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 Posted by CockneyTone » 26 Apr 2009, 22:39
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.png) Lieutenant-Colonel Registered user Posts: 441 |
| Durban to Estcourt
On Sunday 28th October 1899 The Battalion boarded a train bound for Pietermaritzburg, a distance of some 50 miles directly West, inland from Durban, it must have been a very slow and uncomfortable journey as they were using cattle trucks and it took over six hours! They arrived at 4am and marched immediately to Fort Napier which was a hutted Camp about a mile from the station. They found the camp deserted as the previous garrison, The Rifle Brigade had hurriedly left the camp the day before, sent to reinforce Ladysmith. Wounded from the fighting around Ladysmith were now starting to arrive in the town and exaggerated rumours were circulating around the worried population of an imminent Boer attack, so the Battalion were sent to work fortifying the hutted encampment, this was completed by building makeshift barricades using anything at hand, including mealie bags and biscuit tins, rather reminiscent of the Battle of Rorkes Drift fought 20 years previously on this continent!In the midst of their activities orders were received for the Battalion to proceed immediately by rail to Colenso were they were to secure the strategically important rail and road bridges over the Tugela River which were "to be held at all costs." Accordingly they left Pietermaritzburg at midnight on the 3rd November arriving at Estcourt, a small hamlet on the railway some 50 miles north at 8am the following morning. Here the train was stopped and they were informed that they were too late, Colenso had been evacuated the previous evening and was now firmly in the hands of the Boers, with the British Force already falling back in some disary into Estcourt! This retreat had sealed the immediate fate of Ladysmith which was now completely isolated and surrounded and a state of siege existed! Once the last of the retreating British had arrived and regrouped at Escourt the total number of men, including the Borders only numbered approximately 2,300. They were given to understand that a force of 20,000- 30,000 Boers (Now thought to be a gross over estimate, but at the time a very disturbing thought) were on their way and that they were all that stood between the Boers and the prize of Durban! They were now on the front line! Regards, |