Editor's Comment - Reconnaissance Magazine, Autumn 2021


Reconnaissance is the quarterly magazine of The Military History Society of New South Wales

Welcome to the Autumn 2021 issue of Reconnaissance.

Most Australians know little about the country’s quite substantial military contribution to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. Perhaps this is because much of it happened before federation. But they probably know at least one thing. That is the tragic-romantic story of outback horse-breaker cum bush poet Harry Morant, ‘The Breaker’, who along with fellow trooper Peter Handcock was executed by the British high command on 27 February 1902, allegedly for murdering Boer prisoners. The Morant case has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and, of course, the award-winning movie by Bruce Beresford. It has long been attended by controversy and continues to arouse strong passions to this day. Attitudes to the executions seem to shift back and forth according to latter-day feelings about Australian nationalism, the honouring of military heroes and war crimes. In any event, one of the most persistent and articulate defenders of Morant and Handcock (the third accused George Witton received a prison sentence) is barrister, historian and documentary-maker James Unkles, who has contributed the cover feature article for this Reconnaissance.

As James explains, in its end phase the Boer War degenerated into a brutal guerilla conflict. The accused Australians claimed they were issued orders by the British high command, including Commander-In-Chief Lord Kitchener, to execute prisoners, only to be later singled out as scapegoats when it became politically controversial. To some extent this remains clouded by uncertainty, but James rightly argues there is no doubt about another aspect. Morant, Handcock and Witton were denied due process under the law of the time and were subjected to a grossly unfair trial and appeal procedure. He outlines a compelling case for redress.

The massacre of British troops by Zulu warriors at Isandlwana in 1879 goes down as the worst disaster in British military history until the bloodbaths of World War I culminating on the Somme. In books about military stuff ups it tends to be filed under the category ‘underestimating the enemy’. In a thorough examination of the encounter for Reconnaissance, Steve Hart shows that the British commander Lord Chelmsford simply could not imagine how natives equipped with spears, clubs and cow-hide shields stood a chance against disciplined modern infantry armed with the formidable Martini-Henry rifle. He failed to take elementary precautions and paid a terrible price in lives.

We also present another of Dr John Haken’s compact snapshots of Australian military administration, this time covering various organisations and units created to draw women into civilian, active and ancillary service in wartime going back to the Boer War through to the world wars and after. These include familiar names like the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) and the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC).

Finally we present another excellent round of book reviews − Joe Poprzeczny on the memoir of Yulia Zhukova, one of the famous Red Army women snipers of World War II; David Martin on Tony Matthew’s book on the tragic conference at Evian in 1938 to save the Jews of Europe; Mark Moore Tom Lewis’ argument that dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945 saved millions of lives; and I review Peter Edgar’s contribution to the Australian Army Campaigns Series on the counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, described by some as the country’s greatest feat of arms.

             - Editor, Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is available to members of our Society. Why not join? 

Find out how here: https://militaryhistorynsw.com.au/membership/

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