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February 1st 8 years 2 months ago #51736

  • Brett Hendey
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More about the Dundee Ambulance Corps .......
(I think this list comes from David's 'Talana' book, and I apologise for not recording a credit with it.)

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February 1st 3 years 2 months ago #81286

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1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Thursday, 1 February 1900

A day of many happenings. Most serious of which was a shell from the 94pounder [which] struck one of the splinter-proofs at Cannon Kopje, smashing it right in, killing one man (Knox) who was really suffocated before he could be got out, breaking another man’s (Francis) leg and badly injuring another’s back (T. Goddard). Others got slightly scratched, etc., but nothing to speak of. Immediately the shell struck, the Boers could be seen getting on their parapets watching the effects. Major Panzera and Surgeon-Major Dowling went over with the Red Cross flag and did all they could for the wounded. The poor fellow who died could even be heard speaking, but could not be got at quick enough; when found, it was seen one of the beams, a heavy railway sleeper, had fallen right across his chest and remained firmly jammed there.

The B.S.A.P. men complain that they are not being treated fairly by being left up there all the time of the siege, and that they should be relieved and changed to different positions.

The next most serious matter today was the arrest of one of our most prominent townsmen, Mr. J. W. De Kock, caused at the instance of the staff. A meeting of the men of his fort having been got together, they wrote to their commander of division, Colonel Goold-Adams, asking him to forward on a letter to B.P. requesting him to allow bail. It being about dinner-time at night Goold-Adams refused to forward on the letter, saying it must be done in the morning. On the face of it, this was very unfair, so a deputation consisting of Mahony, Algie and Bolus themselves waited on B.P., who granted them an interview in Dixon’s office, and told them it was impossible for him, with the evidence before him, to consider the matter of bail, but pointed out that Mr. De Kock should of course have a fair hearing on trial. He also requested the deputation to convey to the men of the fort his reply, that what had occurred was purely and simply done by him in the defence of the town. He was extremely sorry for what had happened, but that he could not help himself. When asked by the deputation what Mr. De Kock was specifically charged with, he replied, saying the authorities had not, as yet, definitely formulated all their charges. It is rumoured, "for working against Imperial interests".

What powers these autocrats have. They do just as they please in every matter, great and small, even to the liberty of the subject, without having to give the slightest reasons why or wherefore. Whatever happens afterwards, or whatever evidence of innocence is later on produced, the stigma will forever remain on De Kock that he was once arrested, even if only for temporary suspicion of anti-loyalty.

Mr. De Kock is one of the only two leading attorneys of the place, member of the Town Council, late chairman of the S.A. League1 here, a man who always boasted of his loyalty and the immense great advantages of freedom he received for himself and children under the British flag, and who at public meetings here, openly on the platform, energetically denounced Krugerism; who did excellent work to return our Progressive member for parliament, and who himself returned to Mafeking from Cape Town, leaving behind him his wife and children, only a day before hostilities broke out, on purpose to lend his help to the defence of the town, and who wired up asking that a Union Jack be hoisted up on his flagstaff in his garden. Such is the man whom the Imperial authorities have now placed in the small poky gaol, where are gathered all sorts of vile wretches and blackguards, treason-mongers and criminals. What must his thoughts be? He who has always vaunted his pride at being able to always have the freedom of speech under the British flag, and is now detained in custody for doing the very thing that has for ever been considered an Englishman’s birthright. For that is the only crime, if it be one, that I can bring myself to consider he has committed, for as to his being disloyal, such a term is a confounded libel. In the opinion of most Mafekingites, no more loyal man stands in our town than J. W. De Kock. What he will be after this, or how his opinions may have cause to alter by this treatment remains to be seen. There is now some talk amongst the townspeople that the Town Council should endeavour to take the matter up, and use their utmost powers on his behalf. The Imperial authorities must take care they do not raise a hornet’s nest about their ears.

Poor old Kiddy the electrician died this afternoon in hospital from pneumonia. He seemed rather to give in to it and said he was very much worried at the way the staff had treated him. After I had been up to the hospital to see him I was told that the enemy yesterday had sent another shell into the building (native ward) and that last night they fired two volleys of Mauser bullets right into the operating room, where a light was being used and where a body was then lying.

These Christian Boers have committed every outrage possible, and have broken every single clause in the Geneva Convention that it was possible to break. Firing on the white flag, firing on the Red Cross flag, firing on the hospital and women’s laager, places which they had previously agreed to respect, mutilating the dead, robbing the dead, trying to blow us up with dynamite, and so on. It only remains now for them to break faith re the sabbath and send us in a big shell on Sunday to cap the lot. It would not surprise anyone.

Last shell yesterday evening killed a native girl in the stadt, and injured another.

At about 9 p.m. this evening Major Panzera undertook a rather trickish [ric] bit of business. He sneaked out to the brickfields, almost right amongst the Boers, and I believe only assisted by two natives, and exploded a large charge of dynamite, blowing up the kiln used by the enemy for sniping purposes at the town. Nobody in the town knew what was happening and thought it was Big Ben. Very plucky tiling to do, and very successful. I was on the square standing close to B.P., Goold-Adams, and Moncrieffe, who were anxiously waiting Panzera’s return, and who, when they spotted him coming out of the darkness from the east corner of the square, cheered lustily and then laughingly thoroughly enjoyed his report. Major Panzera is absolutely the best, pluckiest and most gentlemanly officer in the whole garrison, with no exception.

One cannot really help remarking how selfish people get under shellfire and callous as to the danger of one’s friends, however intimate; for instance, what I mean is, that when the bell goes denoting that Big Ben is pointing either to the north of the town or at Cannon Kopje we all say, "Thank goodness, not pointing at us,” and hardly thinking of those it is pointing at and possibly carrying death with it. This is not according to a certain chapter of the Corinthians.

Currie and Taylor (coloured man) did the work of the dynamite explosion tonight and will both be mentioned in tomorrow’s orders. They acted under Major Panzera.
Dr David Biggins
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