I have posted this earlier in a now forgotten place on this forum, so my apologies for repeating it here.
An anecdote about General Lyttelton that has stuck in my mind was recounted by Ken Gillings in his book on the Battle of Tugela Heights (now Thukela Heights to the new South Africans):
"The dead and wounded from the Battle of Wynne Hills had lain in the open, and .... a partial armistice was agreed to. ..... Lyttelton made his way to confer with some Boers, who suggested that they were giving the British a rough time. Lyttelton replied: "A rough time? Yes, I suppose so. But for us, of course, it is nothing. We are used to it, and we are well paid for it. This is the life we lead - always, you understand", to which the Boers replied "Great God!" Lyttelton continued: "Why not? This is our life, whether we are at Aldershot or in India, or wherever we are. We are just to settle down to this campaign."
He must have seemed mad to the Boers, none of whom were professional soldiers, but who were instead fighting a war to save their country and their self-respect.
Brett
PS In South Africa, the town of Lyttelton has a rather unusual distinction. Over the years, it all but disappeared from public consciousness because of the importance of the adjacent military base of Robert's Height's, which was renamed Voortrekkerhoogte, and now renamed again Thaba Tshwane. There was also the now defunct Municipality of Verwoerdberg. At the beginning of each month, I still address an envelope to a P O Box in Lyttelton, and I think how remarkable it is that it has (so far) retained its name, while all around it were loosing theirs.
