'A Peep over the Barleycorn'. In the Firing Line with the P.W.O., 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment, through the Relief of Ladysmith [1911, British Army]

2 September 1898

Battle of Omdurman

LORD AND LADY COOMASSIE.

Yes, indeed, we often heard Kruger’s angels chirp- ing. On special light (lead) spreading crusades, when we, sanctimonious Tommies, “sported” six Bibles to the Dolly Gray song book of the undevotional Boers, the soul “ sawdering ” art of Lee-Metford and Mauser rent the aerial canopy asunder. Then with evangeli- cal eyes we espied the bullet-perforated spirits of Botha’s, De Wet’s, and Joubert’s “saved snipers” soar- Ing gaily aloft. After witnessing this edifying spectacle we sang across the veldt, “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” Little wonder, then, that the nightingale choirs of Paradise should have aquiline nosed Kruger and Kitchener as “ Patron Saints.” Needless to say, the ethereal combinations”alluded to are formed of helmet “decked” Britons lured heavenwards from the thanksgiving picnic on Spion Kop, bewhiskered Boers, coaxed skywards from the sunken shrine of Paaderberg, and turban-crowned. Dervishes “ angel wing-fitted ” in the famous pilgrimage to Omdurman.

A BOER CHEQUE.

Botha’s Omdurman.

A BOER CHEQUE.

At the Battle of Omdurman, on seeing the Dervishes advance across the open to attack his army Lord Kitchener said :—‘‘ The Lord has delivered them into my hands.” At Colenso the Boers on seeing the English Infantry advance down an open slope without a particle of cover said the devil was performing the same miracle for them. At Colenso the Boers occupied three positions. As we looked at the latter, Grobelars Kloot on the extreme left, where some big guns were posted,was ignored on account of being such a distance outside the Tugela except when the 4.7’s paid attention to its guns. The kopjes north of Colenso, with only two practical approaches, the road and railway bridges over the Tugela, and Hlangwani Hill outside the Tugela on the right. The country sloping gently down to the Tugela is comparatively devoid of cover, the very low ant hills affording none whatever. Apparently the ants had formed a com- pact with the Boers, for they most certainly built much smaller hills round here than in any part of the country we had seen.

15 December 1899

Battle of Colenso

SERGT. W. B. TRAYNOR, V.C.

General Buller raised a corps of 1,000 civilian stretcher-bearers nicknamed by Tommy “the body snatchers.” This body was principally composed of Transvaal refugees who had cleared down to Maritz- burg and Durban before the war started, and who, being unable to ride and shoot, were not eligible for a colonial corps, and were glad of this opportunity to “strike a blow” as they said for the old country. After Colenso some men of this corps “ put in passes ” to visit their friends in the Boer lines at Colenso ; but in the expressive language of Tommy Atkins, Genera] Buller ‘‘ was not having any,” disbanded the stretcher- bearers, and raised a new corps, the majority of the old hands rejoining. Anyone witnessing the ‘‘ cucum- ber-cool ” manner with which these men weeded the wounded out of the firing line would designate them matchless in the category of heroism. In peace time the stretcher-bearers were camped well to the rear of the army; and, like swallows heralding the advent of summer, their appearance in camp was the signal of impending battle. Then the shout went round — “A fight, a fight: we’re for it boys, we’re for it; the body-snatchers have come to the front.”

A BOER CHEQUE.

Looking towards Colenso from Fort Wylie a few hundred yards on your right, and between it and the Tugela, running up and down paralled with the river where it sweeps round towards Colenso, on your right front, are a conglomeration of very low kopjes like the billows of an angry sea. These series of hunchbacked hillocks formed the main Boer position at the battle of Colenso. From here the Burgher rifles could sweep the approaches to the submerged Bridle Drift road and railway bridges, and could concentrate a tremendous fire on the latter, the only practical crossing places on the Tugela, The cones of those kopjes were flattened out, leaving everything clear for rifle work, entrenched roads were cut zig-zag through them, thick boulder walls, hollowed in the centre, to enable the marksman to stand well in under the head cover, were built into the side nearest the Tugela; loop- holes for rifle fire were cut from the top of each wall across the little kopjes: These loop-holes were roofed with planks, and in some places railway sleepers, banked over with sods, perfectly shell proof, and pro- jecting back well over the Mauser manipulator. It’s no wonder Boer invisibility reigned supreme at Colenso. The Boers looked out at you like so many hooded photographers. Colenso is the best natural defensive position in the world. No engineer, if he had the laying out of those kopjes, could improve their position for repelling assault, nor would he change the natural course of the Tugela. Taking into account the natural positions and entrenchments, no field army was ever posted in such a stronghold. Every credit is due to the Boers for their skill and energy in strengthening those natural defences, but for holding them when attacked none whatever.

COLONEL KITCHENER.

February 14th.—The fourth and successful effort to relieve Ladysmith was started on this date. A few miles straight in front of our camp, at Blaaukrantz River, near Chieveley, were the two main positions, Hlangwani Hill and Green Hill held by the Boers opposed to General Buller. Hlangwani, the Boer left position at the battle of Colenso, was now their right with Green Hill on its immediate rear both strongly held, and formidable positions if at- tacked directly. It was expected, however, that a

KILLED.

Boer Laager. Looking from Hlangwani the Tugela flowsa short distance away from the latter’s base. You will see theterrible trenches which proved impregnable to frontal attack at Colenso, and now rendered in- noxious, 7.¢.,death traps to any enemy occupying them. Fort Wylie is just across the river, and running straight on towards Ladysmith are the low collec- tion of hills forming the Boer main position at the battle of Colenso. The latter run back for four miles and a half ending in a much higher hill called Fusilier or Barton’s. On this date the whole army had established itself on the south bank of the river and Hart’s Brigade had occu- pied Colenso. The artillery getting in position on Hlangwani shelled the little kopjes across the water.