Boer War Books

[timberman]

The Times History Of The War In South Africa - Complete in 7 Volumes

All 7 volumes can be down loaded here.

https://archive.org/search.php?query=The%20Times%20history%20of%20the%20war%20in%20South%20Africa%2C%201899-1902%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts

Timberman

[timberman]

Several of the books mentioned in this topic can be found here

https://archive.org/

Timberman

[timberman]

One or two more found here

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Boer_War_%28Bookshelf%29#Brandt.2C_Johanna.2C_1877-1964

Timberman

[Dave Naden]

Been there, done that !

Thanks for your reply. I downloaded several books from those web sites last year. A search of the web will reveal other books (PDF), including those written by various Boer commanders etc., which also make interesting reading.

All the best

Dave

[Dave Naden]

Another book that will be of interest to those researching their ancestors is...

Wally Hyde's Register.

This is actually a burial register similar to those used by many municipal cemeteries here in the UK. Wally Hyde worked for the Public Works Department in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa in the 1960's and 1970's. He was responsible for the maintenance of all the war graves in Natal, hence, he kept a list of all the British war graves in Natal. The reason I mention this book, is that the remains of many British soldiers was exhumed and re-buried during this period. This register records the original burial site, and has been updated in pencil on the adjacent "blank" page to record the new burial place. Other useful notes have been added in pencil to augment the entries.

This register is kept at Doug McMaster's Blockhouse Museum near Ladysmith at GPS -28.525444, 29.746782. When I tried to contact Doug by e-mail, he did not respond. I know he runs an engineering business in addition to the museum, and is probably a very busy man. I doubt if he will respond to any e-mail messages requesting information from the register.

I know Steve Watt copied the register, so it is reasonable to assume the register was one of the sources for his book, In Memoriam.

I guess another source for Steve's book was the records kept by the Loyal Women's Guild (LWG) of South Africa. The LWG was a similar organisation to the Women's Institute here in the UK. The LWG did much good work during the 2nd Anglo-Boer War as nurses in hospitals, concentration camps etc. They also raised funds in order that the grave of every British soldier should be marked by an iron cross. Hence the LWG maintained records of all British war graves (similar to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for WW1 and WW2). Their records are now held in an archive somewhere in South Africa and can be accessed by the public.

To state the obvious, you will have to go to South Africa to view both Wally Hyde's Register and the LWG Records. I would recommend the tour operated by Ian Alexander's War Research Society based in Birmingham. Expensive - yes, but very good. I've been to South Africa twice, the last time in October, 2013.

Cheers

Dave

[Dave Naden]

You may have asked the question, why should I consult Wally Hyde's Register when it was probably used as a source for Steve Watt's book In Memoriam?

The answer is best illustrated by a real example...

6333 Rifleman George Alfred Naden, 3rd Bn. KRRC is listed in Alexander Palmer's and Steve Watt's books, and in several other sources as being KIA on 24 January 1900. Steve also records somewhat confusingly, Interred Spioenkop, Twin Pks, Tugela (3 places !) with the Remark, South of the Tugela (LWG).

The KRRC attacked and captured both the Twin Peaks that afternoon to relieve the pressure on British fighting on the adjacent Spioenkop. The Boers thought they had lost the battle and started leaving the battlefield in large numbers. The KRRC was ordered to retire southwards back across the Tugela River (a controversial order issued by General Redvers Buller). They did so during the night, re-crossing the river at 2 a.m.

The entry in Wally Hyde's Register reads...

Name: Naden, G. A.
Rank: Private
No: 6333
Regiment: 3rd KRR
Date of Death: 24.1.00
Disease: Killed in Action
Where Buried: South of Tugela F34 Nr. where? foot bridge was erected.

The following note appears on the adjacent page...

P.W.D. List G. Narden Top of Spion Kop

6425 Rifleman W. G. Norman, 3rd KRRC was also buried at the same site south of the river.

As was the custom at that time, all rank and file was buried where they fell, and approx. 20 isolated KRRC graves was known to exist on the Twin Peaks. Only the bodies of the KRRC officers was carried back down the peaks to be buried south of the river.

The above information strongly suggests that both G. A. Naden and W. G. Norman was wounded, and carried down the peak(s), back across the river, possibly dying on the way, or when they arrived at the KRRC bivouac. They was both probably WIA and DOW, i.e. not KIA as widely recorded.

The foot bridge was erected by the engineers after the KRRC had forded the river. The location of the bridge is marked on one of the maps that accompany one of the histories. It was located near a bend of the river. The grave site itself was marked for years on South Africa's NGI maps (equivalent to the UK's Ordnance Survey maps), and I think it still is. There are no signs of this original grave remaining today. The remains of these two riflemen now lie in one of the mass trench graves on Spioenkop itself.

...so it pays to adopt the good practice of always checking the original source of information.

Dave