PAST EVENTS
At our get-together in May we had the distinction of being addressed by an airman on a naval subject. Group-Captain Rupert Taylor, OBE, presented a slide-talk on "Simons town Epitaphs Remembered". The reason for this dual interest lies in the fact that Group-Captain Taylor, before joining the airforce had been one of the "Botha Boy's" and had qualified as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Navy. He has therefore a personal interest in Simonstown.
The Simons town Naval Base, an inlet on False Bay, derived its name from Governor Simon van der Stel. It was used for the first time as a harbourage for ships in 1741. The chief value of the port was its protection against the winter gales which made Cape Town dangerous before protective docks were built. It was in the following year that Simonstown became an official harbour and that a village began to spring up. By the end of the 18th Century it already possessed military and naval installations. Under British occupation its strategic value was recognised to the full. It was used as a naval base during the first regime, from 1795 to 1802. In 1806 large developments began. Admiralty House was built in 1814 when the Navy decided to station a squadron there permanently. With the establishment of a South African Navy a demand for a change developed and in April 1957 Simonstown was handed over to the Union Department of Defence.
Our speaker was greatly concerned about the preservation of historical sites and in particular the naval cemetery at Simonstown. The latter is endangered by encroachments and inadequate care and maintenance. There were some slides showing a rather deplorable state in which some graves and headstones find themselves; but efforts are also being made to remedy the position, and some of the slides showed a commendable improvement. The earliest gravestone is dated 1761.
Our speaker then proceeded to present a rather interesting picture of past seafaring men, histories and events, by means of slides reflecting some of the inscriptions and epitaphs found on some of these tombstones. Some give clues to historical events. The first mention of a steam boat, the "Dee", is found on a headstone dated 1850; other headstones are connected with convict ships, anti-slavery actions, and warfare at sea. Then there are inscriptions of purely human interest and tragedies. One grave containing the remains of a number of "Kroomen" ex HNS Boadicea who were drowned when their landing boat capsized gives their names as "Jack Glasgow, Tom Cockroach, Bottle-of-Beer, Black Whale, Jack Ropeyarn, Tom Sharp, Tom Newman".
Our speaker ended with a slide of a tombstone dated 1862 with an admonishment applicable to all:
A warm word of thanks to our speaker was expressed on behalf of the audience by fellow-member Dr. Graham Fuller.
FOR SALE
Mr. Eric Holland of Kelvin Place, Durban North, Telephone pppppp is offering for sale the following :
1. A full set of genuine Rhodesian military medals (miniatures) in a leather-bound box.
2. A complete set of Rhodesian military cap badges.
3. A book entitled "Uniforms of the Rhodesian Defence Forces" bound in elephant hide and brass. (Edition limited to 500 numbered copies.)
The above will be available for inspection at the next monthly get-together.
PROGRAMME OF MONTHLY GET-TOGETHERS
JUNE 10TH COLONEL C.F. HODGSON will give a talk entitled "FROM HELL TO THE HIMALAYAS".
JULY 8TH "Nuremburg Rally - 30th March 1944" Mr. Peter Fox is coming all the way from Johannesburg to present this pre-recorded audio-visual account of the most controversial bombing operation of WW II.
AUG. 12TH Ken Gillings will present a slide talk on "The Stormberg Saga".
SEPT 9TH FILM EVENING "Breaker Morant".
OCT 14TH Major Darrell Hall will present "The 1917 Diary of 2/Lt R.E. Stevenson, 2/7 London Regiment".
NOV 11TH Commandant 'SB' Bourquin, DWD, will give a talk on Colonel A.W. Durnford.
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 WELCOHE TO COME ALONG.
(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv
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