TOPIC:

Bodtker is in NFF as "Bodaker" under "Misc Natal Casualties".

I don't know if anyone has this chaps medal - Bodtker - but he appears on the BMR memorial in Port Shepstone erroneously under the N.F.A.

He is also recorded as being Fritz as opposed to Frederick on the memorial - a name by which he was also known.



Regards

Rory

Rory..... Take a look here..... Mike

angloboerwar.com/forum/17-memorials-and-...rt-shepstone?start=0

Regards

Rory[/quote]

1899 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Saturday, 6 January

We were disturbed just at breakfast-time this morning by the bell going and had to finish eating the little we had to eat down the dugout, after which the enemy left us alone again nearly all day, till about 5.30 p.m. when they gave us a very severe bombardment, with all their artillery together with heavy rifle-fire.

Two natives were hit with pieces from the 1-pound Maxim, but not mortally wounded.

We have news in from the south today but it is not very encouraging, and we are told that we shall continue to be in siege for the next two months.

The Boers are fighting far better than anybody expected, and the whole business is turning out far larger than was ever anticipated. We presume what has caused most of the trouble has been the rising of the Boers in the northern part of the Colony.

We hear from outside that Erasmus of the Free State and who was Commandant here in charge of the enemy’s artillery, has left Mafeking and returned to the Free State. If so, our fellows must be pressing the border of that State pretty considerably, thereby possibly giving us some little relief.