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The following text has been archived here from our sister site, the Border Regiment Forum, which is set to close in January 2018. A wiki-based copy of that original post has been preserved here for reference purposes. Note: only selected posts from the forum have been archived (find out why). |
 Posted by CockneyTone » 05 Jan 2009, 23:46
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.png) Lieutenant-Colonel Registered user Posts: 441 |
On arrival at Cape Town on the 22nd October 1899 they were presented with their orders and the Battalion boarded a troop train and at 5.50pm they steamed out of Cape Town and headed north towards De Aar junction, a small township on the main Cape Town to Kimberly railway. The journey was a distance of over 500 miles and took two days with them arriving in the early morning of the 24th, the journey was described by Brig Gen Harrison as 'long and tedious'. Immediately on arrival two companies of the Borders were despatched to the surrounding hills to take over several fortified outposts and relieve the Yorkshire Light Infantry who had been manning them. The remainder of the Battalion bivouacked in the open fields. What role the Battalion was expected to fulfil here was apparently not made clear to them, however within two days they were issued fresh instructions and on the 26th they entrained again and headed towards the coast. As the rail line ran close to the Orange Free State there was a certain anxiety that the line might be targeted by the Boers, so the Borders train was escorted by an armoured train and a spare engine in case of emergencies. As they passed through the station of Queenstown the residents turned out in force and in Harrison's words greeted us with liberal hospitality to cheer the Battalion through. As they approached the coast and dropped down from the high veldt he noted that they passed through gorgeous scenery and arrived at the port of East London. To there surprise and amazement they found their old ship the Sumatra waiting for them! Due to a sand bar outside the port the ship had to anchor approximately a mile off shore with tugs ferrying the Battalion to the ship. Due to the swell and the rolling of the vessel the men had to be winched aboard in cargo nets and baskets six at a time, which made it a very time consuming operation. With everybody safely aboard the Sumatra set sail for Durban, reaching there the next day, Sunday, 28th October, 1899. As they docked the Battalion witnessed two trains containing the Royal Naval contingents and their Heavy Guns under Captain Percy Scott R.N. on route for Ladysmith. The Borders heartily cheered them on their way, unbeknown to all, these would be the last trains to get into Ladysmith before the Boer Forces surround and besieged the town, again using Harrison's words:
To be continued!Regards, Scottie. |
| Posted by kerchi » 06 Jan 2009, 10:50
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 Field-Marshal Administrator Posts: 2160 In memory of John Bardgett (15309 L/Cpl.) 11th Border Regiment Who died 1st July 1916. |
| Scottie, I'm glad you have continued your story; interested to learn what happens in the next installment. |