Two Years on Trek: Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South AfricaDu Moulin, Louis Eugène
History
Two Years on Trek: Being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa
Du Moulin, Louis Eugène
Great Britain. Army. Royal Sussex Regiment; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Peace was declared on June 1st, and on the next day the Battalion
received orders to move to St. Helena for duty in guarding prisoners.
The various detachments collected at Ingogo, and moved down on the 9th
to Durban, where the "Wakool" was waiting for them; the weather was
however too rough to embark until the 14th, the intervening days being
spent at Umbilo Prison Camp. Major Clarke now commanded the Battalion,
Col. the Earl of March having returned for the Coronation.
St. Helena was reached on the 24th June. As the "Wakool" steamed into
the Jamestown anchorage, the signallers on H.M.S. Dwarf gave the news of
the King's illness, and of the consequent postponement of the
coronation, which should have taken place next day.
After five days quarantine the Battalion disembarked, and marched to
Broadbottom Camp, at the N.E. end of the Island, relieving the Buffs
Militia. Gen. Cronje watched the men go by from the house where he lived
apart; he was not very popular among the other prisoners--mostly
Paardebergers.
There were about 2,000 Boers at Broadbottom, including Gen. Ben Viljoen.
They were at this time just trying to make up their minds to take the
oath of allegiance. They were too loyal to their old Government to do so
without orders--which, however, they ultimately received. Those who took
the oath beforehand did not have a pleasant time.
The weather was extremely bad, and the camp a sea of mud. On July 19th,
a gloom was cast over the Battalion by the death of Colour Sergt.
Penfold, who was killed in trying to climb down a steep cliff.
On August 9th, Coronation Day was celebrated. A _feu de joie_ was fired,
and the Battalion was inspected by Col. Wright, commandant of the camp.
In the evening an enormous bonfire was lit upon the hillside. In the
crowd round it, Boers and British mingled freely, the latter tanned from
exposure, the former pale from a year or more mostly spent in their
tents. After loyalty had been satisfied, Col. Wright called for three
cheers for "our friends and fellow subjects, our late gallant enemies,"
which were heartily given. The Battalion embarked for England on board
the "Dominion" on August 11th, and arrived at Chichester a month later,
having travelled by way of Cape Town. At Chichester they were welcomed
by the Mayor and Corporation, and marched to barracks through decorated
streets.
The medals earned by the men were presented to them by Mrs. Kilgour
(Col. Kilgour then commanded the Regimental District), and the
embodiment, which had lasted two years and nine months, was at an end.
APPENDIX A.
THE 13TH M. I.
By CAPT. G. P. HUNT, Royal Berkshire Regiment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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