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Morning all

After a recent visit to the Helvetia battle site near me, and the site where the 4.7" gun was taken by the Boers, and as a result of this visit I brought a QSA to GNR G. Gould 6th W.D. RGA from a UK dealer. He was the only casualty for the RGA at this action and died of wounds. However I can't find his place of burial, Steve Watt's book does not list it either. The Liverpool casualties are all buried in a marked grave and a visit to the graveyard at Machadodorp did not reveal anything, although there are a number of unmarked crosses.

Anyone have any ideas where else to look?

Thanks to our plummeting rand this has turned out to be one of my more expensive buys

Thanks

Jon Tombs

Hello Jon

A great action, and lucky you being able to visit the battlefield.

I wonder if Gould was slipped into the Liverpool's mass grave?

The RGA suffered 24 casualties at this battle: 3 wounded (inc Gould) and 21 PoW. Gould was the only one to die.

Regards
Meurig

Hi Jon & others

The capture of the "Lady Roberts" was a great occasion for the Boer Forces.

State Secretary Reitz wrote a Dutch poem to celebrate the event: an English translation can be found in "My Reminiscences of the Boer War" by Ben Viljoen.

It is a pity the ammunition for the 4.7" had to be left behind when the gun was removed. An attempt was made to "gyppo" a Long Tom shell to fit the smaller bore of the British gun, but that exploded a few metres after leaving the muzzle.

Henk

Ben Viljoen's chapter can be read here:

www.angloboerwar.com/books/65-viljoen-my...re-of-qlady-robertsq