hair policies in the UDF

File size:25 MBytes (12 minutes)

File type:mp4

"Japanese submarines" by Errol Back-Cunningham

Zoomlecture given from Johannesburg on 4 March 2021, hosted by Johannesburg branch

Starting with Mitchell's demonstration of how to sink a battleship using bombs that did not need to impact the ship, Errol detailed the developments in the Japanese Navy that led to an impressive range of submarines and torpedos that became a threat to major fleets. The Japanese had been ignored when monitoring navies by the Western alliance, who were caught by surprise when they went into battle by the performance of the submarines. Some of the submarines carried and lauched aircraft from their decks while others carried midget submarines to wreak havoc in enemies harbours. One aircraft launched from a submarine was the only aircraft to successfully bomb mainland USA during the war, setting fire to forests in Oregon. Their torpedoes had a variety of propulsion methods that enabled them to run without leaving rooster tails. Well illustrated talk including references,.

Link to video file:Japanese submarines in WW2 Pt1

File size:29.1 MBytes (30 minutes)

File type:mp4

Link to video file:Japanese submarines in WW2 Pt2

File size:5.5 MBytes (5 minutes)

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