Boer War Battlefield Sites

Last year Dennis Weatherall, a member of the Society’s Council, lead a tour of important Boer War battlefield sites, including some associated with the story of Lt Harry Morant, better known as Breaker Morant. Here’s his report:

This journey had three highlights:

(a) MORANT & HANDCOCK ─ 27 February 2017 in the Old Pretoria Cemetery (South Africa) we commemorated the 115th anniversary of the execution of Lt. Harry Harboard ‘Breaker’ Morant

of the Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC) and Lt. Peter Joseph Handcock (BVC) both court-martialed by the British Army under the command of Lord Kitchener for deeds allegedly committed in the Limpopo Province ‘Zoutgansberg’ region in Northern South Africa, an area policed by the ‘Bushveldt Carbineers’ of which Morant and Handcock were both officers. The BVC was the first ever specially raised unit formed to fight the ‘counter-insurgency’ war of the ‘Bitterender’ (those that would fight to the last man) Boers. There were six Officers of the BVC brought before the court-martial, three were committed to death. Lt George Witton (born Warnambool Victoria ─ his initial contingent was the Victorian Imperial Bushmen ─ was the third who received the death sentence, but was given a reprieve by Kitchener and sentenced to life in prison in the UK. Fortunately for him, he was released on 11th August 1904 and wrote a scathing attack on the ‘system’ titled ‘Scapegoats of the Empire’. The other three officers were Lt Henry Picton DSM, British, he was cashiered, Captain Alfred Taylor DSO (he lived to fight another day), the area Intelligence Officer appointed by Kitchener, who got off scot-free, and Major Robert Lenehen VD from Victoria, who was admonished for his lack of command in not reporting certain events that occurred under his watch within the BVC. There has been much written on Morant and Handcock (and some conjecture) but both men had already served 12 months in their various state colonial contingents (and were highly thought of as good soldiers) before rejoining and deciding to stay and fight another day.

Morant was British by birth (a bit of a lady’s man) and became a horse breaker, therefore the name, and went to South Africa with the 2nd South Australian Mounted Rifles (2SAMR). Handcock was born in Peel NSW and was a member of the 2nd Contingent of the 1st NSW Mounted Rifles (2NSWMR). A farrier by trade (blacksmith), he was a Veterinarian Officer when he signed on to the BVC. Both men were executed before the Australian Government of the day was informed, and their execution wasn’t reported to the Australian public until 1907. The man probably best versed in their trial is Cmdr James Unkles RAN (R). I recommend to any interested reader ‘Justice Denied’ and his website, http://breakermorant.com, it’s quite an amazing story. Attached is a group photograph with the Australian Flag as it was the day after their execution in 1902, when their defender Major James F. Thomas stood at their grave and reflected on what he wasn’t able to achieve. Wreath laid in remembrance.

Flag and wreath on Lt Handcock's grave

(b) STROLMAN INCIDENT ─ Also on the 27 February 2017 in the Old Pretoria Cemetery (South

Africa) we paid respects to a fallen enemy of our South African Colonial Forces, with a difference. A fellow academic Dr Tony Stimson of Adelaide (PhD in History) was with us on his third visit to the battlefields of South Africa and he had a story to tell. His grandfather Captain Alfred E M Norton was in command of B Squadron of the 4th South Australian Imperial Bushmen. On 26 June 1900 his unit was the first British military to arrive in Bethlehem ─ this town is located 324 kilometres south of Pretoria (South Africa’s Capital) in what was then the Orange Free State. The Boer commandos were withdrawing from the town. It is recorded that Captain Norton was on a kopje (hill) overlooking a similar kopje outside Bethlehem and spotted some enemy. As they were retiring off the kopje, he took aim and at 1,000 yards felled one of the ‘Burghers’ (Boer farmers in a group were known as burghers). His 2-I-C Lt White rode out to check if there was any ID on the body of the felled enemy. What he found in the saddle bag was quite amazing. Captain Norton had shot and killed a Russian observer. What’s more he was a Lt in the Imperial Russian Navy of the Tsar. His name was Lt Boris von Strolman. This is all recorded in research material in the possession of Dr Stimson. In trolling the web for information on Strolman, it was discovered that last year the Russian Federation Embassy in Pretoria held a memorial service for Lt Strolman. So I made contact with the Russian Embassy in Pretoria and asked the Ambassador if they’d like, after 117 years, to meet the grandson of the man who killed their then young officer. Much to my surprise the offer was accepted. So on this early morning on neutral ground we met with the Deputy Ambassador, Councillor Alexsandr Agafonov and the Deputy Defence Attaché Captain (Naval) Victor Dolgerov. Dr Stimson related the story of the event. Then we respectfully and jointly laid a wreath on Lt Strolman’s grave. Lt Strolman’s remains at his mother’s request in 1905 had been reinterred here in Pretoria from his original burial site in Bethlehem.

Lt Strolman's grave

(c) UNVEILING OF THE 1st AUSTRALIAN BOER WAR MEMORIAL ON SOUTH AFRICAN SOIL IN OVER 100 YEARS – (that is, for all sides of the conflict and privately funded) - Monday 13 March 2017 - In 2012 whilst on a previous visit to the area west of Lindley in the Orange Free State (now known just as the Free State), Dr Tony Stimson was introduced to a local landowner Mr Albert Jordaan (via our historian colleagues) on whose land a battle was fought by Dr Stimson’s grandfather Captain Alfred E M Norton of B Squadron 4th South Australian Imperial Bushmen (4SAIB) on 3 July 1900. The battle was fought by artillery between two kopje’s known as Leeukop (then it was spelt Leeuwkop and Bakenkop). What followed the initial meeting on his farm was the suggestion of raising a memorial to all who fought over the ground on that day 117 years ago, to stand in memory to all those on both sides who fought and died here so long ago. Mr Jordaan agreed. Dr Stimson ‘stumped’ up the funds and the memorial was built of stone quarried off the surrounding land. It was another story of being in the right place at the right time for Captain Norton and his men of B Squadron 4SAIB. Without turning this text into a novel, the basics facts are as follows.

Leeuwkop Battlefield Memorial

The British Forces had six guns on Leeukop firing a duel with the Boers on adjacent kopjes some 2 kilometres away. Four of the six were manned by the 38th Royal Field Artillery. The Boers crept up a ‘donga’ (gully) at the bottom of the kopje. In this donga a crop of quite tall maize was growing. The day was reported as being very cold and wet. The Boers dropped some rounds on target and then in the confusion the Boers rushed out of the maize field and grabbed three of the four 38th R.F.A. guns. The artillery officer in charge was seriously wounded and yelled “save the guns”, and sent one of his men up and over the kopje where Captain Norton and twelve of his B Squadron men were taking cover. They, along with others close by at the time, recaptured the guns from the Boers. In due course Captain Alfred E M Norton was awarded a DSO for his efforts in leading to the recapture of the guns.

At the Leeuwkop Battlefield Memorial

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