[Editor: Several extracts from “The Boer War” section published in The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 20 July 1900.]
The Boer War.
Australian Bushmen in action.
Boers splendidly repulsed.
London, 19th July.
Lord Roberts reports that on Monday last a body of Boers made a desperate attack upon a position held by Major-General Pole-Carew’s brigade among the hills near Pretoria. The brunt of repeated and determined attacks by the Boers in superior numbers fell upon a detachment of the Royal Irish, the Western Australian Mounted Rifles and the New Zealand detachment, under Major Vaughan. They repulsed the Boer attacks with the greatest gallantry and endurance under very severe and continuous fire.
The Boers lost in the fight 15 killed, 50 wounded and four captured.
The Bethlehem battle.
Australian Bushmen distinguished.
Bayonet feats by British infantry.
London, 18th July.
In the recent severe battle at Bethlehem, in which the columns of Major-Generals Clements and Paget captured De Wet’s head quarters in the Orange River Colony, a detachment of the South Australian and Western Australian Bushmen Contingents, 300 strong altogether, played a brilliant part in taking the town.
Of the Imperial troops engaged in this fight, the Yorkshire Light Infantry, the Munster and the Royal Irish regiments showed most conspicuous gallantry in bayonet charges upon strongly entrenched Boer positions, backed by artillery.
The Royal Irish performed the feat of the day by carrying the Boer main position at the point of the bayonet, and capturing the 15-pounder which defended it.
Australian casualties.
London, 19th July.
The War Office reports Private C. King, Victorian Mounted Rifles, dangerously wounded in action at Hatherley, and Sergeant Raymond slightly wounded at Elands River.
Another Victorian casualty.
The Defence department has received information from Sir Alfred Milner that Corporal Oscar David King, of the First Victorian Contingent, died of his wounds at Hatherly on 17th inst. The deceased was formerly a member of the Victorian Permanent Artillery.
Death of a Queensland Bushman.
London, 18th July.
The death is reported from dysentery, at Marandellas, Rhodesia, of Captain H. C. Hamilton, of the Queensland Bushmen’s Contingent.
Source:
The Age (Melbourne, Vic.), 20 July 1900, p. 6, columns 1-2 [includes several items relevant to Australia: “Australian Bushmen in action”, “The Bethlehem battle”, “Australian casualties”, “Another Victorian casualty”.]
Editor’s notes:
Bethlehem = a city in South Africa
See: “Bethlehem, South Africa”, Wikipedia
De Wet = General Christiaan de Wet (1854-1922), a leading Boer commander during the Boer War (1899-1902); he was born in Smithfield (Orange Free State) in 1854, and died in Dewetsdorp (Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa) in 1922
See: “Christiaan de Wet”, Wikipedia
Elands River = a river in the Transvaal region of South Africa; the site of the Battle of Elands River (4-16 August 1900), which took place during the Boer War (1899-1902), where about 500 British Empire soldiers (mainly Australian and Rhodesian) were surrounded by a force of about 3,000 Boer troops led by General Koos de la Rey, but the British Empire soldiers weathered the siege, and the Boer forces finally withdrew
See: “Battle of Elands River (1900)”, Wikipedia
Hatherley = a locality in the City of Tshwane (Gauteng, South Africa), located east of Pretoria
Imperial = in the context of the British Empire, of or relating to official elements of the British Empire (e.g. Imperial troops, the Imperial Government)
inst. = instant; in this month; a shortened form of the Latin phrase “instante mense”, meaning “this month”; pertaining to, or occurring in, the current month
Marandellas = Marondera (formerly known as Marandellas), a city in Zimbabwe (formerly known as Rhodesia)
See: “Marondera”, Wikipedia
Orange River Colony = a British colony in southern Africa; in 1910 it became part of the Union of South Africa as the Orange Free State Province
See: “Orange River Colony”, Wikipedia
Rhodesia = a country in southern Africa, now known as Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia became known as Rhodesia, then the Republic of Rhodesia, and is now known as Zimbabwe); a region in Africa
See: 1) “Rhodesia (region)”, Wikipedia
2) “Southern Rhodesia”, Wikipedia
3) “Rhodesia”, Wikipedia
4) “Zimbabwe”, Wikipedia
[Editor: Changed “Elads River” to “Elands River”, “receied information” to “received information”.]
Leave a Reply