TOPIC:

Frank
I think that the victory at Talana was needed by the army and the Great British Public. "A walk up to a line of rifles" as someone said. Yes, it was. However, the spectre of another Majuba must have been on a lot of minds and those in charge on the day were going to make sure no matter what it took. Of course, Elandslaagte was - relatively speaking - a better managed battle. The circumstances and terrain were different and so was the commander.
Once, back in the late 60's as I recall, my first QSA bore a single clasp: "Talana". It was named to a soldier in the 18th Hussars. In those days, there was no casualty list to examine (not in OZ, anyway) and I did not record the bloke's name. To see what a "Talana" clasp denoted, I looked it up in a library book. Honestly, at the time I wondered why the authorities would want to commemorate what the book's author saw as a fiasco. Much later I came to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that Talana was a desperately needed early victory.
Anyway, that's my opinion.
Best regards
IL.

Hello Ian,
Quite frankly, I feel the whole thing was a complete waste, many of Penn Symons subalterns knew very well indeed that "they" should be occupying both Impati and Talana from the very moment they had arrived in Dundee, ostensibly to guard the all important coal fields, moreover, had they done so, they would not have had to mount a most costly assault on the summit of that wretched hill that resulted in the loss of so many members of the crack regiment in the force.
Dundee and Elandslaagte were inextricably linked, had James Yule not abandoned Dundee, the engagement on the 21st would have been unlikely to have taken place at all.
Regards Frank

Does anyone have any thoughts upon the complete disparity in terms of casualty numbers, in particular, those members of the British Army who are shown as being taken prisoner by the enemy the following day, on the 21st of October, after the actual bloody engagement on the wretched hill?

Frank,

From all the accounts, it is not clear how some of the men who were captured between 21st and 26th came to be in this predicament. Frequent moves, night time activities and patrols are some of the possible reasons that men became separated from the main body and captured. Certainly the action to cut off the stragglers from Elandslaagte was the reason for some men being captured I believe.

The QSA to Capt Joseph Baker, 18th Hussars.

QSA (5) Tal DoL OFS LN Belf (Capt. & Q.M. J Baker, 18/Hrs.), very fine £300-350

From the next DNW sale. Estimate £300-350. Sold at Spink in Nov 1960 for £3.

Baker was placed on Retired Pay in January 1901.


Picture courtesy of DNW

Hello David,
I have always wondered about this, I have "a thing" about the Dublin's, they were, after all, not only superb, as well as, actually known and referred to by the Boers, as the Devils Own, but, quite frankly, the exact circumstances that led to a rather disproportionate number actually being captured after the bloody engagement, you only have to glance at a copy of the casualty roll to see it, does tend to make me think, what actually did go on?
Kind regards Frank

djb wrote: Frank,

From all the accounts, it is not clear how some of the men who were captured between 21st and 26th came to be in this predicament. Frequent moves, night time activities and patrols are some of the possible reasons that men became separated from the main body and captured. Certainly the action to cut off the stragglers from Elandslaagte was the reason for some men being captured I believe.