PAST EVENTS
On 10th June Colonel C.F. Hodgson presented his eagerly awaited talk "From Hell to the Himalayas", and those who had waited for it were certainly not disappointed. In a clear and impressive, yet modest manner, interspersed with rich humour, Col Hodgson told of his personal experiences as a subaltern in the Royal Artillery and frontline soldier during WWI. He took his audience with his six-gun field battery of 18-pdrs into the battlefields of France and opened wi th the dramatic action of the guns at Le Cateau. Towards the end of August, 1914, German pressure had forced the withdrawal of the whole of the French centre and left wing, forcing the B.E.F. to retire likewise. Fighting a rear action the British 2nd corps, under General Smith-Dorrien, was in danger of exposing its flank and rear. Smith-Dorrien considered it therefore impossible to continue his retirement and decided to stand to fight in conjunction with the 4th division, hoping thereby to check the hostile advance for a time. Accordingly, orders were got out for the British left wing to stand for battle on the heights south of the Le Cateau-Cambrai high road. Here, at Le Cateau, the guns found themselves between the British infantry and the advancing Germans.
A sequence of dramatic orders illustrated the fast moving events: "Prepare for cavalry charge" brought out the shrapnel charges, set at Fuze 0, and then came the exciting, but murderous spectacle of a cavalry charge by German uhlans with glistening lances and fluttering penants. The shrapnel created havoc but bravely the uhlans regrouped and charged again, but the guns held their ground. Then, when the German infantry pressed forward, came the order "Save the guns!". When this became well nigh impossible, because most of the horses had been killed, came the next order "Destroy the guns!" and then "Every man for himself!" The gunners at Le Cateau showed themselves worthy of the heroic example set by the gunners at Colenso fifteen years earlier. The gunners of "L" battery won five VCs on that day.
Then the war dragged on, and with it came the horrors of gas warfare and trench warfare. Mud, lice and rats (which on their plentiful diet of human corpses grew to enormous size), bombardments, death and destruction were all part of this picture of hell created by man. But war did have it's lighter side. When Col Hodgson's battery took over a position; previously held by the French the French captain explained the absence of battle debris by saying: "You see, we have an arrangement with the Germans. If they don't shoot at us, we don't shoot back at them". The same captain, having been transferred, suggested that his successor should not only take over his beautifully furnished dug-out, but also the pretty girlfriend whom he had installed therein.
Zeppelin attacks on London, encounters with Lord Hountbatten and the Prince of Wales, and other experiences, too numerous to recount, filled the years to the end of the war. After two years routine duty as a regular soldier our speaker then found himself as a member of the mounted infantry on his way to Ireland to assist in the suppression of the Irish rebellion, 1920-22, where eventually he became commandant of an Irish prisoners of war camp containing some 800 Sin Feiners.
This is as far as he got in the available time on his walk through memory lane; but the Himalayas were already beckoning! The second half of the road from Hell to the Himalayas will hopefully be completed at another talk in the not too distant future. Cmdt Justin Hulme proposed a hearty vote of thanks to our speaker.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES INCREASE
Advice has been received from the National Secretary/Treasurer (Mike Marsh) that at the last meeting of the Executive Committee in Johannesburg, it was decided to increase the subscription rates from 1983 as follows:- Normal membership R10,00 p.a.; Family membership R12,50p.a.; Life membership R100,00; Family Life membership R125,00. Those who take out life membership before the end of the year will still only pay R75,00 Normal or R100,00 Family.
FUTURE EVENTS
Programme of Monthly get-togethers
JULY 8TH "NUREMBURG RALLY - 30TH MARCH 1944".
MR. PETER FOX is coming all the way from Johannesburg to present this pre-recorded audio-visual lasting approx 50 minutes. Several voices and the music of Wagner and Beethoven help to provide the urgency needed to put over an account of the most controversial bombing operation of WWII. The audience participates in the briefing of aircrews, the action and the analysis - which includes' some historical comment from 'Bomber' Harris himself'.
August 12th Ken Gillings will present a slide talk on "The Stormberg Saga".
September 9th Film evening "Breaker Norant".
October 14th MajorDarrell Hall will present "The 1917 Diary of 2/Lt R.E. Stevenson, 2/7 London Regiment".
The venue for all meetings' will be the Lecture Roomr 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Port Natal Administration Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own canned or bottled refreshments. FRIENDS AND INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv