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Thanks Neville
There you go Rob D......looks like the 28th of November is the correct date for your original post.

Neville - thanks for the corroboration. Do your sources give a date for the blowing up of the Frere Railway Bridge?

David (Smethwick)

David,

Frere Railway Bridge was dynamited on 26 November 1899.

Amery (Times History, vol. II, p. 318) writes: "The advance to Frere [on Nov 26] met with practically no opposition; but the small Boer force which had kept in touch with Estcourt on the north took the precaution of blowing up the railway bridge over the Blaauwkrantz at Frere, a piece of work artistically carried out by the employees of the Netherlands Railway".

Neville

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One I haven't seen before.




And another, taken from almost the same spot.



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I found the attached photograph on a French website. It shows Boer Forces traversing/inspecting the wreckage.I presume "Boer" photographs of this event are rather rare. Anyone seen this particular photograph before?

Thank you Everhard,

No, I haven't seen this shot before. Similarly, I don't recognise the style of caption, with the centre-line stops between each word. So, seemingly not by one of the more frequently encountered photographers, though the use of English might indicate that it is a re-print of an image originally captured by one of the Boer photographers (such as van Hoepen of Lund Bros). I have several examples where the original copyright has been scratched out and replaced by that of a British photographer. J.E. Middlebrook of Durban was particularly adept at this. Is there any sign of a name or initials out of view at the bottom of the image?

Here are a couple of shots captured by Lance-Corporal W.A. Bullock, R.E., who was tasked with taking official photographs of the destroyed bridges. Many of his shots, including these two, were included in Major Moore's "Detailed History of the Railways in the South African War".

The rubble of the destroyed pier in the foreground of your photo can be seen on the right in both of Bullock's images




"Colenso Bridge before deviation was made".




"Colenso bridge showing deviation and foot bridge, complete".





The arrow indicates the approximate position of the photographer of Everhard's picture (obscured by the tree, on the far side of the collapsed span).

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