"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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The following is a contemporaneous account of the battle at Merivale Street taken from the pages of the Brisbane Courier. The text from the scan is of poor quality and thus cannot be readily transcribed into text but it is legible enough to allow the contents to be satisfactorily read.
The ongoing Battle of Merivale Street, Queensland, from the account published in the Brisbane Courier, 31 March 1919.
[From: Brisbane Courier, 31 March 1919, p. 7, Demonstrations.]
Times, 24 November 1899, Account Topic: BatzB - Belmont
Belmont
South Africa, 23 November 1899
Times, 24 November 1899, Account
Times, 24 November 1899, p. 5.
LATEST INTELLIGENCE.
THE WAR
WESTERN FRONTIER.
BRITISH VICTORY AT BELMONT.
The following telegram from the General Officer Commanding Lines of Commnnication, dated Cape Town, November 23, was received at the War Office at 10 o'clock last night:
Following telegram received from Lord Methuen:
(Begins.) Belmont, Nov. 23. - Attacked enemy daybreak this morning in strong position. Three ridges carried in succession, last attack being prepared by shrapnel. Infantry behaved splendidly and received support from naval brigade and artillery.
Enemy fought with courage and drill. Had I attacked later I should have had far heavier losses.
Victory was complete. Have taken 40 prisoners, and am burying good number of Boers, but the greater part of the killed and wounded have teen taken away by their comrades. Have large number of horses and cows ; have destroyed large amount of ammunition.
Following is a list of casualties :
3rd BATTALION GRENADIER GUARDS.
Killed-Lieutenant Fryer.
Dangerously wounded. - Lieutenant Blundell.
Wounded. - Second Lieutenants Leslie and Vaughan.
Slightly wounded. - Lieutenants Gurdon-Rebow end Russell.
And in addition the following officers are reported as wounded.-Lieutenants Lygon, Cameron, and Lieutenant-Colonel Crabbe.
Rank and file. - Killed 26, wounded 36, missing 13.
1st BATTALION COLDSTREAM GUARDS.
Officer wounded.-Lieutenant Grant.
Rank and file.-Killed 8, wounded 17, missing 5.
2nd BATTALION COLDSTREAM GUARDS.
Slightly wounded. - Lieutenant the Hon. Claude Willoughby.
Severely wounded. - Second Lieutenant Burton.
Rank and file. - Wounded 6.
1st BATTALION SCOTS GUARDS.
Severely wounded. - Major the Hon. North Dalrymple Hamilton.
Wounded. - Second Lieutenants Bulkely and Alexander.
Officers severely wounded. - Captain Freeland, Second Lieutenant Barton.
A later telegram reports Brigadier-General Fetherstonehaugh severely wounded through shoulder.
At 1 45 last night another telegram was received from the General Commanding Lines of Communication, Cape Town. It was despatched at 8 5 p.m. and was as follows :
Gatacre reports having yesterday encamped a battalion of infantry at Putters Kraal, and that reinforcements of mounted troops and half a battalion of infantry will be moved to same camp to-day.
Dutch rising continues in Broken Nail districts. Police at Molteno report armed Dutch left Cradock to join rebels at Broken Nail, taking armed natives with them.
French conducted reconnaissance towards Arundel, which he found held in strength, and withdrew with three men wounded - No. 1,996, Policeman L. Bawtree, thigh, dangerous; 3,084, Corporal Thomas, chest and arms, dangerous; 4,618, Private Willett, arm, serious, both of mounted infantry 1st Worcester Regiment.
Boers reported moving from Natal to vicinity of Bloemfontein. Telegraphic communication with Belmont reopened. Line inspector reports heavy engagement to the east of Belmont to-day.
Enemy utterly routed. No details yet received. Postmaster Hope Town reports Kuruman people have defeated North rebels.
(THROUGH REUTER's AGENCY.)
ORANGE RIVER, Nov. 23, 1 p.m.
Mr. J. D. Logan, a member of the Cape Legislative Council, who has just returned here from Belmont, states that the British troops have engaged the enemy on this side of Belmont.
The British artillery practice was magnificent, and the infantry carried the kopjes at the point of the bayonet, driving the Boers from their position.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
ORANGE RIVER, Nov. 23.
