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Wounded in Action at Klipdrift - Alfred Otto Hickfang, Kitchener's Horse 2 years 9 months ago #83285

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Alfred Otto Dirk Hickfang

Wounded in Action at Klip Drift – 16 February 1900

Trooper, Kitchener’s Horse – Anglo Boer war

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg and Driefontein to 3012 TPR: A. HICKFANG. KITCHENER’S HORSE

Alfred Hickfang was born in Cape Town on 7 June 1878 the son of Oscar Friederick Hickfang and his wife Sarah Sophia. His father, as may be surmised from his names, had been born in Germany in 1842 and had made his way to the Cape Colony from his native Prussia in 1862 at the age of 20. After what must have been a reasonable education, considering his father’s relative prosperity, Alfred Hickfang sought and found employment as a Clerk in his home city.

Thoughts of war and all that goes with it would have been far from his mind as he enjoyed the attractions the fairest of Capes had to offer but the various governments of the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State – both Dutch-speaking Boer Republics – and that of Great Britain, had other ideas; something which was to have a profound impact on his life and all those at the southern tip of the African continent as the 19th century drew to a close.

This threatened conflict erupted into open war on 11 October 1899 and initially those who lived in and around Cape Town could be forgiven if they thought that the war didn’t concern them – it was, after all, a conflict that was being fought in the northern, central, and eastern extremities of the country and one which wouldn’t reach them. Those who thought this were rudely awakened to the reality of the situation when Boer Commandos began incursions into the southern and eastern Cape – virtually on Cape Town’s doorstep – and in no time at all local regiments such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles and the Cape Town Highlanders were called out for service.

Men who had no pre-war militia attachment, as was the case with Hickfang, enlisted with other recently raised regiments. In Hickfang’s instance, he attested for service with Kitchener’s Horse at Cape Town on 25 January 1900 and, having been assigned to B Squadron, was given the no. 3012 and the rank of Trooper. His attestation papers, signed on 1 February 1900, indicated that he was a Clerk by occupation. 22 years old, he provided his mother, S. Hickfang of Wylie’s Cottages, Zonnebloem, Cape Town as his next of kin.

Kitchener's Horse was employed in the operations undertaken by Lord Roberts in February 1900 for the relief of Kimberley and in his advance to Bloemfontein and it was in this early stage of the campaign that Hickfang was to make his mark, this was to be in the magnificent cavalry charge at Klip Drift on the 16th February in the final push to relieve Kimberley and deal the death blow to Cronje’s forces. The Times History by Amery picks up the story:

“French called up his brigadiers and pointed out the position to them. The force was advancing into a semicircle of fire. To the right and left, from the two converging lines of kopjes, the fire was heavy. Straight in front down the open valley it was less, but whether because the ridge was weakly held, or only because the head of the British column was still out of range of the low ridge which ran across the valley some two miles away, was a mere matter for conjecture. French briefly expressed his opinion that the ridge was not strongly held, and without further ado ordered Gordon to extend his brigade into line and take the ridge at a gallop. Broadwood was to follow with his brigade and guns.

Porter and Alderson were to bring up the rear with the rest of the batteries, which were ordered to keep up their fire to the last moment. Gordon immediately moved forward, opening out his four available squadrons into double line, extended to five yards intervals between the files, the 16th on the left, and the 9th Lancers on the right. Then at a thundering gallop the brigade swept forward, almost lost from view in a whirling cloud of dust, which rose still higher and thicker as Broadwood's brigade galloped after, barely half a mile behind. The Boers at once opened a tremendous fire from both flanks, while some of them hurried down from the kopjes to reinforce the thin line of riflemen posted across the head of the valley. In breathless suspense the rest of the British force watched the magnificent spectacle, dreading every moment to see the front line waver and fail under the stream of fire, and peering anxiously through the dust for the dead and wounded strewing the veld. But the long lines swept on unwaveringly, and only here and there could a fallen trooper or riderless horse be seen.

The speed of the charge, the open order, the cloud of dust, and the admirable support of the batteries in rear, all contributed to render the Boer fire ineffective. Before the seemingly irresistible wave of horsemen the Boers scattered and fled in dismay. A few were too late, and a score were speared by the Lancers or taken prisoners, while some adroitly slipped through the gaps in the British lines before escaping to a flank. Ordering the rest of the division to follow, French galloped after Broadwood's brigade. Meanwhile the 16th Lancers, after reaching the ridge, had been diverted to the left in the hope of cutting off the Boer guns. But Albrecht had already withdrawn these after a few parting shots at Rochfort's batteries as they limbered up. The pursuit was not pressed, and the whole division now collected at Abon's Dam (11.50 a.m.), where a small amount of water was found for the men, though not for the horses. The pride of triumph beamed on every face. French, the hero of this great day, was not sparing of his congratulations to the brigadiers and to the men who had so spiritedly carried out his bold design.”

It was during this tumultuous cavalry charge that Hickfang fell Wounded in Action, along with several of his comrades, only just over two weeks from the date he had donned a uniform. The severity of his wound and how long it kept him out of action we will never know but, suffice it to say, it is unlikely that he pressed on with the brigade immediately after Klip Drift. After several months he took his discharge on 19 August 1900 on the grounds of being Medically Unfit, playing no further part in the war. He had served for 200 days and gave his post-discharge address as Nuttall Road, Observatory, Cape Town. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens medal with the clasps relevant to his participation in the battles leading up to the relief of Kimberley.

Hickfang now settled down to a normal life, resuming his occupation as a Clerk. There was now time for romance and, at the Dutch Reformed Church in Wynberg on 7th December 1904, he tied the marital know with Johanna Carolina Van Eyssen. The pair settled down to married life.

Alfred Hickfang passed away on 16 January 1957 at the age of 78, at his residence “Eastridge”, Kirkwood Road, Plumstead. The cause of death was a Coronary Thrombosis and he is buried at Plumstead Cemetery. He was a Retired Shipping Clerk at the time of his death.