TOPIC:

Afterthought: Could Spn IV and Spn V stand for blockhouse positions near Steenpan (just under Vereeniging on Neville's map.

Everhard,

Certainly a possibility, though the records of the 1st Battalion seem to indicate that they were moving east along the Durban line. On 9 September their HQ was at Greylingstad (when they were guarding the line from Waterval to Vlakfontein). From there they moved to Waterval Bridge on 30 November (now guarding the line as far as Vlaklaagte), and thence to Standerton on 13 December. There is no mention of them manning the Port Elizabeth line.

I have been unable to find Eden Kop on either Jeppe's or the Imperial Map, but I imagine it must be to the east of Vlaklaagte. A member of the K.R.R.C. describes it as being 6 miles to the west of Standerton.


September 9th. The Head Quarters of the Battalion moved to Greylingstad. The Battalion occupied the line from Waterval to Vlakfontein (thirty and a quarter miles).

October 2nd. ''A'' Company, under Captain F. G. Talbot, occupied a Post, ten miles to the North, called Van Kolders Kop.

October 14th. The Battalion took over the line as far as Vlaklaagte Station.

October 23rd. The Battalion took over the posts to Eden Kop inclusive, and handed over Vlaklaagte, making the total length of line occupied forty miles, as well as Van Kolders Kop. The Head Quarters of the Battalion moved to Waterval Bridge.

December 13th. The Head Quarters of the Battalion moved to Standerton (Beacon Hill), being relieved by Somerset Light Infantry.





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? Spn = Superintendent ? Is it a message from a man in charge of blockhouse set IV to the man in charge of the neighbouring set V of blockhouses?

Your note writer's full name was Fred Louis Tillett who I am pretty sure, but could not prove in a court of law, was born near Norwich on 7 May 1880 and back home became a postman in 1904 and retired as a postman. He married in 1907, had a couple of children and died in 1949.

Here he is visiting a fisherman friend in June 1921:



More definitely he had previously been wounded on 5 February 1900 at Val Krantz - below an extract from a long list of the wounded of 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade which appeared in the London Echo 14 February 1900.



Also definitely served in the Great War in the highland Light infantry, Regimental Number 53434: