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The illustrations are by the author, Trooper L. H. Johnson. What a talented man he was.

David Grant wrote: My "go to " book is the "Veterinary History". To my mind a much under quoted reference. Not only is Smith an excellent writer and knowledgeable too but he presents the war in a different perspective.

Here is his description of Sanna's Post. The devastation. Imagine a 1000 odd corpses littering the battlefield.

Hi ,
Thank you for this most interesting
Having recently visited the Veterinary research facility at Allerton ( KZN ) a facility that saw use during the war I have now become interested in this aspect of the war.
I had a quick Google hoping to find a PDF copy at archive.org but no such luck
I then had a look at WorldCat and notice that there are apparently NO copies of this publication in any South African library ?
The author does have a short bio at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Major General Sir Frederick Smith KCMG, CB, FRCVS (1857-1929)

knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/heritage-and-histo...archive-collections/

Amongst his collected archived papers are a diary kept during the war as well as other papers relevant to the war
( Have a look at the "Related Documents" box on the right )

May I ask if your copy is an original hard back ?
or
Some form of a scanned copy ? ( I would assume that it was long out of copyright ? )

Well have found a book with one of the longest titles I have seen in ages but then again it is a long flight from here to Ireland.......

When finished will let you know how it is.......

SAM STEELE, NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE, FOURTY YEARS IN CANADA, REMINISCENSES OF THE GREAT NORTH-WEST WITH SOME ACCOUNTS OF HIS SERVICE IN SOUTH AFRICA BY COLONEL S.B. STEELE, C.B., M.V.O., LATE OF THE N.W.M.P., STRATHCONA’S HORSE AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTABULARY, by S.B. Steele, edited by Mollie Glenn Niblett, Dodd, Meede and Co., 1915, (Reprinted 2000)

Mike

I purchased this book on a well known, on-line auction site (no financial connection with the site) some time ago - and have been catching up with it.



It is a 1970's reprint of the original and I found it a good read. Mostly short chapters on the developing situation from December 1900 and published in the Daily Mail. Edgar Wallace originally went to SA with the West Kents in 1896 and later served with the RAMC. Due to his evasion of the censorship rules, he was informed that he was NOT recommended for the war medal. His wikipedia entry is not entirely sympathetic - and as always - we are free to make up our own minds.
IL.

Several weeks ago I was given a copy of a book published in 1987 that had been an unwanted donation to a library. It is in pristine condition with no sign that it had ever been read. The fact that it was free, relatively old, apparently unread and had nothing to do with Natal did not bode well, but it has turned out to be one of the best books based on the Boer Wars that I have ever read. This is the book:
Rustenburg at War by Lionel Wulfsohn.
The story of Rustenburg and its citizens in the First and Second Anglo-Boer Wars.
Privately published by L M Wulfsohn in 1987. Reprinted in 1992.
ISBN 0 620 16769 6

CONTENTS
Forward & Introduction
Chapter 1: The White Man arrives at Rustenburg.
Chapter 2: Royal Scots Fusiliers under siege.
Chapter 3: Run up to the Ultimatum 9 October 1899.
Chapter 4: How Boer and Brit lined up.
Chapter 5: The Siege of Mafeking – A Rustenburg disaster.
Chapter 6: The murder at Derdepoort – 25 November 1899.
Chapter 7: British Empire comes to the rescue and the turning of the tide.
Chapter 8: Hendsoppers of the Rustenburg Commando.
Chapter 9: A Commando is reborn.
Chapter 10: The commencement of the Guerilla War.
Chapter 11: The Union Jack returns to Rustenburg.
Chapter 12: The Magaliesberg Campaign – October and November 1900.
Chapter 13: A British convoy is destroyed – 3 December 1900.
Chapter 14: Clements se slag – 13 December 1900.
Chapter 15: The Ebenhaezer Monument.
Chapter 16: A period of attrition 17 December 1900 to 29 May 1901.
Chapter 17: A village called Derby.
Chapter 18: That elusive man Kemp 1 June to 29 September 1901.
Chapter 19: Kekewich of Kimberley.
Chapter 20: Lion of the West.
Chapter 21: The clash at Moedwil – 30 September 1901.
Chapter 22: The Rustenburg Joiners.
Chapter 23: The Scorched Earth Policy.
Chapter 24: The British Occupation intensifies, and peace comes to the Platteland.
Chapter 25: The Rustenburgers – Rustenburg men at war.
Chapter 26: Kroondal – A Hanoverian village in the shade of the Magaliesberg.
Chapter 27: Death of a great Rustenburger.
Epilogue; Appendices; Bibliography; Unpublished works; Journal articles and newspapers; Archival sources; Glossary; Index.
The book is well illustrated by photographs and maps.

Lionel Wulfsohn was born in Rustenburg in 1919, the son of Philip and Mary Wulfsohn, who in turn had both been born in Russia. The Wulfsohn’s were, and perhaps still are a respected family in Rustenburg, and in the book their story is interwoven with that of Rustenburg. Apart from a period on active service with the Regiment de la Rey during World War II, Lionel was a businessman in Rustenburg until his retirement in 1985. He retained an active interest in family businesses while researching and writing this book, a remarkable achievement considering its scope and content, which would be a credit to even a professional historian.

It may not be easy to find a copy of this book, but it would amply repay a diligent search. It is a great book.

New title, just published, haven't read it: "Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill" Hardcover – September 20, 2016

Review: www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/books/review-...candice-millard.html