Mike McCabe
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Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:33 pm |
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Try to get a copy of the (colured, paperback) Laband and Thompsom field guide. Fort Melvill became the obvious site to fortify, being the natural promontery overlooking the site of the original pont and cask ferries used on 11 January; the pont staying in place until (probably) March/April 1879, possibly later.
The river profile and sub surfce rocks limited the choice of centreline for the pont and the rather constricted site (with its left and right turn onto the ferry deck being slightly awkward for carts etc), used on 11 January had to be a compromise. In the event most draught animals appear to have been able to ford across on 11 January, and the ferries were mostly used to keep the infantry dryshod.
Fort Melvill was temporarily re-activated just before and during the early part of the 1880-81'Transvaal Rebellion', and photographs survive showing a detachment of the 58th, and some of 2nd Coy RE, behind bagged walls.
RD post was not only cramped and insanitary, by mid/late February there was no real tactical reason to hold it and Fort Bromhead (very rapidly improvised) was actually comparatively vulnerable and contributed nothing to the security of the pont crossing, some half a mile away, mostly out of site, and beyond rifle range.
What would be interesting is if you could trace the surviving military burial records still held by SAHRA BSU to deduce (by name) the distribution of military burials between Helpmekaar, the walled RD military cemetery, and what must be other burial sites in the RD area. The obelisk at RD clearly had an 'information cut off' date after which no names were recorded on it. However, as we know from other recorded information (helpfully published I think by Dr Greaves in one of his books) there were further deaths and burials extending into April. I have the dates of the RE ones somewhere in my boxes, though not confirmation of their burial locations.
MC McC
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