"At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man - they were an awe inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze - knee to knee and horse to horse - the dying sun glinting on bayonet points..." Trooper Ion Idriess
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Monday, 1 July 2002
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 1 July 1900 Topic: BW - NSW - NSWIB
NSWIB
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen
War Diary, 1 July 1900
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, Sunday, 1 July 1900
This is an extract from the War Diary written by Major David Miller, Adjutant of the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen who arrived in the Mozambique port of Biera and then moved to Rhodesia as part of the journey for deployment in South Africa to see action in the Boer War.
1st July 1900 Sunday
Reveille at 5.30 a.m. Troops marched off at 6.50 a.m. and marched 5 miles to next intermediate camp where the wagons which started at 4 a.m. had outspanned. Troops unsaddled horses which were fed, then turned out to graze under picket.
Captain Waldron conducted an examination into Stock of Provisions etc.
Left camp at 3 p.m., marched in at 4.15 distance 4 miles.
Country changing to better soil, basalt and trap, and plenty of water, sufficiency of fuel. Horses picketed amongst timber both sides of rope. Weather slightly warm.
After tea the Officers assembled at my fire and discussed reconnoitring patrols etc for an hour.
After the disasters of the previous day, after the current day's march, the officers did the best thing possible, sat down by the campfire and discussed their options for the rest of the march. This was a positive move and much needed to restore direction and moral.
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 1 July 1900, new letter Topic: BW - NSW - NSWIB
NSWIB
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen
War Diary, 1 July 1900
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, Sunday, 1 July 1900
This is an extract from the War Diary written by Major David Miller, Adjutant of the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen who arrived in the Mozambique port of Biera and then moved to Rhodesia as part of the journey for deployment in South Africa to see action in the Boer War.
Head Quarter Staff Office
00.3934 Central Registry
In Camp at Bulawayo
1st July 1900 Sunday
Reveille at 5.30 a.m. Troops marched off at 6.50 a.m. and marched 5 miles to next intermediate camp where the wagons which started at 4 a.m. had outspanned. Troops unsaddled horses which were fed, then turned out to graze under picket.
Captain Waldron conducted an examination into Stock of Provisions etc.
Left camp at 3 p.m., marched in at 4.15 distance 4 miles.
Country changing to better soil, basalt and trap, and plenty of water, sufficiency of fuel. Horses picketed amongst timber both sides of rope. Weather slightly warm.
After tea the Officers assembled at my fire and discussed reconnoitring patrols etc for an hour.
While this is a totally different letter to that which supplied the first instalment of the War Diary to Sydney, this entry appears to be a duplicate of an entry in the previous letter.
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 30 June 1900 Topic: BW - NSW - NSWIB
NSWIB
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen
War Diary, 30 June 1900
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 30 June 1900, page 1.
This is an extract from the War Diary written by Major David Miller, Adjutant of the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen who arrived in the Mozambique port of Biera and then moved to Rhodesia as part of the journey for deployment in South Africa to see action in the Boer War.
Saturday 30th June 1900
Wagons moved out at 3.30 a.m.. Reveille at 5.15. Troops marched out at 7 arrived at wagons 2 miles distance at 7.45. Troops had breakfast. Oxen becoming weary owing to heavy loads. Captain Waldron informed me that the troops had taken the wrong road, as according to his orders, they should have proceeded via the Range. He read his orders to me and asked for advice. Captain Brown was present. I perused that portion of his orders and advised compliance. Orders are Orders. The Conductor of the Transport having been called and questioned, and said that this was the first he had heard of having to go via the Range; that his oxen would be done up if he had to return over the heavy road to Charter, and called one of his Drivers who advised continuing along the Main Road to Shorts and turning off there to the Ranges.
After deliberation and in view of the risk of the breakdown of the transport it was decided to proceed to Enkledoorn and to immediately sent Lieutenant Thomas with an orderly to Charter to wire O.C. Supplies at the Ranges
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 30 June 1900, page 2.
The War Diary of 30 june 1900 continues:
the Ranges to forward grain ordered by Captain Waldron to Enkledoorn by Monday next, and to wire reply. Lieutenant Thomas then proceeded to the Ranges to ensure compliance. Captain Waldon wrote and despatched a memo to Colonel Mackay informing him of the position.
Yesterday afternoon asked the Conductor re the roads and followed his instructions. I had no previous knowledge that the troops were to call at the Ranges.
A package of biscuits was weighed and proved to contain 40 lbs net of biscuits, the case contained 214 biscuits so it was proved that 4 biscuits do not weigh 1 lb, orders given accordingly.
Horses linked in circles. Warrant Officer Kindertons link proves very successful.
Troops marched out at 3 p.m. arrived next camp 5.15 p.m. distance 5½ miles camped on slope of hill in light timber on waters.
En route passed through an enormous cloud of grasshoppers. I rode for quite a mile through this cloud which extended as far as could be seen right and left near the spruit the banks were covered with these pests so that the ground was invisible.
Wagons arrived at about 8.30 p.m.. Bivouac nicely formed. Very little noise. Pickets posted. Night warmer than previously. Wood plentiful.
The roads are very heavy for transport and the gradients at fords unnecessarily steep, 1 in 5 in places involving extra labour on the oxen which are failing every day and the grass is not nourishing and they depend sorely upon it.
Falling moral now leads to a major snafu on their march. The route for the march is not made clear to the oxen carts and drivers, so they take a wrong road. The problems compound. The oxen are in a weakened state due to grazing fodder lacking any nutritional value. After consultations with the drivers, it was decided to follow the track until able to get back onto the main track. This meant a re-organisation of ration requests as they would arrive at the incorrect place. Plans, orders and the like needed to be altered. At the end of the day, it was finally established beyond all doubt that the men were being short weighted on their rations.
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 29 June 1900 Topic: BW - NSW - NSWIB
NSWIB
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen
War Diary, 29 June 1900
Things for the column are going from bad to worse. No wood for fires and so a cold start in the morning. Unicorn brand Bully Beef unfit for human consumption and rejected. Urgent calls for more supplies go out to the victulers. Finally, at the end of the day a dispute breaks out about the weight of army biscuits. The men believe with good cause that they have been short weighted. Cold nights, no warm beverages, poor food and short rations send moral plumetting by the time the next camp is settled.
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, War Diary, 28 June 1900 Topic: BW - NSW - NSWIB
NSWIB
New South Wales Imperial Bushmen
War Diary, 28 June 1900
The campsite was bleak with little available firewood to allow the men to undertake cooking or boiling a pot for a cupt of tea. The plains were open and exposed to all the elements. The men were suffering from malaria, colds and diarrhoea. While the regiment attempted to keep up the standard routine, the loss of many men to illness meant that the load was shared amongst less and less fit men. Things were not going very well at this stage of the campaign due to poor provisions and medical supplies.
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