We
approached the line between Balmoral and Brugspruit, coming as close to it
as was possible with regard to safety, and we stopped in a "dunk" (hollow
place) intending to remain there until dusk before attempting to cross. The
blockhouses were only 1,000 yards distant from each other, and in order to
take our waggons across there was but one thing to be done, namely, to storm
two blockhouses, overpower their garrisons, and take our convoy across
between these two. Fortunately there were no obstacles here in the shape of
embankments or excavations, the line being level with the veldt. We moved on
in the evening (the 27th of June), the moon shining brightly, which was very
unfortunate for us, as the enemy would see us and hear us long before we
came within range. I had arranged that Commandant Groenwald was to storm the
blockhouse on the right, and Commandant W. Viljoen that to the left, each
with 75 men. We halted about 1,000 paces from the line, and here the
sections left their horses behind and marched in scattered order towards the
blockhouses. The enemy had been warned by telephone that morning of our
vicinity, and all the pickets and outposts along the line were on the "qui
vive." When 150 yards from the blockhouses the garrison opened fire on our
men, and a hail of Lee-Metford bullets spread over a distance of about four
miles, the British soldiers firing from within the blockhouses and from
behind mounds of earth. The blockhouse attacked by Commandant Viljoen
offered the most determined resistance for about twenty minutes, but our men
thrust their rifles through the loopholes of the blockhouses and fired
within, calling out "hands-up" all the time, whilst the "Tommies" within
retorted, "You haven't V.M.R.'s to deal with this time!" However, we soon
made it too hot for them and their boasting was exchanged into cries of
mercy, but not before three of our men had been killed and several wounded.
The "Tommies" now shouted: "We surrender, Sir; for God's sake stop firing."
My brave field-cornet, G. Mybergh, who was closest to the blockhouses,
answered: "All right then, come out." The "Tommies" answered: "Right, we are
coming," and we ceased firing.
Field-Cornet Mybergh now stepped up to the entrance of the fort, but when he
reached it a shot was fired from the inside and he fell mortally wounded in
the stomach. At the same time the soldiers ran out holding up their hands.
Our burghers were enraged beyond measure at this act of treachery, but the
sergeant and the men swore by all that was sacred that it had been an
accident, and that a gun had gone off spontaneously whilst being thrown
down. The soldier who admitted firing the fatal shot was crying like a baby
and kissing the hands of his victim. We held a short consultation amongst
the officers and decided to accept his explanation of the affair. I was
much upset, however, by this loss of one of the bravest officers I have ever
known.
Meanwhile the fight at the other blockhouse continued. Commandant Groenwald
afterwards informed me that he had approached the blockhouse and found it
built of rock; it was, in fact, a fortified ganger's house built by the
Netherlands South Africa Railway Company. He did not see any way of taking
the place; many of his men had fallen, and an armoured train with a
search-light was approaching from Brugspruit. On the other side of the
blockhouse we found a ditch about three feet deep and two feet wide. Hastily
filling this up we let the carts go over. As the fifth one had got across
and the sixth was standing on the lines, the armoured train came dashing at
full speed in our midst. We had had no dynamite to blow up the line, and
although we fired on the train, it steamed right up to where we were
crossing, smashing a team of mules and splitting us up into two sections.
Turning the search-light on us, the enemy opened fire on us with rifles,
Maxims and guns firing grape-shot. Commandant Groenwald had to retire along
the unconquered blockhouse, and managed somehow to get through. The majority
of the burghers had already crossed and fled, whilst the remainder hurried
back with a pom-pom and the other carts. I did not expect that the train
would come so close to us, and was seated on my horse close to the
surrendered blockhouse when it pulled up abruptly not four paces from me.
The search-light made the surroundings as light as day, and revealed the
strange spectacle of the burghers, on foot and on horseback, fleeing in all
directions and accompanied by cattle and waggons, whilst many dead lay on
the veldt. However, we saved everything with the exception of a waggon and
two carts, one of which unfortunately was my own. Thus for the fourth time
in the war I lost all my worldly belongings, my clothes, my rugs, my food,
my money.
My
two commandants were now south of the line with half the men, whilst I was
north of it with the other half. We buried our dead next morning and that
evening I sent a message to the remainder of the commandos, telling them to
cross the line at Uitkijk Station, south-west of Middelburg, whilst Captain
Hindon was to lay a mine under the line near the station to blow up any
armoured train coming down. Here we managed to get the rest of our laager
over without much trouble. The "Tommies" fired furiously from the
blockhouses and our friend the armoured train was seen approaching from
Middelburg, whistling a friendly warning to us. It came full speed as
before, but only got to the spot where the mine had been laid for it. There
was a loud explosion; something went up in the air and then the shrill
whistle stopped and all was silent.
The next morning we were all once more camped together at Rooihoogte.
