TOPIC:

David
I have only ever seen one of those silk ribbons; in a frame with a rosette and medals. Missed them by a good margin. Were the silk ribbons intended for wearing around the arm or hat by a relative/friend during celebrations in the UK?
Best regards
IL.

IL,

Good questions but I am very short on answers

1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Wednesday, 28 February

Our first really good news came in by runners today. Kimberley relieved, Colesberg taken, and our troops marching on Bloemfontein. This was the news we were really waiting for last year, but it has come at last. What we next want to hear is, Ladysmith relieved, Bloemfontein taken, and the troops marching on Pretoria and Mafeking. Then for a sand dance all round the Market Square.

Under cover of my new pass I went out this afternoon and attempted to photo our new gun being tried with time-fuse shells for range, time, etc.

The gun behaved splendidly and after a couple of trial shots she was elevated, and a 30-second fuse put into the shell, and she was then fired with a time-fuse. The shell carried between 3 and 4 thousand yards, and then burst with a heavy discharge. The gun was made at the arsenal under the supervision of Major Panzera who, however, in the first place said it was impossible, but was persuaded by Connolly, foreman fitter, to let an attempt be made, and is about four feet long, five-inch bore, and carries a shell weighing about 16 pounds charged with 8oz. of powder and the cartridge for driving power, anything between \ pound and pounds according to the elevation necessary. She was fired off from Dummy fort, and we fully expected every moment to have Big Ben replying to us, but thank goodness that one was silent, we being in a slight hollow; presumably she could not find our position in the short time we were there. The Boers could plainly see us from Game Tree, distance about three thousand yards, and seeing men in the open of course commenced sniping us, but only a few of their bullets came close; even "only a few bullets” whistling unpleasantly near are not conducive to good focussing with a stand camera when one is out in the open with a black cloth over one’s head. Under the circumstances I think after walking about two miles out one deserves to get a good negative.

Those German gunners out there must be getting pretty sick of that big gun, they have been hard at it all the morning giving us in all, I think, about 21 or 22 94-pounders. One passed through the roof of a house at the station, one ditto through Major Goold-Adams’s house, and one went through the side of the Mail office, inside of which Mr. Whales, the editor, was sitting at his table. By some extraordinary miracle he came out shaking off the dust, unhurt. Another man, Mr. Hampson, was also in the place at the time, and hearing the firing-bell rung he backed into the corner of the building; unfortunately or fortunately, as it may have happened, he went into the very corner through which the shell came, passing him almost by a hair’s breath. If it had been a solid wall! I won't say any more, but as it was only a sheet of galvanized iron the projectile passed through it like going through a sheet of tissue paper. The displacement of air caused by the shell picked him up, twisted him like a teetotum, tossed him about like a shuttlecock, finally leaving him laying flat, but unscratched and unhurt.

The guiding hand of providence can be plainly seen all round us, and the miracles performed almost daily in Mafeking can give the ancient days’
ones 50 in 100 and a good beating. And as to these Big Ben shells, I only wish I could swing my pen properly, [as] I could write of their most extraordinary antics and performances in a way to make my readers quiver v/i th excitement, in fact absolutely breathless to know the result. But I leave all these special items to the descriptive and illustrating pens of the "war correspondents” who have nothing else to do except spin yarns and run up accounts.

Last evening and also this afternoon sundry waggons have been seen leaving the Boer laagers, conveying away all the enemy’s women and children. This is rather a good sign for us as it shows something is happening in our favour elsewhere.

Colonel B.P. has sent out a letter to Snyman saying it has come to his knowledge that he, Snyman, had armed and is using against us a lot of natives, and as this is against all conventions, unless such natives are removed before the 3rd prox. he shall take steps to arrange an invasion of their Marico territory by our northern loyal natives, Bathoen, Linchwe and Khama. Is this a piece of gigantic bluff, or does the Colonel really mean it? If the latter does really happen the authorities would have their hands full in getting these natives settled down again, as there is no knowing where they would stay or what their hands would stop at.

A dummy truck was run out on the line today with a piece of stove-pipe for a gun, and the amusing way in which the enemy literally wasted hundredweights of ammunition at it is too good for words, and with all their endeavours they never managed once to hit it with a shell.

All the interest of the town is now centred on the local seat of war, viz., the brickfields. This is what is known as our eastern outer defences and is under the command of Captain Marsh. Originally, and for a very' considerable time, this post was held by Currie and his Cape Boys who did excellent work. But now both the enemy, who have a 5-pounder and a Maxim there, and ourselves also with a Maxim, are considerably reinforced at this point, squads of the C.P.’s and the Volunteers alternately going out there every 24 hours. Considerable work has been done there, miniature forts here and there thrown up in the night, main trenches, cross trenches, enfilading trenches, flanking trenches, and all sorts of other technically termed trenches have been dug out at all possible and convenient moments until the place is almost a network of sluits. As to the plan of campaign there, it wants a fluent tongue, a black-board, and a piece of chalk to describe it all! It is almost a little hell up there and quite hot enough even for a salted soldier; as a matter of fact if you even blow your nose, the Boers will let rip at the sound. The distance between our most extreme trench and the end of that of the enemy is only just about 80 yards so it can be imagined what a long-distance magazine rifle would do at this range.

Sergeant-Major Taylor (coloured man) of the Cape Boy contingent is a very plucky individual and has two or three times been mentioned in general orders. Last night he crept within 20 yards of the enemy, overheard their conversation, examined their forts and works, and after having to go a long way round to avoid their sentries, returned back to camp about 3 in the morning and gave the Colonel an excellent report.

At these close quarters a lot of ammunition is fired away. If a finger even is seen our Cape Boys bang away and our 7-pounders are allowed to roar away at earthworks and sandbags. As this keeps our men hard at work making shells and powder all day it seems a reckless waste of successful fabrication.

Total casualties up to date as comprised [SIC] by Lt. Moncrieffe, the officer told off for this duty:

Combatants

Officers. Killed and died of wounds 6. Wounded 11. Missing 1. Died of sickness 0. Total 18
Men. Killed and died of wounds 53. Wounded 90. Missing 36. Died of sickness 8. Total 188
Total. Killed and died of wounds 59. Wounded 101. Missing 37. Died of sickness 8. Total 205

Civilians, Non-combatants, and Natives

Killed. Men 2. Children 4. Natives 34. Total 40
Wounded. Men 6. Children 3. Natives 95. Total 104
Total. Men 8. Children 7. Natives 129. Total 144

Grand Total: 349