There are Boers all round Witteputs. They are constantly sighted. It is reported that they are retiring on Belmont.
A reconnaissance with lancers was shelled yesterday morning by the Boers from Belmont Station at 600 yards. The shrapnel burst well, but we had no casualties. The enemy's force is estimated at 2,000 men with five guns.
1st Australian Armoured Car Section - Megiddo - Part 4 Topic: AIF - Cars
1st AUSTRALIAN ARMOURED CAR SECTION, AIF
THE BATTLE OF MEGIDDO
Part 4
This is a transcription from a manuscript submitted by Captain E.H. James called "The Motor Patrol". It is lodged in the AWM as AWM 224MSS 209. This is Part 4.
THE BATTLE OF MEGIDDO - Part 4
One of our machine gunners found a sheep on the journey up and soon had it skinned and cut up in professional style. Nobody asked any questions as to how the sheep was found, but it certainly tasted all right.
Next day our orders were to push on to El-Kuneitra but to leave two gun cars with their crews at Tiberias to guard the town which was rather an important point in our line of communications. The road to El-Kuneitra was in very bad condition and the transport of the retreating Turks had not improved it, but we arrived there at dusk and camped for the night. Next morning, at daybreak, again we were off to Kaukab where we stayed the following night, but not to sleep as we were getting very close to our destination, the City of Damascus; the oldest city of the world; and a great Turkish stronghold. We placed our guns in position for the night but were undisturbed. The next day was a great day for our army. As soon as it was light enough to see we started on a road reconnaissance. We found a good track and proceeded with all vehicles to Kiswe, a few miles south of Damascus. Coming over the hills we got a magnificent view of the great city about ten miles away in the hollow. The morning mists were just rising and the view was beautiful. We could see the minarets and towers peeping through the green foliage. Numbers of streams of fresh water winding through the orchards and vineyards and in every direction could be seen thin columns of dust rising through the green trees as bodies of troops armoured cars transport, and cavalry were all converging along every possible road and track towards the one centre. Every now and then a puff of white smoke could be seen as a shell would burst in the distance. The night was a never-to-be forgotten one. Away on the horizon (always well out of range) were hoards of Lawrence's Arab "allies" hanging around for their share of loot when the city fell. Within an hour the leading regiments were in the city. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade secured positions above the Abana Gorge the night before where they inflicted terrible losses on the retreating enemy. This completed the enemy's discomfiture and at 11 a.m. we formed a grand procession through the city. The whole of the native population turned out to see us come in and expressed their feelings by firing their guns into the air; and, as every member of the city seemed to have a rifle or gun of some description, the row can be imagined. We drove through the street that is called Strait. By this time our other cars from Tiberias had joined us and we made a good show with the cars of the other armoured car batteries as we did the Conquering Hero Stunt up to the Town Hall where we stopped for a while for the chiefs to take over the keys of the Town etc. While waiting we did not forget to try the fruit and the other dainties on sale in the Bazaars. Damascus is certainly best from the distance; just far enough away not to notice the filth and smells. Most of us thought we knew enough of the east but Damascus certainly beat all the other cities that we had been in for smells.
We did not think it possible to get such a variety of stinks in one town.
The streets were certainly not made for motor traffic and our drivers had to keep their eyes open when moving about in the town. Holes full of filthy water abounded everywhere. Some of the streets were pitched, but the pitchers were laid anyway; some on top of each other. One of our drivers just missed a manhole in the street with the cover missing. The hole was a well about 10 ft. deep. An electric tram ran through the city but it puzzled everyone how it kept on the rails as these in some cases bulged nearly a foot above the level of the road and in other places were lost in a sea of mud. Our drivers had to give these rails a wide berth as they would drag the tyres off the wheels if caught in them.
