TOPIC:

Brother of “Private Walter Putland”, 2785 Middlesex Regiment, whose personal diary was so vivdly detailed in the SA Military History Society post of December 2000 by his grandson Alan Putland:
[1] samilitaryhistory.org/diaries/diaputld.html

In his diary Walter described the efforts to relieve Ladysmith, including their heroic efforts on Spionkop.

What he didn’t divulge was that his younger brother Herbert, along with the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, was held up in Ladysmith; it’s only later that he mentioned him in his diary:

24th March 1900 (Ladysmith)

“…Got a pass signed by the Mifs President to visit any town we should pass for buying things for the Officers etc., went into Ladysmith Town, had tea at a shop (that had been) 2 cups of tea (small) 1 slice Bread & Butter, (very thin) 1s & 3d, which was very dear helping to pay for the damage done by the Boers, bought a few things for the Mess, and went visiting Ladysmith which showed signs of the trials it had been through, returned to Camp disappointed, thought of seeing my Brother Herbert here, feeling almost better again now…”^[1]




BIRTH: 1877
London, Middlesex, England

DEATH: Unknown

Parents:

Father: George Putland (b 1848)
Mother: Sarah Putland (b 1852)

The exploits of the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade is detailed on this Anglo Boer War Forum:
www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...ts/644-rifle-brigade

Following the engagement of Laings Nek the two brothers finally got an opportunity to see each other, even if it was only for 2 hours. The following encounter at Newcastle (14th General Hospital) was detailed in Walters Diary:

10th July 1900

“An finally feeling a little better I went to the Transvaal race meeting but returned rather worse than I went, still the Doctor treated me till the 18-7-00 when he advised me to go to the Hospital which I did and was admitted in the 10th Brigade Field Hospital and was rather seedy, but they could not treat me here, and on the 20-7-00 I and about 8 more was told we to get ready as were going down Country to Newcastle road down to the Station in a Hospital Van, and was put in the train, started on our journey and arrived at Laings Nek Tunnel, and through this we went very slow, this tunnel is a fine piece of work being through a very high mountain, workmen were still busy clearing the rocks away from both ends where the Boers had tried to blow it in, but failed, after this we passed the Gordon Highlanders going up Country, and eventually we arrived at Newcastle and no one to meet us, and had to carry our kits ourselves to the Hospital, which was rough as we were all sick and knocked up after a struggle we arrived at the 14th General Hospital, and was put to Bed directly, and this was grand for us in spring mattresses and white sheets and feather pillows proper treatment began now, plenty of everything, sent a letter out to Herbert (my Brother) as I heard his Regiment was here, and he came to see me on the 22nd July 1900 and we were glad to meet each other, but at the wrong time as I was sick also at the wrong place in Hospital, after about two hours together we parted again as he had a long way to go to get to his Camp, I got dressed and went as far as the Hospital gates with him”^[1]

Battle of Bergendal (aka Belfast / Dalmanutha) - 27 August 1900

After briefly seeing his brother in hospital Herbert Putland was wounded in action at the Battle of Bergendal on 27 August 1900. On that day, the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade led the charge:

'Whilst the artillery hurled a last annihilating downpour upon Bergendal, both regiments advanced upon the scarcely visible kopje. The onset of the Rifle Brigade was swift and irresistible. Sweeping across the open glacis they dashed upon the rocks in the face of a roaring wind and of a still louder blast of bullets.

Many were struck down, their Colonel amongst the foremost, three officers and eighty men falling around him upon the naked slope, whilst many who were wounded kept on, hoping to reach the enemy before they sank. Still the ZAR Police stood firm, crushed though they were up to the very last moment by the falling canisters of lyddite and the all-searching shrapnel.

The final shell from Gun Ridge burst but ten yards in front of the leading infantry of the battalions of the attack. The burghers had lost fifty per cent, of their numbers; of the remnant many were too dazed to run when flight would have been but another service to their cause. But had the devoted band been a hundredfold stronger, they would have been unable to withstand the onslaught which converged upon their little fort.

The Rifle Brigade were upon them on one flank, the Inniskilling Fusiliers, charging up in the nick of time, enclosed them on the other; and in another moment both battalions poured over them, obliterating them rather than forcing them to yield. Less than twenty men, of whom eight were wounded, were captured alive; about thirty made off, pursued by the shrapnel of Brocklehurst’s and the 21st battery’s gunners, who had long been watching for a break-away. The remainder lay amongst the rocks where they had fought; and of those who died, none was mourned more deeply than the brave young Lieutenant Pohlmann. The commander, Oosthuizen, who was wounded, stayed with his men to the last, and yielded up his arms only with his charge.'




British casualties for the day were: officers, 3 dead and 7 wounded; men, 100 wounded or missing and 12 dead

Herbert was one of those casualties being reported as Slightly Wounded on the 27th August 1900.

The battle was also the last set-piece battle of the war although the Guerilla phase of the war was still to last another two years.

Guerilla Phase of the War

The next time they saw each other was the following year in 1901:

22nd April 1901

“Brother Herbert came to Newcastle and visited the Soldiers Home which is just in front of here and wrote a letter to me telling me he was in Newcastle as soon as he posted it was sent to me, and I paid him a visit the following day etc.”^[1]


20th September 1901

“…for several days now the Boers have been concentrating round Newcastle, and everybody has to go about armed, which looks very curious, in the Town, Town Guard turned out and go on outpost duty around N'Castle, this was an Holiday, as they had to leave their employment for the time being, after they had been out for a few days our fellows took over the same trenches which was about 1/2 full of Whiskey Bottles, they evidently had made it their Beanfeast with a few nights out, Brother Herbert passed through Newcastle during the time the Boers were concentrating round here, but I did not see him.”^[1]

26th October 1901

“He took me by surprise again, (he was in rags) he came up from Dundee by Rail in charge of a truck of clothing etc for his Column, when they arrived here in Newcastle, got permission off one of our Officers for him to stay with me till such time as his Column arrived, had a good drink of Beer and went out in town and done likewise at the Head Quarter Camp and returned Home and slept very sound.”^[1]

27th October 1901

“Sunday morning Herbert and I went for a walk and visited the Railway Station to look for his Blankets etc, but did not find them, so he took some (mispelt word, should be someone) elses kit of the 18th Hussars, then we went and got a drink and had a good dinner at the Soldiers Home, and waited for evening and got as much to drink as we could carry without spilling any and arrived at our Camp and turned in for the night, we had a good time during the week we were together and parted from each other on the night of the first.”^[1]

1st November 1901

“Herbert with his Column marched off the following morning,”^[1]


After the War

Herbert returned to England with the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade and in about 1908 married Alice and a year later welcomed a son Albert.

More research will be added once more information is dsicovered.