THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 7 (Supplement)

THIRTY YEARS AGO.

—All Eights Reserved.)

NEW ZEALAND'S FIRST , OVERSEAS WAR. •c 1 - PUR TROOPS «A CREDIT TO THEIR COUNTRY.*' SENSATIONAL HAPPENINGS ' DETAILED. [(By J- SHAND, New Zealand War Correspondent, Boer Campaign.)

7 ' No. I. There were many sensational happenings in the long-sustained Boer campaign in South Africa ■when, thirty years ago, New Zealand, then but one of the colonies giving true allegiance to Queen (Victoria) and Country, made its first . warlike Imperial gesture. December, 1599, and January, 1900,5. saw its splendid troops • associated with some of the most "• famous of England's cavalry regiments, and the succeeding months witnessed their participation in ■, [heart-stirring military exploits, the relief of beleaguered towns, the capture of the capital cities of the enemy's vast territories, and drama tic events which will be. detailed in this anfl succeeding t- 'articles. • i In far-off South Africa, sensational tad world-stirring developments had followed dramatic episodes in the history of the Transvaal Republic, then governed under tho Presidency of Paul Kruger ("Oom Paul," as he was lovingly, almost reverently, called by his many thousands of adherents). It should "be explained, for the benefit of young New Zealanders, that the Transvaal had previously been annexed by Great Britain, hut had been granted its independence tod self-government (as ' South Africa jwas similarly treated a few years ago). In the matter of administration, howfever, it "was contended that the Boer [Government had, persistently, and determinedly, unfairly discriminated against British interests, and British subjects residing in the Transvaal; that the latjfcer had been unduly penalised, and deprived of their political and civil rights. , ? The Call to Arms. No redress could be secured; British protests -were' ignored, and the Boer Government issued an ultimatum which [was challenged by the British Government. The Boers were prepared to back |np their attitude "with armed forces; the 'gage of battle was quickly thrown down, and as promptly picked up—and war jwas declared. Then followed action by ;fihe Boers and the British troops in South Africa, and a general mobilisation iof a British Field Force for service overseas. - But the war bugle sounded not pnly in Great Britain —its clarion notes reverberated throughout the whole [British Empire; the ion's cubs heard ,the call. Offers of help came from %- flung units living under tha protection of the British flag. New Zealand was; one of tho -first to enter, the lists. The then Premier ; of the Colony, the Hon. Richard John Seddon, cabled an, offer of mounted troops for service as soon as it was realised" that war was inevitable. Representatives of various- colonial jfcroops who had been . dispatched |to England" .to take part in the jubilee celebrations associated with .the coronation of Queen Victoria volunteered to a man, and a detachment of the. New South Wales Lancers and jQueensland troops embarked at Southampton direct for South Africa, and were among the first overseas units to Appear in the war zone. New Zealand had been represented at Ihe jubilee celebrations by Major (now General Sir Alfred) Robin and others, ibut he was in his home town (Dunedin) when the war tocsin sounded. Major Robin had 'been Officer Commanding Otago Hussars, considered to be one _of the "crack" corps of the colony. With many others this very capable officer responded to the call, and was appointed to command the First New Zealand Contingent for South Africa, which went into training camps at Karori and Newtown Parks, Wellington. Another senior officer associated with the first contingent was Major Richard Davies, of Hawera, and he was appointed second in command of the contingent. It may fee here stated that after the South African War Major Davies joined ■ the Imperial Army, and as a general commanded a division in France in .the early stages of the Great War, was subsequently in command of the' CannockjChase Training Division in England, but passed away before the cry of victory [was sounded., | When Our Troops Landed. ' When our troops at Cape [Town the position of the British Army an the .various theatres of war was a Jvery serious one. There had beei 'deadly fighting on the Natal side, and bur losses had been heavy. At laagte and Glencoe the contests had jbeen of » deadly nature, and the famous .Gordon Highlanders had suffered Severely. The Boers were evidently ibent on investing several points where British troops were located —-Ladysmith, ton the Natal side; Colesberg (Cape Colony), in the south; Kimberley and Mafeking, on the western sector; and Rhodesia in the north—rand they suciseeded in isolating the first-named four. It was evident that the wonderful {Mobility of the amounted Boer forces, [together with splendid staff work (for [which German officer-instructors fcaid to have been responsible), had. enabled them to' effect these surprises ion the British troops. The general posijfcion was such as to cause the Britisfi Authorities considerable perturbation, if Mot anxiety. Infantry were practically .useless at that stage; mounted troops (were urgently wanted. The foot regiments performed many valorous deeds; Showing wonderful fortitude, endurance, iand astonishing stoicism and optimism throughout a long and arduous campaign; subsisting on; scanty ra^?° 8 ' scorched by broiling sun by day, dulled iat night by heavy dew; tortured by [winged and creeping pests of _the veldt, Weakened by insidious malaria; harried by enemies who knew every kopje, donga, sluit and mountain. : New Zealanders In Action. It was not long before the New Zealanders were in action. At firs . y jformed portion of the mounted forces under the command of General Cleiments, at camps in Northern Cape Colony—outside Colesberg. Sere they proved themselves to be very apt P U P X at the war game; brave and resourcefn . % a . where aH

death was ever nigh. It lurked behiqfL those peaceful-looking, grass-cOvered dongas; behind the rugged, stone-capped kopjes; those scarped,, frowning heights, bare of enemy one day—the next concealing Boer commandos; peaceful glades at dawn, death-traps at dusk. Many attempts,.. overt and covert, were made to lure the unseasoned troops to their doom, but the New Zealanders —like most of the overseas men who came from open spaces—played the Boers at the own game, and more than once won the rubber. No ostentation, no boasting, no xincouth badinage, no complaints, no carping criticism, no disunion. A band of men equal in physique, intelligence, and conduct to any in the world; taking their work seriously, and their few pleasures almost sedately.

"Bli' me, they're a quiet lot, those New Zealanders," said one of the Suffolk Regiment to me; "but I'll bet a few 'tickies' (threepence, Boer mon'ey) they can rough it if it comes their way. I've seen those silent sort of blokes before, and they're always pretty handy when it comes to a scrap."

It was a fine descriptive cameo of the men from these islands; the Suffolk soldier never spoke truer words. The New Zealanders® though less impetuous and scarcely as dashing as, say, the Negv South Wales Lancers or the Imperial Light Horse, who "looked for it," as General French once said laughingly ("and sometimes got it" he could, with truth, have added), lacked nothing in quiet determination and bravery when it came to the real thing.

"They'll do me," exclaimed Captain (now General) "Charlie" Cox (New South Wales Lancers) one day as we witnessed the New Zealanders repulse n vigorous Boer attack on a position held by our men and some of .the York Regiment. "By Gad, they have guts, those Ne-Hj, Zealanders."

In the general fighting outside Colesberg the men from these islands played well their part. Every reconnaissance entrusted to them was carried out with a meticulous attention to detail; reports were handed in promptly; the accompanying maps were models of informative brevity, and the most dangerous work was carried out with a minimum of casualties.

"Blooding" the New Zealanders. In the fighting outside Coleeberg the Boers made several determined attempts to ambush the New Zealanders, or cut them off from the main body. On one occasion eneral De La Rey, who commanded the enemy forces in and around this district, disposed hid various commandos so as to have the British camp surrounded, as at Kimberley and Mafeking, but he met with such a hot reception that the attempt failed ignominously, the Boers beingdriven to their laagers , with heavy losses. Trooper Bradford, of Paeroa, Auckland, was the first New Zealander to give his life to Queen and country. In one of the initial engagements he was 'severely wounded and taken prisoner by the Boere, and later succumbed to his injuries. Everything possible was done by the enemy to save his life, but his hurts were mortal. At Slingersfontein (Northern Cape Colony) portion of the New Zealand forces under "Jacky" Hughes (now Colonel Hughes, of Island Bay, Wellington), showed great courage and resourcefulness in beating off ,a ■ determined attack on a position held by a platoon of the Yorkshire Regiment. A sudden sortie by fast-mounted Boers surprised the Yorks, who fought bravely, but being outnumbered, suffered heavy casualties. For a period the position—one of considerable strategical importance, as it commanded the whole camp—was in grave danger. So serious was the outlook that an urgent call for reinforcements was sent out by the Yorks. Lieutenant Hughes and a body of New Zealanders were ordered to the spot, and when they rushed to the top- of the kopje they found the Boers and the Yorks engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict. Into the melee went the New Zealanders, and so savage was their onslaught and severe the punishment meted out by ifchem that the enemy turned tail and fled. Having exhausted their ammunition, the colonial troops hurled huge stones on the heads of the Boers as they scrambled down the kopje to their horses, and inflicted further casualties. The Yorks lo&i heavily, and two New Zealanders—Sergeant Sam Gourley, son of Mr. Hugh Gourley, an old and highlyrespected Dunedin resident, and Trooper j. Connell, of Auckland—were mortally wounded, and died the same evening. For his gallant conduct Lieutenant Hughe# was awarded the D.S.O. Praised by Famous Cavalry Leader. For their gallantry in this short, but sharp engagement, the New Zealanders, at a special parade of the contingent, called by order of the general officer commanding, were warmly praised by General French (the late Earl of Ypres), then the most noted cavalry leader in the British Army. Addressing the New Zealand troops, the general said they had more fb»n done their duty, and had exceeded his highest expectations. They had shown not only courage of a high order, but a dash and resourcefulness which would stand them in good stead in the future. "New Zealanders, I am indeed proud of you," he said. A special order, recapitulating the circumstances, and expressing high appreciation of the splendid work of the New Zealanders at a very critical period in a Boer attack, was also issued.