TOPIC:

1900 - Kimberley siege day 110 (88%). Ladysmith siege day 92 (77%). Mafeking siege day 112 (51%).

In Kimberley:

Early this morning the enemy’s patrol of about 200 Mounted men was seen returning to Dronfield at about 7.30 am. Enemy’s gun at Schmidts farm opened on the convicts working in the gardens at Kenilworth. It continued to fire at them at intervals during the day.

I noticed more activity on Carter’s ridge this evening; and cordite gun or guns opened from there on Otto’s Kopje.

Gun at Wimbledon fired several shells at the Camp redoubt but did not quite get the range – the enemy’s strong patrol of about 200 men was again seen moving between Dronfield and Websters. A few mounted men were seen in the direction of Spitzkof.

I received the following messages by helio.

“From GOC To Kekewich. 31st Jan. Following received from D of Supple begins: Please instruct Kimberley collect and husband all supplies in order to enable population to hold out as long as possible.”

I sent the following by helio or searchlight.

“From Int KB to Int MD. Feb 1st.No 155 Large numbers Englishmen commandeered at Barkly West have refused to fight for Boers and have been ordered to leave for Hope Town before February 7th under Boer escort. Understand trek will move west Vaal River far as junction Orange and Vaal rivers. About one hundred Colonial Dutch Barkly Dist who have hitherto refused to assist enemy joined Republican forces investing Kimberley Jan 29. They believe non arrival British troops here implies Boers are winning all along the line.”

“From Int KB To Int MD. Feb 1st. No 156. Important key word now in use be changed. Suggest for key code name with letter Y added to the name of your commander of Scouts, remaining letters arranged as in present code. Do you understand. Thank Jo for his message re wife.”

“From Kekewich, to Methuen. Feb 1st. No 157. Kindly forward following to Director of Supplies begins November first commenced taking over all supplies from Store Keepers, Kimberley and Beaconsfield, work completed November sixteenth since which date all issues supplies have been entirely controlled by me would again represent most strongly that rations are reduced to absolute minimum and supplies will not last beyone end of February.

In Ladysmith:

How we should have laughed in November at the thought of being shut up here till February? But here we are, and the outlook grows more hopeless. People are miserably depressed. It would be impossible to get up sports or concerts now. Too many are sick, too many dead. The laughter has gone out of the siege, or remains only as bitter laughter when the word relief is spoken. We are allowed to know nothing for certain, but the conviction grows that we are to be left to our fate for another three weeks at least, while the men slowly rot. A Natal paper has come in with an account of Buller's defeat at Taba Nyama on the 25th. We read with astonishment the loud praises of a masterly retreat over the Tugela without the loss of a single man. When shall we hear of a masterly advance to our aid? Do we lose no men?

To-day the morning was cold and cloudy, as it has been since Monday, but the sun broke out for an hour or two, in the afternoon, and official messages could be sent through by heliograph. For information and relief we received the following words, and those only:—

"German specialist landed Delagoa Bay pledges himself to dam up Klip River and flood Ladysmith out."

That was all they deigned to tell us.

In Mafeking:

To-day completes the sixteenth week of the siege, and we have had plenty of shell lire to celebrate it; one big shell, I regret to say, bursting on a splinter proof at Cannon Kopje, wrecking it, and killing one man and wounding two others. These splinter proofs were a line of trenches running down towards the town from the kopje, and it had seemed that by no chance could they possibly be struck direct by a shell. In the evening the Boer shell fire again continued till a late hour, and the last explosion that we heard puzzled us a good deal. It subsequently transpired that Major Panzera and Corporal Currie, with three natives, had crept up to the nearest brickkiln, from which the Boers were unfortunately absent, and had blown it up with fifty pounds of dynamite. This will probably keep the Boers away from that locality for a while, as they are not unnaturally very cautious of approaching any place where they suspect the presence of dynamite. A Kimberley native informed us that they stop the natives going home from the Kimberley mines and .ask them if there is dynamite laid down round the town, to which the natives generally reply, "Plenty!" They seem to be having a much better time in Kimberley than we are here, as the natives say we live here like mere cats, whilst they have apparently no big gun to annoy them down there.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, February 1900:

A few shells. For the last three days, there have not been many in the town itself. — I think the rebel’s ammunition is running short.

1900 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Feeling A1 considering circumstances. Breakfast at 8 o’clock - ground rice and tea. Temp, normal. Have done the best of the batch I came out with. Keeping up my spirits has helped although the previous occupier of my bed has gone under and as a constant reminder, the poor fellow’s helmet is strapped to the ridge pole of the tent. Doctor considered me well enough to give me an order for my kit. Got up at 2 o’clock, dressed in the regulation blue trousers and tried to walk. I managed about 15 yards when I was glad to take refuge on an ant heap. Stopped out for over an hour. Legs very groggy and head about as whirly. So far I have had no opportunity to make a general survey of the camp, but the little I have experience doesn’t redound to the credit of the authorities responsible. In fact I regard it little less than a national scandal. The prolonged investment by the Boers may be put forward as an excuse for many irregularities, but not to justify the shocking want of common necessities, medical comforts there appear to be none. For bedpans, large pudding basins are substituted, for water bottles, Mellins’ food bottles, one easy chair in the ward for the use of over 100 patients. As for the nursing, there are only two nurses trained, the Misses Thompson and Otto, for the whole ward, who take turn about and do all that is humanly possible for the well being of their patients, but when it comes to orderlies, these are an indifferent lot, void of all sympathy in their work. These men, mostly coal miners, were taken prisoners by the Boers at Dundee, taken to Pretoria and brought down here, where their services have been requisitioned for this and other duties, for which they are paid 6/8d. a day, and with few exceptions, when wanted for anything, are found non existent. The one thing we had reason to be grateful for was a good doctor. The sterling man Campbell - McKenzie is his partner in Durban. He was the one bright spark amongst us. Had a tolerably good night, but sadly require proper nourishment.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

No news today. Long Tom fired a few shots in the direction of Caesar's Camp. I think none came into town though.

We hear tonight our poor boy young Panshawe is to go out to Indombi tomorrow morning. The Hussars (19th) are most unfortunate. Nearly all their officers and men are sick. I can’t bear the thought of them going to Indombi, even when the patients go out I always feel they will never come back again. Bert has his house full. Uncle Bill, I think his is only an influenza cold. Mr. Gill with dysentry, of the R.A. & A, Dr. and Captain of the Gordons.

An interesting observation and certainly one that I would tend to agree with, munitions had to be physically taken up each wretched hill, quite an achievement in it's own right.

djb wrote: From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, February 1900:

A few shells. For the last three days, there have not been many in the town itself. — I think the rebel’s ammunition is running short.

The 'indifferent orderlies' mentioned by Crosby may have included these men:

Dundee Ambulance Corps
A prominent resident of Dundee, Thomas Brokensha, formed an ambulance corps of 16 men from the Dundee Town Guard. They served as stretcher bearers during the Battle of Talana, and thereafter as hospital orderlies attending to men wounded in the battle. At least some proved to be untrustworthy and dishonest. They remained in Dundee after the British forces evacuated the town, and later they accompanied the wounded when they were evacuated to Pretoria. An application for them to be awarded the QSA was refused, but some or all may have been issued with this medal off the Dundee Town Guard roll.

Brett