TOPIC:

Gentlemen,
I think it should be remembered that it was actually Lord Roberts who started the scorched earth policy on the veldt, Kitchener merely intensified it to an almost biblical level.
However, this was war and he had only one agenda and that was to win it, moreover, he was under a great deal pressure to do so for financial reasons.
The Afrikaaner must shoulder some of the blame too, it was he who altered the conditions of warfare, it was he who brought civilians onto the battlefield, it was he who used his farm as a military base and it was he who started the guerilla war.
Of course, the harsh reality was that the Afrikaaner had been pushed into a corner by the greed of a small number of individuals and he was left with no choice.

capepolice wrote: Hello Iain,

I agree with you as does almost all the older generation of Afrikaaner. His farm burning and concentration camp episodes created much hate which still lingers today.

Regards
Adrian

iaindh wrote: Hi Frank,

Kitchener wasn't called K of chaos for nothing! A man for whom I have no respect whatsoever.

Kind regards, Iain

Hi Adrian,

Kitchener unfortunately had no respect for human life whether British or Afrikaaner. His handling of Paardeberg where he ignored the advice of experienced commanders, rather choosing his own "tactics" and through his arrogance so many British soldiers lost their lives unnecessarily. Colonel Hannay's sacrifice summed up all.....
The amazing thing is that after Paardeberg he continued to be Lord Roberts 2IC?
I have to agree with Frank that in this war situation drastic steps were required as the British weren't winning the war. Particularly the fact that Boere commandos were surrendering when cornered, promising no further part in the war then regrouping. But then it was the original guerrilla war.
I don't believe it was anyone's intention that so many innocents should die in the concentration camps and it was again negligence by uncaring leaders, as much as so many British soldiers died an inglorious death in Bloemfontein.
It must have been hard to have lost Mothers, Grandmothers, Sisters, Aunts, generations wiped out.....

regards, Iain

capepolice wrote: Hello Iain,

I agree with you as does almost all the older generation of Afrikaaner. His farm burning and concentration camp episodes created much hate which still lingers today.

Regards
Adrian

Hello Frank and Iain,

I agree with both of you. Trying and hard times sometimes call for extreme measures but even still Kitchener must have been a nasty piece of work and not much liked by his own men.

The death of Colonel Hannay is particularly sad, he was obviously very frustrated with Kitchener and the order to attack the Boers, so much so that he led the futile charge against the Boer Laager and now lies buried were he fell.

I am often up in Newcastle, Vryheid, Dundee and surrounds on business and regularly end up talking to the locals about the ABW and the impact it had on the communities in these areas. They don't know much about Lord Roberts or Buller etc and don't really care either but they all still speak very poorly about Kitchener. They all have family stories about Great Grandmothers/Grandmothers who ended up in the local camps and of the men who were sent overseas.

I am told that back in 1916 there was many a celebration when Kitchener drowned on route to Russia when the ship he was traveling on hit a mine.

Regards
Adrian

Adrian,

I remember standing with my brother by Hannay's solitary grave and reflecting on the decision he took that day.

Kind regards
David

Hello David,

That must have been a very special moment that you shared with Chris.

Hannay's grave is in a very desolate, wind swept place, a solitary grave out in the open veldt in the Boshof District.

The decision to leave the grave there was a correct one I believe, instead of placing his remains in the Garden of Remembrance at Paardeberg. It is at least pretty safe from vandals!!

Pics courtesy of the eGGSA Library.







Regards
Adrian

Hi Adrian,

Nice photos of Hannay's grave.

as I understand it, he was ordered to charge the Boer laager by Kitchener and knowing it was suicidal, he dismissed his staff and took the minimum of men with him, about 50 only. To quote Pakenham, "Hannay died as a supreme act of protest against the way Kitchener sacrificed his army."

regards, Iain

capepolice wrote:
The death of Colonel Hannay is particularly sad, he was obviously very frustrated with Kitchener and the order to attack the Boers, so much so that he led the futile charge against the Boer Laager and now lies buried were he fell.

Regards
Adrian