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Harry Constantine Poetzsch

Sergeant, Cape Mounted Rifles

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State & Transvaal to 340 Sgt. C. Poetzsch, Cape M.R.

Constantine Poetzsch (for thus was he officially known) was German by birth having been born in Greiz, Germany in about 1855. His parents Louis Proetzsch and his wife Anne must have made the trek to South Africa some time after that.

On 1 October 1879, some ten months after the slaughter at Isandhlwana, a 24 year old Poetzsch enlisted at Cape Town with the Cape Mounted Rifles and was assigned no. 340.

From the get-go it would appear that he was, despite reasonably long service, never really cut out for military life. That this is true can be determined from his Conduct Sheet which leads like a litany of offences, most of them petty and most of them where he cocking a snoot at officialdom and the humdrum of disciplined life.

His first offence took place after barely three months service when, on 26 December 1879 he was found to be “asleep at his post”. Possibly the excesses of the previous day, being Christmas, was responsible for his lethargy. As punishment he was awarded one Extra Guard Duty.

On 23 January 1880 he was found guilty of being “Absent from Drill” and sentenced to Drill with new Recruits. On 1 February the foolish Proetzsch “Discharged his firearm in Camp” and was fine 2/6 for his troubles.

Things went quite for a while until 12 June 1880 when he was Reprimanded for “Ill Treating his Troop horse”. This was followed in rapid succession on 23 June by a Reprimand for “Having his carbine at half cock on parade”. On 9 July he was Confined to Barracks for 14 days for “not haltering his horse when ordered”. Five days later he was awarded 3 extra guard duties for “saying it was too dark to go look for troop horses” On 17 August he was Severely Reprimanded for being “Absent from Roll Call” and, in a sinister increase in the severity of his offences, was fined 10/- and awarded 3 extra guards for being “in possession of Pte. Caldecott’s blankets” on 23 August.

Two days later, on 25 August he was “Asleep on his post” for which he was fined 20/- and awarded 3 extra guards. August had been a bad month for Proetzsch.

On 22 October 1880 he was awarded 2 extra guards for “Irregularities on Guard” – quite what these were was not mentioned.....

On 26 November he was awarded 2 extra guards for “discharging his carbine on Store Guard” Surprisingly he seems to have behaved himself over the Christmas period because it was only on 28 February 1881 that he transgressed again – this time being “Absent from Roll Call and Stables” for which he was awarded the now familiar 2 extra guards. On 1 March he did the same for the same “reward” and on 24 March he was fined 2/6 for “Refusing to do Fatigue”

On 27 June he was found to have a “Dirty Sword belt on Drill” and granted 3 days C.B. A month later, on 28 July he was fined 10/- for “Refusing duty” followed by 5 days C.B. for “Making use of abusive language in Camp” on 14 October. Three days later, on 17 October, he was granted 14 days C.B. for “Hesitating to obey an order on Sword Drill” Ironically this coincided with his promotion to Corporal with allowances. On 28 October, and to show how petty things could get in the life of a serving soldier, he was ordered to “show his kit at 3 p.m.” after he had “Not shown his Saddle when ordered”

On 2 November 1881 he was found to have been “Drunk on Duty” and fined 20/- together with 14 days C.B. to reflect on the error of his ways. After this, certainly for a period of four months he kept himself in check but this was soon to be forgotten when, on 21 March 1882 he was “Absent from morning stables” for which he was Admonished.

Proetzcsh was transferred to the Eastern Cape area known as the Transkei and, specifically to a place called Umtata in 1895 which is where, on 9 August, he was sentenced to 2 extra guards and 7 days C.B. for “Not attending Orderly Room when ordered” On 19 August 1897 at nearby Qumbu he was found guilty, his second such offence, for being “Drunk and resisting escort” for this he was awarded 14 days C.B.

On 12 May 1888, whilst still at Qumbu, he was given 2 extra guards and 7 days C.B. for “Neglect of duty when in charge of Horse Guard” Until 13 April 1894 Proetzsch seems to have behaved himself, on that day the proverbial wheels fell off whilst he was stationed in Pondoland and he was Reprimanded for “Neglect of Duty”

On 1 July 1896 at Bizana he ran foul of the same offence and was Reprimanded in turn. This was to be his last offence until the Boer War the outbreak of which was in October 1899. Stationed in far away Transkei Proetzsch was not immediately exposed to any danger but this could change as can be seen by the combination of clasps he awarded to his Queens South Africa Medal. They show that he saw action in the Cape Colony, his home base, but also in the Orange Free State and Transvaal, the very forefront of where the fighting was.
True to form he was found guilty on 21 November 1900, whilst on the march, of “losing by neglect a pair of wire cutters” for this he was Reprimanded.

Having served for 21 years with the C.M.R. Proetzsch was discharged on the basis of being Physically Unfit on 12 December 1901. Given his track record there was no likelihood of a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and he left empty handed from that point of view.

At some stage he and his family moved to Kimberley which is where, on 17 April 1929, he passed away at the age of 75 years 9 months. He was resident at 80 Kenilworth Avenue, Kimberley and died in the nearby hospital leaving his wife, Sarah Isabella Proetzsch (born Ekron) behind. He was survived by his three children, Albert Louis James Proetzsch, Frank William Proetzsch and Fred Edward Proetzsch.

This last was to head up the South African Musicians Union in later years.

Rory

Thank you for sharing this interesting story. I wonder if Poetzsch's ill-discipline would have been tolerated if he had served instead in the Imperial German Army?

Regards
Brett

Hi Brett

I think the Prussians would have frog-marched him out of the army.

They certainly wouldn't have tolerated his shenanigans.

Regards

Rory

Did the Cape Mounted Rifles really find it so difficult to attract new recruits that they had to keep this buffoon?

It is a wonder he was retained. He must have had some hidden gifts??