We received orders to proceed to the north end of the city to camp for the night. We tried to get through the gorge where Colonel Scott's Light Horsemen had their picnic the night before, but found it impossible to get along until we had spent an hour or so clearing the track of dead men and horses which were heaped across the road everywhere. We had to lever smashed up vehicles of all descriptions into the river while there were machine guns lying about in hundreds. The gutters literally ran with blood. Through the narrow gorge ran a railway line, a river and a road and there was no room for anything else. The railway was blocked with a smashed train of trucks. The river was a racing torrent full of debris and the road was a conglomeration of vehicles and bodies. Eventually we cleared a track through the mess and arrived at our camping position on a hill overlooking the town. Next day we had to patrol the road from Damascus back to El-Kuneitra as the Commander in Chief was motoring up to enter the city officially. We stayed at Damascus far a couple of weeks and took the opportunity to do a number of necessary repairs to our motor vehicles and equipment in between a lot of necessary road patrolling along the various routes, but chiefly between Beirut on the coast and Damascus.
In the meantime, the 5th Cavalry Division under General Macandrew had pushed on from Damascus and had reached Baalbek en route for a dash at Aleppo, the Headquarters of one of the Turkish armies and the junction of the Mespot and Syrian Railway systems on the main line from Constantinople. One of our cars had already been attached to this division for some days and on the 19th October orders were received for the whole unit to join the 5th Cav. Division. We accordingly pushed right away and arrived at Zahli (the Junction of the Beirut and Aleppo made) about midnight. We stayed here until daylight and rushed on with all speed to the north joining the division that afternoon.
And now began what was (from the motor unit's point of view) the most eventful part of the campaign, and it was probably the first time in history that a complete series of operations were carried out on motor vehicles against an opposing army.
Driefontein, South Africa, The Times, 20 March 1900 Topic: BatzB - Driefontein
Driefontein
South Africa, 10 March 1900
The Times, 20 March 1900
The Times, 20 March 1900, p. 5.
The account is transcribed below.
BOER TREACHERY.
WARNING TO THE PRESIDENTS.
Driefontein, March 11, 9 45 a.m.
The following telegram has been addressed by me to their Honours the State Presidents of the Orange Free State and South African Republic:
"Another instance having occurred of a gross abuse of the white flag and of the signal of holding up the hands in token of surrender, it is my duty to inform your Honour that if such abuse occurs again I shall most reluctantly be compelled to order my troops to disregard the white flag entirely.
"The instance occurred on the kopje east of Driefontein Farm yesterday evening, and was witnessed by several of my own staff officers, as well as by myself, and resulted in the wounding of several of my officers and men.
"A large quantity of explosive ballets of three different kinds was found in Cronje's laager and after every engagement with your Honour's troops.
"Such breaches of the recognized usages of war and of the Geneva Convention are a disgrace to any civilized Power.
A copy of this telegram has been sent to my Government, with a request that it may be communicated to all neutral Powers."
605th Machine Gun Company War Diary - 1 to 4 June 1916 Topic: Gm - Bk - 605 MGC
German 605th Machine Gun Company (MGC)
War Diary, 1 June to 4 June 1916
605th Machine Gun Company War Diary - 1 to 4 June 1916
The entries
1.VI.16:
On the whole of our travels we saw no fields so well cultivated as they were here with German industry and labour.
2.VI.16:
Early to-day we arrived at Bir-Es-Saba about 3 a.m. Last night we had to leave one of our Turkish interpreters at Ramleh. He was sick with malaria. We got 4 camels and 2 camel drivers for the carriage of our knapsacks, etc. from the camp some 30 minutes away. Our first work in camp was to pitch the tents we had brought with us. During the course of the day a portion of our baggage was brought into camp by camel. The rest of the company occupied themselves in digging out the inside of the tents. Pte. Stolz fell sick and was sent to the observation tent.
3-VI .16:
To-day a baggage fatigue was furnished which has to see to the movement of our boxes from the station to the camp. The rest of the company had to take part in digging out the tents. The tents have to be dug out about 4'6", first in order to be cooler, and secondly for protection against the awful sand drifts. Water has to be brought on camels in little wooden casks from a well 3 k.m. away. Today we received a portion of our Turkish ranks, 40 in all (privates, lance-corpls, and N.C.O.'s).
4.VI.16:
To-day the remainder of our tents were dug out. Our rations came in part from the supplies we brought with us, in part from the Turkish supply depot. Bread, fresh meat, some tea, some sugar, we got from the Turkish supply depot. Preserved supplies we took from our own supply.
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