Diamonds, Gold & War 4Diamonds, Gold & War 4

The Second Anglo-Boer War1899 - 1902

The Second Anglo-Boer War1899 - 1902

Presented at OLLI at Duke - Fall 2009Presented at OLLI at Duke - Fall 2009

The story thus far …..

Milner has pushed forward with his plans to force Kruger into a confrontation – ultimately with the goal of taking over the Transvaal. The Orange Free State will follow and Britain will have a unified South Africa consisting of four colonies.

The Bloemfontein conference ends in deadlock, Uitlander agitation continues, Britain begins to bring in reinforcements – Kruger issues ultimatum.Britain does not concede – war breaks out!

The story thus far …..

Milner has pushed forward with his plans to force Kruger into a confrontation – ultimately with the goal of taking over the Transvaal. The Orange Free State will follow and Britain will have a unified South Africa consisting of four colonies.

The Bloemfontein conference ends in deadlock, Uitlander agitation continues, Britain begins to bring in reinforcements – Kruger issues ultimatum.Britain does not concede – war breaks out!

A Boer group off to war with a commandeered wagon

Boer Scouts on Talana Hill

The Dublin Fusiliers, Natal Royal Rifles and the Irish Fusiliers move toward Talana Hill

Battle of Elandslaagte

42

13

Retreat from Dundee

Part of General Yule’s demoralized column approaching Ladysmith after a three-day retreat from Dundee

Battle of Ladysmith

Devonshire Regiment facing Pepworth Hill, firing from behind boulders which provided

for an effective cover.

Germans fighting for the Boers at Ladysmith

Leicesters training a Maxim machine-gun on Boers near Ladysmith

The arrival of General Sir Redvers Henry Buller in Cape Town on October 31st, 1899.

Meanwhile – over on the West

Koos De le Ray Piet CronjeKoos De le Ray Piet Cronje

Lt. General Lord Paul Methuen arrived in the Cape in Oct. 1899

Gen. Gatacre

The conduct of the small Naval Brigade in storming the Boer hill top position at Graspan attracted considerable attention in

the British Press. The public imagination was particularly taken by the Jack Russell terrier of Major Plumbe from the Royal Marines found guarding the body of his dead master on the

embattled hillside.

Battle of Graspan

Highlanders attempting to ford the Modder River

The Gordon Highlanders – Fought at Kandahar, Mysore,

and the Peninsular war

28th November 1899

Battle of Magersfontein11 December 1899

Boer Trenches at Magersfontein

Highlanders on the March

Firing “Joe Chamberlain”

At Magersfontein

A converted 4.7 inch Naval gun to “prepare” for the British Advance

The Black Watch after the Battle of Magersfontein – Two hundred and two of the 239 British killed and 496 of the 663 wounded were

Highlanders

“91st at Modder River”

Pipe Major Angus MacDonald

Major General Wauchopeand his temporary grave

The Scandinavian Volunteer Corps

Monument to the Scandinavian volunteers killed while fighting for the

Boers at the battle. The memorial reads: "They could not retreat. They

could only fall. In memory of Scandinavians killed here."

Final Retreat & The Aftermath

Such was the day for our regiment,

Dread the revenge we will take.

Dearly we paid for the blunder

A drawing-room General’s mistake.

Why weren’t we told of the trenches?

Why weren’t we told of the wire?

Why were we marched up in column,

May Tommy Atkins enquire…

Pte Smith of the Black Watch, December 1899. Pakenham p.201

Boer War Memorial – Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk