S.S.Lindula

5th March 1900

My dear dear Mother and Father

I daresay you have been thinking of me ever since the day you saw me off in this trooper to the war. It is now a week since I left and although seven days is not much it seems an age as so many things have happened and each day is crowded with events. I hope you and the children are not unduly anxious about me; I am in perfect health and in the best of spirits. We left the Coasts of Ceylon behind yesterday (the first land we saw after leaving Calcutta), and now we shall not see land again till we arrive in Durban twelve days hence. We cross the Equator to-morrow sometime. And now for the life on board ship. It is most awfully hard and yet not unbearable – in fact I think on the whole it is the very best thing for us. We get up at 4.30 and are supposed to scrub decks but being volunteers we are let off this and the sailors do it instead. We are given tea without milk and the sugar is that horrible brown stuff more like treacle than anything. At 5.30 the bugle sounds and we have to go & water & feed our horses; directly this is finished we are told off in sections of fours to clean the horse stalls and this is the most filthy and horrible work we have, but as we are all laughing and singing the whole time and the “wits” of the Regiment are cracking jokes the whole time it is soon over, that is in about an hour. We have to strip up to our waists and pull up our trousers past our knees. We have to simply wallow in the dung and by the time it is finished we are all covered with it from head to foot; the smell of the ammonia is overpowering at first but one soon gets used to it and can work away shovelling and scraping it as if we had done it all our lives. Sections 1 and 2 (the Behar Light Horse) have their horses on deck and consequently it is not so bad for them but we poor chaps have our horses below. Directly this work is over we have breakfast which consists of coffee boiled in huge cauldrons and either dry bread or biscuit, sometimes a tin of fish, part of the presents given us, is allowed; After breakfast is over we go on deck and can do what we like such as wash clothes, clean our guns or saddles or something of this kind till the bugle goes for parade. During this parade about 11 the Colonel and the Captain of the ship go round inspecting everything below and above. Sometimes this parade is a saddle or a rifle inspection and so we always have to have these things clean. Then at 12 we have to water and feed our horses again and at 1 we have dinner which consists of bully or compressed beef – horrible stuff absolutely tasteless and like rags & potatoes with beer for those who want it. During the afternoon we can do what we like except when it comes round our turns to exercise our horses which we do in turns of half companies so that we do it every other day. Matting is spread and the horses walked round and round for about half an hour. This takes us up to 4 o’clock when we have tea given us with milk this time (part of the presents). At 6 we again feed and water our horses and when this is done we can do what we like till 9.30 when the bugle sounds enjoining silence. This is the ordinary routine if you are fortunate but there are a hundred other duties which require to be done and as likely as not you are called on to do them. For instance just as you are comfortably settled and about to say wash your clothes, look over your kit read or write a letter, a non-commissioned officer comes along and says “Fall in for fatigue” and you have to fall in at once and most likely go down the lower hold and fetch cases up or take something down or do some other work which has to be done. Of course it is not as bad now as it was the first three days which were something too terrible, it was fatigue, fatigue all day long.

6th March

I left off suddenly yesterday as the bugle went for water and feed and I had to go away so am continuing today; in fact I’ll add a little every day or so to this letter till we arrive in Durban and you will have quite a budget to read. I forgot to mention yesterday that it was the Colonel’s birthday and he gave us some very good plum pudding and a peg of whisky each. I have just been warned for guard to-night worse luck which means that for the next 24 hours I shall be 2 hours on and 4 hours off, sentry. I have been pretty lucky as it is my first time and some fellows have had it three times already. I have been twice “mess orderly” which is a filthy job; he has to early in the morning fetch a bucket of tea for the whole of his table, then at 8 o’clock he goes and gets the rations for the day which he takes to the cook at least that part of them which has to be cooked such as meat potatoes & onions; he has to clean all plates & pans after each meal scrub the tables and the floor and tidy up everything near his table in the mess room. We crossed the Equator at nine o’clock this morning and we are now in the Tropic of Capricorn. It is beautifully cool above deck but very warm below and it is something awful rubbing our horses down etc; one always strips. You will no doubt think this an awful scrawl but I can’t help as I am writing this on my knee and there are no tables above deck, only below where it is too warm.

We have very good fun in the evening after all work is over, singing, boxing, cockfighting etc. I am to have a grand boxing match to-morrow night. A grand affair, bets have been laid on it. We had a sweepstake on the ship’s run today and two fellows of the Behar lot who went partners won nearly a hundred rupees although we all lost only a rupee each. However I shall not risk any more. A very funny thing happened today – about six of the Behar fellows hung their clothes shirts and khaki uniforms on a line over the side to be cleaned and the rope broke – you should only have seen their faces – one poor chap has only the pair of trousers that he had on left the rest are in the sea. Others lost a shirt or a pair of trousers or something of that kind. I like some of the fellows very well but a great many of them, once gentlemen seem to think that because they are now Tommies it does not matter what they do. They steal, they use the most vile and low language and behave just like ordinary low cads. It is not safe on this ship to leave anything for a few minutes even, it disappears at once whereas in a barrack room I believe stealing is unknown. We are all very sick of the voyage and wish we were there. If we had known the food was going to be so uneatable we could have laid in a stock of butter milk jam cocoa etc. We all thought we should be fed fairly well but it is awful and were it not for the extras provided for us by firms and private individuals we should have a very bad time of it, but they help to make it endurable. Strange to say however that although I sometimes wish I were with you dear ones again I am very contented. I am never sick or sorry and I am too busy to think of the discomforts. After all it is wonderful how easily we can do without many things which once we thought necessities but which are really only luxuries. From early morning till 2 or 3 in the afternoon I don’t have time to have a proper wash even and sometimes not then but I don’t mind it a bit now. One good thing we are never worked harder than we can bear – we are simply asked to do as much as we are able and no more. If you are ill and not feeling well you are either let off all duty or given some light work which does not harm you at all. The Officers are all that can be desired and Dr. Holmes is particularly nice with me. The other troopers don’t like him because he is an outsider but I always stick up for him and say he is the best of them all. The Colonel is a brick. The non-coms are, taken as a whole, fairly good but as they can do nothing it does not matter much what they are; their work is generally supervising and as long as a man works well they can’t say anything. I will now close for today as I am getting tired of writing in this position.

It is now three of four days since I last wrote down my thoughts to you, as I have been extremely busy. We have been rifle drill and horse exercising and numerous other duties which have just been started. I crowed rather too early the other day in saying that I had had only one picquet guard to do – I was on duty again last night and am on at present, although I am having the four hours off. I go on again from 2 to 4 this afternoon.

We are having splendid weather, it is getting cooler every day as we get further away from the Tropics and more into the South Temperate Zone. I daresay it will be beautifully cold at the Cape; we are to arrive there week today, that is on Saturday 16th inst. I suppose you all are wondering where we are. It seems very strange not seeing any land for such a long time except that short glimpse of Ceylon we had. We see none till we actually arrive although there is a rumour that we sight Madagascar to-morrow. We are at present in the Mozambique Channel. You will no doubt be sorry to hear that Mr. C…. is not the man I thought him. He drinks like a fish and talks the most utter rot I have ever heard a man speak. Most of the fellows think him either mad or drunk. He was to have been made Sergeant but on hearing this it was decided that he should not be and another man has been chosen. I see very little of him although I always speak kindly to him when I do and advise him not to drink. He is so dirty too. We all get filthy but we wash & clean ourselves when we get the chance. He prefers to be dirty for a week or so and then he has to clean up. When I was on sentry duty last night from 2 to 4 I was thinking of you all and wondering what you were all doing, not at the moment of course as I daresay you were all sleeping. I did feel so sleepy but I had to keep awake as we are liable to imprisonment if found asleep on our posts and death if in the face of the enemy. Everything is very much stricter now – no nonsense is allowed but it is not a bit irksome; I am only surprised that some fellows complain about it. I suppose Rachel is home by now. You must have been glad to see her and she to see you. I only hope she is having a good time. We all wonder how the war has been getting on, whether we have had any more victories or whether we have lost more men; one thing we all hope and that is that it is not over before we arrive so that we may have a chance of distinguishing ourselves. or at any rate of seeing some actual fighting. The last thing we heard was from the boat taking the pilot off and that was that Cronje had surrendered; whether it was true or not none of us know. Of course before I post this letter to you I shall know but I will send it to you all the same as showing our thoughts & feelings on board. I dropt you a postcard each by the Pilot and also a letter to Mrs Jordan thanking her for her letter and wishing her farewell. I was not able to get a stamp for the letter as I did not find out I hadn’t one till just as the boat was leaving and it was too late by then. I hope she didn’t mind at any rate. Give her my apologies. I told you we were going to Cape Town; I believe we are but we have first to call at Durban for orders to see if they want us there. There are two or three Army officers going out with us and their baggage is all marked Cape Town so I think we are going there. Our average run every 24 hours is about 280 miles although we sometimes do over 300 and sometimes not even 260, according to the winds.

On finishing the last sheet I had to go down and feed & water my horse and as that is now done I have come back to continue my letter to you my beloved ones. I can’t help remarking again how much cooler it has become during the last two or three days. I actually did not sweat at all below just now whereas before I should have come up from below wet through. I think I have told you we wear no shoes whatever on board except at Sunday church parade and even then it is optional, and no coats, only shirts and trousers. One of our horses died day before yesterday (one on deck belonging to a Behar man) of heat apoplexy – a very valuable animal – a good many horse are ill and we have lost a few.

17th March

Dearest Mother, Father & all of you we have arrived at last. I am afraid I was not able to continue my letter to you every day as I was kept very busy and as we are now anchored and shall have to give our letters up I am afraid I can’t write very much before. I have had a very great honour done to me; I have been chosen a Scout for my Section; there are four of us and we are supposed to be picked men. I am glad for although it is a post of danger I have a much better chance of distinguishing myself. When I say “danger” I don’t think one is likely to be killed but more likely to be taken prisoner as we have to go out by ourselves. I have been chosen for my “activity and intelligence”. I think I should have been made a non-com but that I was too boyish looking and the elder men object to having boys over them. I would much rather be what I am than a non-com: a Scout. Goodbye dearest Mother. We have just anchored and are waiting for news of the war. We have just heard Ladysmith is relieved and are waiting for orders whether we have to disembark here or go on Port Elizabeth or Cape Town. Love to you all.

Your loving son

Willie

P.S.

I am afraid I can’t wait until I hear where we are going so I will seal my letter. You will doubtless see it in the papers long before you get this. W

19th March 1900

Dear ones,

I did not post my letter at Durban as I discovered the weekly mail had already left for Cape Town and as our orders arrived ordering us to Cape Town I thought it would be better to add a little more to the letter & post it there. They did not want us at Durban now that Ladysmith is relieved and I expect we shall have to go up either to Mafeking or join the force advancing on Pretoria. We are now fully prepared; all the hundred & one little things have been told us and we are as eager for the fray as we can be. It has been blowing jolly hard the last two days and consequently we have made a fast passage. We expect to reach Cape Town to-morrow afternoon.

I am going through a course of signalling as I shall require it in my capacity as scout. I feel awfully fit now as that affair of mine has given me absolutely no trouble the whole voyage and my throat is nearly well – in fact I have not felt better for years. It is awfully cold here; we all have sweaters cardigan jackets, comforters etc on the whole day long & overcoats morning and night – I have found Miss Jewett’s Balaclava Cap awfully nice & comfortable. I sleep in it. How are you all keeping? I hope well. And the children? It must be very hot in India now and I quite pity you all; we are having such lovely weather here. Dr. Holmes is now a Captain and extremely popular; he is considered a very smart officer in fact the smartest of the Volunteers. He is very nice with me. I am writing to Walter from Cape Town and I will also drop Mr. Barker a line. How are all the Asansol people? Give my kindest regards to Mrs Jordan & May especially. And Scrivener & the Lordons – how are they? I think after the experiences we have had on board this ship we are fit for any roughing in the world. At first it was extremely tiring and wearisome and I used to wish every day we were at the end of our journey but now I have got used to it and I should not mind if it were to last another week instead of another day as it is going to. We are not far from land in fact we are keeping just in sight of it during the day and just a little further out at night. We saw the American Ladies hospital ship “Maine” in Durban harbour and also H.M.S. Terrible. We passed close to each of them and they both cheered us as we did them. We passed a gunboat this morning. We disembark early Wednesday morning day after to-morrow.

My address is

Pte. J.D.W. Holmes

“A” Company,

Indian Volunteer Contingent

(Lumsden’s Horse)

Field Force.

South Africa

We have everything packed up and are ready for disembarking. We have lost 5 horses and 2 transport ponies. My horse is quite well and has only been off his feed once. He seems quite well although rather subdued as indeed they all are, the most vicious having hardly a kick in them. Goodbye dear ones. Love,

Your loving son

Willie

Tell Dear Rachel and Grace to write. W.

Camp Maitland

Cape Town

29th March 1900

My dearest Mother, Father & Sisters.

I hope you have not been unduly anxious about me during the long time I have been away from you all as I can assure you that I am once again beginning to take an interest in life. I am in perfect health and strength and am feeling splendid and the life I lead is just to my taste – in fact I wish for nothing better all my life than to be as I am now. Although any number of the fellows have been ill since they joined and three or four have been invalided, I have never felt sick or sorry since I left India and the voyage did me a world of good. I have sent you a long letter describing all that happened to me from the day I left to the day we entered Cape Town bay, so will now give you a short resumé of the events occurring from that day till now. We were kept in the bay two days and two nights before we were allowed to come up to the jetties as there were so many transports unloading. We came up in the early part of the evening and had to work all night, at least till 2 o’clock, unloading the ship, starting again at 5.30 and keeping on till about 1 o’clock in the day by which time we had got everything off horses included. I was never so tired in all my life. We had to work like slaves! We then had to march here to Maitland Camp where there are at present about fifteen thousand troops of all kinds encamped, including Australians, Canadians + New Zealanders. This is about 5 miles from Cape Town and you can imagine the state we were in when we arrived here and to crown all there was a terrific gale blowing which at times blew so terribly hard that for ten minutes or so one had to stand still with the back to the wind as the sand actually cut into one’s face. Yes our first acquaintance with S. Africa was not by any means pleasant, I can assure you, but after we had pitched our tents and picketed our horses we all lay down and slept. The next day it rained the whole day and half the next day after that but strange to say very few of us felt any the worse for it; for my own part I was as fit as anything although I did not have a square meal the whole of this time. On the fourth day things were put right and we began to make ourselves comfortable again. The weather is delightful, cool all day with a fresh breeze and extremely cold at night. I am awfully happy. The country is a glorious one and I am feeling as I have not felt for years. Of course everything is done very strictly now and we are all armed with ball cartridge at night with orders to fire at any one who refuses to answer the third challenge at night. I have been on sentry-go twice and in fact am at present in the guard room writing this letter. We are very busy, the bugle calling us almost every half hour throughout the day till six in the evening. I have not been out in the town once so hard is it to get a pass. Next to us on one side are encamped the New Zealanders and on the other The Imperial Yeomanry. As regards drill and general turn-out we are much smarter than the Imperial Yeomanry and it has already been discovered that we are a corps of gentlemen, as I saw it in one of the Cape papers.

We were to have started for the front last Monday but it was put off and we expect to go in a day or two. We are going to join Lord Roberts at Bloemfontein. We brought his cook out with us and we have sent him up there in charge of one of our non-commissioned officers who has taken a letter from the Colonel to Roberts asking him to take us up at once. Most of the troops stay here in camp a month or so before they are allowed to go but we expect to stay about ten days at the most. There is a block in the traffic on the line hence the delay. The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (the Corps of English Gentlemen) went up the day before yesterday. I hear they are an utterly useless crowd & most of them medically unfit, but owing to their influence they managed to get up. Of course we have all earned the medal now as we are at the base.

My horse is a little beauty; he has not been either sick or sorry the whole time and is as lively as ever; the dear chap knows me awfully well now and tries to be playful with me just as a dog does; he is as fast as any horse in the troop and as strong (constitutionally I mean). We are encamped just under Table mountain and the scenery is very fine about here. We are taken out every day to practise manoeuvres over a most difficult country; we go at breakneck speed over ruts and ravines and rising ground covered with bushes so that one can’t see a bit where one is going; three quarters of the men then dismount (one quarter remaining behind to hold the horses) and crawl slowly into ambush where they stay & fire into the supposed enemy independently. Of course I am one of the scouts and it will be my work to go ahead of the main body independently to discover where the enemy are and what sort of ground they are in. This is both an honour and an advantage as I think my life is infinitely safer trusted to my own intelligence and resources than to the knowledge and common sense of some of our non-coms who are without a doubt totally unfit both in knowledge and sense to take charge of their men. They have been picked almost altogether through influence; one man a perfect fool and the laughing stock of the corps has just been made a Sergeant because he happened to know the Company Commander.

“B” Company has arrived and disembarked at East London and will most likely join us at Bloemfontein. I am awfully thankful we have not arrived too late for the fighting as we were afraid we should. The only disagreeable part of this camp life is the not being able to bathe regularly. One gets a bath perhaps once in a week and sometimes has to do without a wash for two days. In fact I was not able to wash even my face for four days although I managed to get a splendid bath and a clean change on the fifth. Native washerwomen (Kaffirs) wash our clothes which is better than washing them one’s self. We are fed very well here on shore fresh meat & fresh bread every day also tea coffee sugar and potatoes and jam every other day; far better than on board; besides which there is a dry canteen here where everything in the way of eatables can be obtained on payment. The sun does not seem to affect one a bit as everybody wears the small caps as in England the whole day long. It tans one a deep brick red colour and I am already very much sun burnt.

How are all the Asansol people? Remember me to Mrs Jordan and the others. How is May? and what is she doing?

Rachel must still be with you; give the dear girl my love & tell her to write me. Also dear Grace. And the little ones are they quite well? Is the work bothering the “governor” now or has old H. quieted down a bit. This is the country for you all plenty of room with everything to hand, food and raiment. I shall certainly get something to do here after the war. Good bye with love have to go on guard at once ta ta will write again next week. Good bye

Your loving son

Willie

[Date: 6th to 14th April 1900]

Hospital Tent

Camp

Outskirts of Bloemfontein

Dearest Mother, Father, Sisters & Baby

I am afraid I have not been able to write you for some time now, that is about ten or twelve days but these days have been full of events. We are now at Bloemfontein right up at the Front. You will be surprised to see the above heading but an epidemic of mumps has broken out amongst us and I am down with them; they are extremely painful and I can’t eat anything but slops. I think it is owing to the bad water we have had to drink. We expect to go further out in a week or so. We send out patrols every day to see if the enemy are about. There are about thirty thousand Boers within fifteen miles of us with Kruger himself in command. Lord Roberts himself came & inspected us the other day and told us we should have plenty of fighting. We are waiting the arrival of “B” Company. I used to think it pretty hard in the Calcutta Camp & then on board ship, but it is the real thing now. Water is scanty and I have not had a wash of any kind for over a week. Each man has to cook his own food & I am quite an adept at it now, and we are not allowed to take our boots off at night, also each man has to have his rifle and a hundred rounds of ammunition near him so that he can lay his hand on both any time of the night in case of alarm. Of course we have sentries round the camp. I was on guard the other night. We had a terrible time of it coming up here in the train. There was no room to lie down at night & we hardly had any sleep and all we had to eat was corned beef & biscuit & water. The journey lasted three days and three nights and on the last day & night we had to stand to arms as the Boers were attempting to cut the line. Bloemfontein is a pretty little place but not many big buildings in the place. You would never think it was the capital of a large state. There have been two or three engagements a few miles from here since we have been here as we have heard the guns and seen the dead and wounded brought in. Roberts is going to have a General Advance and attack in a weeks time or so. He hopes Buller is coming towards us in which case Kruger will be caught in a trap as Cronjé was.

We hear nothing here at the front; we heard more at Cape Town and you in India know everything, so I daresay you know where I am & what we are doing. Don’t be anxious about me as I can assure you with ordinary common sense one need nothing. I don’t think the war will last more than a month or so now and all we shall have to do will be to march to Pretoria and then disarm the people.

How are all the Asansol people? Remember me to them.

Good bye for the present. Will write again shortly.

Your loving son

Willie

Camp Kroonstadt

17th May 1900

My dearest Mother, Dad and Sisters

I am afraid you must be anxious about me again as I have not written to you for some time, but if you have been following our movements in the papers you will see that we have been on the march now for about 16 or 17 days and have consequently had no time to write letters. In my last I think I told you about a few of the hardships we had had to undergo, but prior to my letter we had luxurious times compared with what we have had he last 17 days. When we left Speytfontein [Spytfontein – Ed.] our last camp the enemy were all round and about 9 miles away they held a town called Brantford. Lord Roberts sent a column to attack it while we were with a column sent to head off Boer reinforcements. Lumsden’s Horse were in a very warm corner and we lost 5 killed including the second in command and Major Showers, 7 wounded taken prisoners and 7 wounded brought in. I am sorry to say I was in the Mumps Hospital and my horse was lent to someone else. However in the second fight about three days after the fall of Brantford I was in the thick of it and had Boer shells falling all round me, although our section never came under rifle fire: that day we drove them from koppie to koppie and we could see them running away as hard as ever they could. We were in the saddle from 5 in the morning, or rather on the move as we always fight on foot till about 9 at night without anything to eat except a biscuit. The next day we rested and the day after we set out again on the march doing 25 miles a day to try and cut the enemy off. Of course after a few days of this both men & horses got knocked up and my poor horse got a blister in his back. This meant I had to fall back again out of the firing line and consequently when we did catch the Boers up I was not in the fight. However it was not much of a one as the Boers have completely lost heart and don’t make a bit of a stand. We lost one man killed that day – that young fellow who was standing on the steps of Spence’s Hotel that day when we were entering and who spoke to me; he belonged to the Chota Nagpur M. [Mounted – Ed] Rifles. Two days after this fight we entered Kroonstaadt [Kroonstadt – Ed.] without any opposition as the enemy have all fled leaving a lot of stores etc behind. Our casualties up to the present all told are 20. There were some marvellous escapes and I myself had a shell burst about 20 yds from me and any number of them go whizzing over my head. I can hardly describe my feelings when first I got under fire. I somehow felt none would touch me although the shells were falling all round. The pom poms are the worst as they can swing them round and follow you with them, but the big guns send huge shells which make a tremendous hole in the ground where they burst. I feel most sorry for the prisoners as they are now in Pretoria; they were wounded and could not get away, one was a young lieutenant. During this march we have had to rough it properly. When night fell we stopped near some water and after watering the horses fed them with the grain we carried in our nosebags attached to our saddles and after picketing them took our overcoats and blankets off the saddles and lay down and slept alongside our horses. During the night the wagons of the transport would catch us up and we would be roused to draw rations for ourselves and horses. We were lucky if it was not our turn to keep guard during the night. As for washing of any kind or taking our boots and leggings off we did not do so, for seven days at a time.

We should often have starved but for the farms round about where we used to commandeer all we could see fowls, ducks, geese, sheep milk butter although for the two latter articles we paid cash to the inmates. We were glad to sight Kroonstadt and we are now having a few days rest till the provisions come up by rail. The Boers blew up all the bridges on the way and a great deal of the line. We are simply sweeping the country like a wave; our front is forty miles long. Lord Roberts is here in town. The townspeople have had to sell all their stores & provisions to the Army. I think they may consider themselves lucky their goods are not commandeered. By the bye I commandeered a horse and rode it the few days my horse had a blister on his back as I don’t like walking but I have lost it again now however it doesn’t matter as my horse is well again and I am ready to join the troop when we start from here as I hear we do in a day or two’s time. We are now going to the Vaal River where we expect the Boers to make a stand. It is 80 miles from here and will take about 5 or 6 days ordinary marching although we could do it in three in forced marches.

I think I have now told you all there is to tell so will close for the present. Again I must remind you that I am not able to write often to you and certainly never on the march so don’t be anxious about me. I am in the best of health in fact as fit and as hard as possible and the casualties are remarkably small. Besides all our losses have been through the idiocy of officers and I for one will no more place a command in the same scale as my life any more than I shall ever play the coward. I always use my own discretion and I don’t think you need fear in the slightest about me. I hope you are all keeping well. I often dream of you all and you are constantly in my thoughts. from what I understand there will be some extremely good billets for us after the war and it will be strange if I can’t manage to secure one. Good bye dear ones till next time. It is bitterly cold here at night and in the early morning. Good bye

Your loving son & brother

Willie

Jewish School

Hospital

Johannesburg

July 20th 1900

My dearest Mother, Dad & Sisters

At last I have received news from you and I am so glad about it. We had a mail (the first since the 27th April) and I received all your letters up to the 24th May and a good many papers but not all only the ones up to the 18th May. I can’t understand your only having received two letters from me from Cape Town; you ought to have received the one I wrote from Bloemfontein, Deel’s farm, and Spytfontein where the Corps had its first fight. I hope you have received all by now. I know how anxious you are and you (Mother’s) letters are so full of anxiety that I feel quite wretched about it, especially as there is absolutely no cause for it. I have now been in four big engagements and have come to the conclusion the Boer doesn’t exist who can shoot me. I have had the shells and their bullets round me as thick as hail without exaggeration and not one touched either me or my horse although some came under my horse’s feet (Mauser bullets I mean not shells). So you can see I am as safe as I can possibly be and in the best of general health. In my last letter I wrote from Irene and I think I gave you a pretty good lot of news in that. Well we stayed there about ten days longer and we were just getting ourselves comfortable and were making shelter huts with galvanised iron and planks when we had orders to move again and we were divided into three detachments, one of which went to Kaffontein, another to Zurfontein and the third stayed at Home. I went to Zurfontein and directly we got there Clifford (my friend) & I were sent three miles up the line to a little pumping station to act as despatch riders to an infantry Officer who was there with a small detachment of infantry. We were very comfortable, got hold of a large Boer tent and made ourselves very comfortable, away from all authority, the officers seeing who we were left us entirely alone and gave us hardly any work to do. Consequently we made incursions into the surrounding country one at a time and got eggs poultry bread & milk from the different farms and washed the girls there. Evidently this sort of lazy living did not agree with me as after a week I was laid up with an extremely bad cold and fever and after sticking it three days I came into Johannesburg Hospital and here I am now almost cured and living on chicken jellies, milk & puddings & port and getting quite fit again. The Corps is now divided up into small detachments along the line between Pretoria & Johannesburg. I hear we are mobilising again for the Front. I hope it is true for although the hardships are pretty bad on the march yet the continual excitement & the skirmishes with the Boers give a zest to life. Besides I have not had a single opportunity of distinguishing myself yet & who knows whether I may or may not get a chance if we go on again. I expect we shall be sent against either Botha or De Vet. I hope the latter – to catch this ruffian would cover the Corps with glory & renown. Such a lot of commissions have been given to men from our ranks, all interest, every one of them without exception. I know I can easily get a post after the war on at least £1 a day but everything is so expensive it is worth about 200/- a month in India. I shall take it up anyhow and work for something better. The climate is perfection & the Transvaal a splendid country. It is extremely cold in the mornings ice being one inch thick on water left outside and everything covered with hoar frost. It is quite cold during the day also sometimes in fact generally.

I have a small pile which is giving me a little trouble here in hospital owing to the milk diet & I have told the doctor about it. He says he will soon put it right. We only have about ten of the original horses left now (not counting the officers’) & mine is one of them & he is still going strong. Clifford is looking after it for me. Consterdine is not a bad fellow but instead of his looking after me I think it had been the other way about, he often says so. I am called the President of our mess and I have had letters from all the members imploring me (in fun) to go back as without the President all seemed to be going wrong as there was no master hand to guide the affairs of the mess. I can never be sufficiently thankful I came on this expedition, it has made a man of me. I have seen most wonderful things and can turn my hand to anything now from cook to groom; we have had to dig wells, build fortifications and do all kinds of work of every description. I can cook anything porridge curry stew roast, clean & pluck a fowl, skin a sheep in fact do any mortal thing. It was very funny when I was first brought in here; the nurses thought they had hold of a wild man. I was ragged & patched, my breeches torn and worn out, my coat the same, unshaven long hair and hands simply engrained with dirt. But now what a transformation. I am clean, cleanly clothed and my hands through continual scrubbing have become a reddish brown instead of black as they were before. When I was first put into bed I stayed awake all night trying to realise how warm & comfortable I felt after sleeping on the ground for so long and shivering all night. I could not sleep and did not all that first night. But I am now a little more presentable and the nurses seeing I was always courteous with them are very nice and bring me extras that people send in, much to the jealous anger of my companions who all swear at them for favouring me. I take absolutely no notice. I am so sorry in the last letter to hear about poor Rachel’s fever. I hope the dear girl soon got over it. And you my dear dear mother have been ill, you really must take care of yourself & not be anxious about me; if you only could understand that I am having the best time of my life now, a life of excitement & adventure, free and wild. I am now a splendid horseman as far as sticking on goes although I don’t know much about looks. I think I can ride anything now. My pony has let me fire while on his back a most useful thing. I do feel so homesick at times to see you all especially when I hear so many saying they are going back with the Contingent and that they would not stop in this country for anything. Thank dear little Mona for her letter, also Rachel & Grace for theirs. How true Dad’s letter is when he says in a corps like ours there is not so much chance of distinguishing one’s self as there would in an ordinary corps. It is all interest, everything is worked by a coterie round the Colonel who is an old woman, a non-entity. I am anxiously waiting for more of your letters telling me you have received mine, I do hope they have not gone astray as they are records of what happened to me during the periods between each letter. Goodbye now dear ones what would I not give for a sight of you all. There will be work in Africa for everybody after awhile. Fondest love & kisses to all.

Your loving son

Willie

Kiss the little brother for me

Machadodorp

Delagoa Bay Line

15th Sept. 1900

My dear dear ones.

I am afraid you must all be very disappointed at not getting longer letters from me lately, but the fact is that for the last two months that is ever since I came out of Johannesburg hospital we have been continually on the move and I have hardly had time to send off the few lines I did manage to once from Commandoe’s Nek & the other from Pretoria. However as we are once again having a rest I’ll give you an account of all that has befallen me since I last wrote at length. I came out of hospital about the 25th July and joined the Corps at Irene. I was there about three days when we all railed to Pretoria 8 miles away and given remounts. We were then put in Gen. Mahon’s Brigade in Ian Hamilton’s division. We left Pretoria on the 1st Aug to go after a large commando of the enemy who were in a position at Commandoe’s Nek about 20 miles from Pretoria. In the fight that ensued we (Lumsdens Horse) being convoy guard that day took no part although we could hear the firing. After having driven them from their positions we went towards Rustenberg to relieve Baden-Powell who was in straits there. This march took seven days. On the next day we went out after the enemy who were preventing Carrington from getting to Rustenberg and returned again the same day without hearing a rifle fired doing a distance of 30 miles in about 7 hours. This ride lamed and otherwise rendered useless a large number of horses, my black remount included. Next day we started back for Pretoria but on the way got orders to go towards Mafeking to relieve someone or other; we got within 40 miles of Mafeking when these orders were countermanded and we were told to go to Krugersdorf to relieve Col. Hore. We were within 4 miles of this place when these orders were also countermanded and we were told to go to Commandoe’s Nek again after De Wet who had just come there. Here we met Baden-Powell, Hamilton and the Nek had 10000 troops encamped there. Here it was I wrote you. We then went after De Wet in earnest; we chased him to Oliphants Nek & had a big fight there although much to our disgust we were placed on a kopje as guard to the big 5in guns and consequently we had no real fighting to do although we could see everything, the shells bursting, the Boers falling and running away and our infantry after them, we then reoccupied Rustenburg which was a few miles away. The next day we again started for Pretoria and arrived one evening at a place about 15 miles away from Commandoe’s Nek and had just off-saddled and were settling down to cook our food when orders came to saddle up. It seems that De Wet was encamped on the Nek (or Pass) and we were to make a night march and attack him. We swore and fumbled a good deal but all were glad at [sic] have a chance of a fight at last and we started off at about 7 in the evening in high spirits. All talking loudly and smoking was forbidden and we went along as quietly as possible. We camped about 12.30 and at 3 the next morning were on the move again. The fight started about 5 and although we drove them from the position we were nearly caught in a trap. We had several casualties (not our Corps) and they captured our Ambulance with our wounded in it. The next day we attacked them again and they retreated. We then went to Waterval (where all our prisoners the Boers took had been confined) and from there marched to Pretoria. We were away 28 days on this march and only had two days rest the whole time. We did over 800 miles including two night marches and had about seven engagements large & small to say nothing of outpost affairs. Gen. Mahon is a splendid man. His brigade was a flying column. We were on ¾ rations nearly the whole time and would have starved but for the loot. We used to get chickens, flour, meal etc every day almost. At Pretoria I managed to send you a postcard, although we were very busy the whole time refitting with clothes boots, saddlery etc & new horses. I killed two on the last march the black one and a huge chestnut I got after her. Directly we were refitted & remounted we started away on this march along the Delagoa Bay Line and we are now at Machadodorf where Kruger was a long time. This has been made the base & from here we start again shortly. I am at present on Observation Post about 3 miles out of the town and hence at my leisure. I have a nice pony a dark bay an American or English horse & it suits me very well but I have not seen more like my dear old Jimmy which had to be shot at Commandoe’s Nek as its lameness was past curing.

I am feeling like a horse as strong and well as possible can’t get enough to eat here, no loot. My face is as round as possible. The fellows here twit me about my fat. Everybody has put on flesh. Lords Roberts and Kitchener are here, the former inspected us at Belfast, the coldest place I have ever been to. Can you send me a little chocolate a few cigarettes and some tobacco as they are hard to get in fact impossible. I don’t know what we are going to do whether we go on or go back to Pretoria. At any rate the war is nearly over now and I hope we shall soon be free again. Now as regards my future. I think I told you about 30 men from the Corps have had commission given them. Not because they were in any way better than the rest of the men (in fact about ten of them were the most utterly lazy and dirty fellows we had) but because there are plenty of commissions going and there are vacancies yet for any number and these men wasted them and got friends of theirs to write to some Colonel or other out here to ask for them. Now I know that I can get one too if only I can [get] anybody to recommend me to Lord Roberts. I am as fit to take up a commission as most of the fellows who have got them I can assure you and I have been with the Corps the whole time which is more than about 150 of the fellows can say and I mean to go to the Colonel and ask him to recommend me for a commission. And yet I have my doubts as to a commission being the best thing for me for the pay of an officer is very small whereas I should get 30/- a day at the least in the mines as surveyor or on the Railway and a great deal more as an A.E. The lowest pay is £1 a day in the mines and this the overseers of labour get; the men who look after the natives. If only I could get disbanded now I should have no difficulty in getting a post but if they are going to let people in from England the Continent and our Colonies before they let us go then my chances will be very much lessened. However there will be so much work going on that I do not believe there will be any difficulty. I have already told the Colonel I intend staying out here and trying to get a billet. He did not say anything but inquired what I should do & he is always very nice with me.

The climate of this country is simply marvellous. We are all heartily sick of this knocking about. If we could see some fighting there would be some excitement and it would not be so bad but this everlasting running away on the part of the Boers is most annoying. Buller got in amongst them the other day and gave them a good thrashing. I have received a lot of your letters and the papers you sent me. I do hope you all go home in March. Give my salaams to all Asansol friends. Six of us (my mess) are going to be photographed in Pretoria to show you all the difference between us now and when we left Calcutta. I suppose you have the rains on now in India. It was my birthday on the 8th and I was thinking of you all for about two hours after I had wrapped myself in my blankets that night because I knew you all would be thinking of me. I don’t know how I shall sleep in a house again or under shelter after watching the stars above me every night just before sleep for so long, and I am sure I have forgotten how to eat at table, we eat à la Roman reclining on the ground. For all that it is a happy careless life and if we could only have more fighting and loot I should be quite content. I wish they would take us to China, as I believe we should have as much as we wanted there. Gen. Mahon is the man, he burnt every farm almost on the way to Rustenburg. If only I had had a wagon I should be a rich man most valuable things burnt and destroyed. It was very sad to see elegant drawing rooms with beautiful furniture bric á brac, pianos etc all being destroyed and bed rooms where the women folk had been and had left all their belongings behind in their hurried flight, clothes toilet articles scents everything, and then the children’s clothes perambulators dolls toys etc. I always went first to the pantry and often found food. But this I can say I never once took a thing from a house where a woman was, I’m hanged if I could bear to see the poor things crying. Sometimes we would come to a house where two or three women, young girls & children would all be crying their eyes out as all their possessions had been looted by brutal Colonial soldiers (S. African Colonial I mean) and British soldiers also sometimes and these poor things would be in mortal terror that they were going to be killed as the lies which were told about were something too fearful. The Government told them these so as to make the men fight. Well good bye now dearest ones. With all love to all dearest Mother

