Just came across this letter written by 113 Private Egbert William TYERS, 1st Victorian Contingent, who was present at the Ganna Siding engagement.
His tribute medal from the town of Ararat, Victoria, is held in the collection of the National Army Museum, London (NAM. 1997-11-80-1).
SEE:
Ararat Tribute Medal
Ararat Advertiser, 15th October 1901
NEWS FROM THE FRONT.
PRIVATE E.W. TYERS.
From a letter, dated 15th September, sent to his relatives at Ararat, by Private E.W. TYERS, who some time ago returned to South Africa, we make the following extracts: —
"I have been endeavouring to work my way up to Johannesburg, but could not manage it, as no one is allowed up without a permit. I therefore joined the Cycle Corps, to which you only have to sign on for three months at a time, and as I have only three weeks more to complete my time, I will have taken my discharge before this reaches you. I have had a very nasty experience in this corps. I don't know whether you saw an account of a train being held up and burnt at Ganna siding. I had the pleasure of being in that train, but only got a splash on the hand with an explosive bullet. I was in the worst place I have ever been in, and I don’t want another like it. There were 30 casualties out of 90. Since that little bit of excitement I have been attached to General French's staff, here you never hear a shot fired.
When I get my discharge I intend going to Kimberley to see how things are there. It is about the best place now as far as I can hear, and I gather this knowledge from a young fellow who works there. Cape Town is overrun, and it is nothing else but robberies end murders, on account of there being no work there It is not even safe to go out at night.
I received the gold medal from the citizens of Ararat, it is a handsome trophy, and something can always remember the town of Ararat by. I will write and thank them later on when I have time. I will be quite flash with the medals if I go on in this way. I hope to get a medal for the Cape Colony troops, which is very much talked about now, but I am not certain of it being given yet.
This is a nice little town, but there are a lot of trials of Boer prisoners and a stringing up case now and again, which is done in the opening on the market square, and all the people have to turn out to witness it.
I met one of my old comrades of the First Contingent, Jim RULE, he is now sergeant in Scott's Railway Guards in an armoured train".
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