TOPIC:

Sir Fredrick Smith, in his "Veterinary History of the Boer War" describes the following affair that occurred on De Klipdrift on the 7th March 1902 when Lord Methune was capture by General De la Rey.

" Then followed acts of murder which had become all to common; native drivers were shot, and the whole Indian and Kaffir establishment of the Field Veterinary Hospital were butchered. One Farrier Sergeant of Native Cavalry and two Indian Assistants ( men carrying no arms) were ruthlessly shot dead after the surrender, and nine Hospital Kaffirs were either killed in action or murdered later" (p213).

Has anyone got a collaborating source for this event?

Many thanks

I would not be at all surprised if this was all fact, by that date as the war had entered a very brutal phase, in particular, the way Boers treated any armed natives they encountered, in the paid service of the king.

David Grant wrote: Sir Fredrick Smith, in his "Veterinary History of the Boer War" describes the following affair that occurred on De Klipdrift on the 7th March 1902 when Lord Methune was capture by General De la Rey.

" Then followed acts of murder which had become all to common; native drivers were shot, and the whole Indian and Kaffir establishment of the Field Veterinary Hospital were butchered. One Farrier Sergeant of Native Cavalry and two Indian Assistants ( men carrying no arms) were ruthlessly shot dead after the surrender, and nine Hospital Kaffirs were either killed in action or murdered later" (p213).

Has anyone got a collaborating source for this event?

Many thanks

David,

I don't know about Klip Drift in particular but I imagine this happened more than was reported.

I did find this article about Klip Drift which mentions that Cape Boys and Dutchmen, if caught by the Boers, could expect to be killed. This view is expressed in a way that suggests it was the norm?



Regards
David

Gentleman,
By 1902 I think it was the norm, but, its just the same as what members of the SAMIF were doing in the Zoutpansberg and Swaziland.
War is not nice, it never has been, moreover, denial operations are nothing new, they were used then, as now.

djb wrote: David,

I don't know about Klip Drift in particular but I imagine this happened more than was reported.

I did find this article about Klip Drift which mentions that Cape Boys and Dutchmen, if caught by the Boers, could expect to be killed. This view is expressed in a way that suggests it was the norm?

Regards
David

Thank you Gentlemen.
The Newspaper cutting gives a certain amount of background feel to the prevailing attitude I agree.
David

Hello David

I have not read this for de Klip Drift, but it happened at Modderfontein on 31 January 1901 when the Boers overran a post held by the South Wales Borderers. The African wagon drivers were executed.

This is only recorded in "After Pretoria", but not Smuts' biography (he commanded at Modderfontein) or the SWB regimental history. See Pakenham p573 for a contemporary letter regarding the Modderfontein shootings written by a Canon Farmer:

“I should be sorry to say anything that is unfair about the Boers. They look upon Kaffirs as dogs & the killing of them as hardly a crime”

Farmer implies that locals living near the post were killed and not just those employed by the British.

Regards
Meurig