Your loving son

Willie

Machadodorp

8th October 1900

My dearest Mother & Sisters

I was simply thunderstruck to hear you had already left India for England. I got your letter saying you were leaving on the 8th Sept. about four days ago and of course you must have arrived in England by then. The first two letters preparing me for the news did not arrive till after the third. I am very glad for all your sakes but very sorry the pater could not go with you. We have been having an extremely easy time of it lately and living very well – bread, bacon, jam, meat (very little) tea, coffee every day. I am glad to say the end is not far off now as we are all pretty sick of this routine work; while the fighting lasted and we were marching the excitement kept one’s spirits up but it is getting most frightfully monstrous this Garrison work, although of course our patrols come in touch with small parties of Boers now and again, but owing to our superior strength and the utter demoralisation of the enemy we seldom see any fighting.

I wrote you some ten days ago but of course sent the letter to India; I hope Uncle will open it and read it before he sends it on to you. After the last march our headquarters with the Colonel and about fifty men went on with Gen. French to Barberton but the majority of us having no horses had to stay another day in Pretoria to get remounts; we then followed up but after a fortnight’s marching we were stopped and prevented from going any further as the fighting was all supposed to be over and consequently we have been here about three weeks. It is a dirty little place with about half a dozen tin houses but of great strategical importance owing to its position; it was here also that Kruger stayed for so long and preached in the village church. Since writing the last sentence I have been to the stream to water my horse and while I was there Lord Roberts with his aide-de-camp crossed the stream. I also saw Buller this morning for the first time. I have great news for you; we were asked this morning whether we were going to India or to England & the Colonel says or rather said the other day he was going to try and get us disbanded shortly; he is at present in hospital with a broken leg owing to his horse falling with him – the horse broke its neck. I believe a certain percentage of the men are going to be taken home as the “Guests of the nation” to take part in a Grand Review before the Queen; all colonial troops are to be represented; if such is the case I shall go home & see you all. It will be no expense to me and my passage will be paid to England and back again here besides which I shall be fed, clothed and paid while in England and I shall also have a better chance of working some influence or making interest with some one to get me a good Government appointment out here. However nothing is settled and I can assure you that I will throw away no chances of future employment for hopes of present employment in England although I should like to see you all.

I expect you find it rather cold after the Indian hot weather, but it must be delightful to be out of that wretched India again. As regards myself, I do not believe I could be more fit than I am. I am positively stout and weigh about 10 ½ stone now whereas I left India weighing 9 st 10; my face is quite round and as red as Baby’s ever was. You can not imagine the good this campaign has done me. I feel a man now and am always in the highest of spirits. I often wish you could see me. I intend getting photographed in Pretoria with some friends of mine. We hear we are going to Pretoria shortly although nobody knows anything definitely. You in England & India know infinitely more about what has happened during the war than we do. We are ignorant of anything outside our own immediate sphere. Shall you go and see the Hutchins’, Collingwood’s etc. I should the latter not the former. In my last I asked you to send me some tobacco, chocolate etc but if you have not already sent it don’t do so now as the war is practically over & I shall be able to obtain these very necessary comforts whereas before I could not for love or money. I should like a paper now and again with all the news in it. I am writing to Uncle this mail as well telling him where to send my things. For the present you can continue to address my letters as usual. One of our men was taken prisoner yesterday by some stray Boers who took his pony, rifle etc from him and then told him to go to h--l, he walked back to camp as quick as he could looking very silly and frightened and is determined he will not go out by himself again to farms round about the place. This place is simply full of troops, Buller’s, French’s, Mahon’s & other brigades. All Volunteers & Reservists & C.I.V’s are going to Pretoria homeward bound so our turn is sure to be soon. The C.I.V’s are simply hated throughout the Army; the Tommies call them the “Can I Vanish” boys from C.I.V. also the “Chicken in View” chaps; the insinuation being that when the enemy are in sight the first is applicable & the second noting their aptitude for looting farmhouses – a not very heinous offence in my opinion. Well good bye for the present mother, hoping you will soon be comfortably settled in your new surrounding and also that you are not worrying yourself needlessly about me, as I am all right. Also love to the girls & to the little ones. Tell the former to write oftener. They know I have not got the time.

Good bye

Your loving son

Willie

Pretoria

Nov. 5. 1900.

My dearest Mother.

Your dear letters to hand up to the one you wrote when just past Aden. Of course long ‘ere this you have arrived home & are most likely settled down. I hope your anxiety about me has long ago subsided. I was never better in my life and am now over 10 ½ stone in weight. My face is as red as Baby’s ever was and I am as happy as the day is long. Lord Roberts inspected us at Springs and told us we were a fine corps etc but said there was no hope of our disbandment for months yet. We have just marched in here from Machadodorp after being 17 days on the road. We went through Carolina, Bethel, Heidelberg & Springs. It was the hardest march we have ever undergone. We got up at 2.30 every morning and started at 3.30, and did not camp again till 6 & 7 in the evening. It rained almost the whole time with occasional days of sunshine and we were alternately wet and dry the whole time. We had a fight with the Boers every day up to Heidelberg and on one occasion eighteen of us drove thirty & more of the enemy from three positions killing three of them and putting seven bullets in to a white horse belonging to the Commandant Hans Botha. I enjoyed this little skirmish which lasted about an hour or so, more than anything we have had on the campaign as there were no officers there and each man acted “on his own”. The bullets were whistling over our heads like so much hail but not a soul of us was hit. We were forty hours wet through to the skin and our blankets all wet also and nine of us (myself among them) had to go on a kopje and do picquet. Strange to say none of us are any the worse for it although during the whole of that time we had no cooked food to eat as no fires could be lighted in the rain.

I am writing this in the “Soldiers House” hence the ink and decent paper.

