35 kms from Somerset East on the R400 to Waterford and Jansenville
Get land owners permission before entering.
GPS 32 deg 58 min 60 sec S; 25 deg 25 min 0 sec E
Significance
Lieutenant Watson was killed on 5 October 1901 during contact with the Smuts Commando.
Deneys Reitz in his book Commando describes the incident as follows:
In the course of our return journey, Ben Coetzee and Edgar Duncker branched away on their own, and soon after, hearing shots, we galloped in their direction. When we came up, we found them sitting their horses in considerable agitation, while on the ground lay an officer and a trooper, both dead. It appeared that shortly after leaving us, as they rounded a piece of thorn bush, they ran into a small English patrol. So unexpected was the encounter that they were alongside before they could think, and Duncker, on the spur of the moment, called out "Don't fire, we are the 17th Lancers!" The officer in charge, a Captain Watson, said "I don't believe you; all Smuts' men are dressed in khaki. Put up your hands". Then Coetzee and Duncker, both of whom carried Webley revolvers, fired simultaneously, killing Captain Watson and one of his men and seriously wounding another, who, however, got away with the rest.
Next morning, while scouting ahead, I met a British ambulance-wagon with a doctor and several stretcher bearers, on their way to fetch in the wounded of the day before. The Medical Officer already knew the manner of Captain Watson's death, for he spoke heatedly of murder and abuse of military uniforms.
David and Taffy Shearing in their book General Jan Smuts and his long ride describe the incident as follows:
They had reached Springvale in the Somerset East District.....Attempting to capture what seemed to be local forces with a ruse, Bouwer and another scout van Lillienveld (who weren't in khaki) rode boldly over to two of the local troops who were ahead of the others. When they were a few yards away, Bouwer stopped smiling and pointed a pistol at them. He ordered the men to drop their rifles. not to make a noise and keep looking straight ahead.....As planned, Edgar Duncker, Nicolaas Swart and Ben Coetzee, all dressed in khaki with their hats turned up left in British fashion, rode on and were stopped and questioned by the Somerset East DMT officer, Lieutenant William Watson, some distance ahead.
He was instantly suspicious of these soldiers, especially as Duncker's foot, wounded at Modderfontein, was wrapped in rags. He ordered his men to train their rifles on the strangers while he established who they were. Duncker claimed to be serving in the Uitenhage Defence Force. Not satisfied with this halting story, Watson interrupted "No, I don't believe a word you say!" and shifted his grip on his rifle which was lying across his saddle. Duncker, thinking he was going to be shot, fired, killing the Lieutenant at point-blank range. The other rifles spat and the Boers wounded L/Cpl Buys, Sgt E. Parry, Ptes S. Schoombie and J.A. Rudman.