I have just had a lovely hot bath and swim and put on clean clothes from head to foot and after writing this am going to a restaurant for a jolly good tiffin; total cost 5/6, four days pay. I am writing to My Henry this mail and have told him all about myself and my readiness to go and see him in Johannesburg directly he sends for me. The Colonel says he will recommend me for a Commission as 2nd Lieut in the Police. I may get it but as there are numerous applications and many of them have a good deal of interest I may not, so don’t be too sanguine about it. In any case I am sure of an Engineering billet but I prefer the Police at present I think. In any case I am working my very hardest to get something which will prevent my going with the Corps on their next march, as I have had quite enough roughing it in wet weather, besides which I think I have done my share as I have been with the Corps right through from the beginning on every march which can only be said by about 50 men all told out of the 250 who came out from India. The rest have been left behind in hospitals, or obtained commissions or loafed somewhere down country. Besides which not a man in the Corps can say he has had fewer horses than myself, 4 altogether and the fourth which has been marching now for two months is still the fittest in the Corps.

I do hope you and the girls are all keeping well and blooming. Good bye for the present. Send that letter of introduction as soon as you possibly can, in fact you ought to have sent it long ago. I will wire you if I obtain Commission in the Police.

Good bye Love for all.

Your loving son

Willie

Soldiers’ Institute

Pretoria

Nov. 9. 00

My dear Uncle.

Your last letter received yesterday, the one you wrote on the 19th September. Thank you very much for it and all the kind thoughts expressed in it. You will no doubt be surprised at seeing my writing in ink again but the heading above explains every thing. I wrote you from Heidelburg last telling you about our march from Machadodorp there and telling of the hardships, the wet and the fighting, and promised you another letter directly we arrived in Pretoria. Fate however ordained that we should not be in Pretoria as soon as we expected, as no sooner had we left there than it came on to rain very heavily which made the ground very difficult for the convoy, and as we were protecting the whole of Buller’s Convoy, 10 miles of it, our progress was very slow. We got to Springs and there Lord Roberts inspected the whole of French’s division which meant a delay of two days. On the morning of the inspection I volunteered to go on picquet about a mile or so out of camp, as I hate the waiting about for hours that one always has at inspections, and fortunately was sent out; while there we saw two horsemen detach themselves from a body of about thirty and galop [sic] straight towards us; the body was about 2 miles away and I could see them quite plainly through my glasses. We thought they were Boers but on seeing these two come straight towards us we thought it might be a patrol of our own men. However they came on until they were within a thousand yards when they suddenly dismounted and before we knew where we were bullets were flying over our heads as fast as anything. Of course we at once threw ourselves down behind antheaps and started firing at them; we must have evidently got their range to a nicety as they immediately mounted and started galloping off. We stopped firing (there were four of us altogether) but Consterdine thought he would have one more shot; he did so and to our surprise knocked the man off his horse and the horse ran off. I rode back to Camp for an ambulance but in the meantime the wounded Boer crawled to a Kaffir Kraal and there the other Boer helped him on to his own horse and galloped off with him. I afterwards rode to the Kraal and the Kaffirs told me the man had been shot through the leg.

From Springs to here the march was uneventful enough as far as fighting was concerned but as it rained every day and we had no change of clothing no shelter and wet blankets we were miserable enough; strange to say I felt no evil effects at the time but have been having slight rheumatism the last day or two. A good many others have gone to the hospital here through the wetting we had; we were forty hours wet through with the water running out of our boots at every step, our thighs and our b_t_m’s wet and our saddles sopping. It was godforsaken and I pray I may never have to undergo such an experience again; you will understand that we had nothing to eat the whole time except some sodden biscuits and bully beef.

As regards our future movements nothing is pucca. Disbandment we know is out of the question because Lord Roberts and the authorities have distinctly told us that it the war lasts we must serve our full twelve months. Forty per cent of the Corps however (which now numbers about 130 all told, the rest having died been killed or invalided or have received Commissions in the Army or are in hospital) are going to be permitted to join the Police, (20% the Transvaal Constabulary and 20% the Johannesburg District Police) that is to say about 55 men and any of the remainder who can manage to obtain civil billets under the Government will also be allowed to go. There is also some talk about the rest being drafted into the C. in C’s body guard. They might however make us all go on the march once again before any one leaves and if so we go to Petersburg in the bush veldt a godforsaken country; we went there when on the Rustenburg – Warm baths march.

I have written to Mr Henry for a Commission in the Police but have received no reply yet, and have also put in an application for an Assistant Engineer’s billet on the Railway through the Colonel. Goood.bye [sic] for the present hoping you are keeping cheerful and well. With much love

Willie

Brakpau

S. Africa

14th Dec. 1900

My dearest Mother

I am so sick of it all, I have not heard from either you or Uncle for over a month now and I cannot understand it; I shall wire you if I don’t hear shortly. Here I am in a little mining village on the Randt, one of a garrison of 12 men & a Sergeant all of the Johannesburg Mounted Police, protecting this place with its stores & its cattle from Boer raiders. We have alarms almost every night and in two minutes are in the trenches round about fully armed waiting for the enemy; besides this we do sentry-go every other night although our day duties are practically nil merely a patrol every other day when we very seldom return without a certain amount of loot of some kind or other from the deserted houses in the district. Clothes, blankets, silver ware in fact everything of every kind except money that is kept in a house by fairly well-to-do people and who left everything just as it stood on the advent of the British. Our work is sometimes extremely disagreeable as for instance yesterday I had to go to a house with another fellow and arrest a Dutchman who had given up his arms and taken the oath of neutrality on the charge of communicating with the enemy; his young wife was in bed with a baby daughter born that morning and his brothers wife was there also; we had to search every nook and cranny of the house the bedrooms included. I felt so sorry but I think I did it as gently as I could, in fact the brother’s wife asked us to sit down & brought us coffee. Other times we have to arrest refractory characters at the point of a bayonet, but altogether it is far better than being on the veldt (pronounced feldt) where one was always filthy and generally hungry. We live in a long shed inside a Kraal where we have beds and have made ourselves generally comfortable – at least we sleep there. We mess in a small house some little distance away and as a matter of fact spend most of the day there. We have tables & chairs good crockery & plate servants (cook and waiter) a kitchen with a splendid range in it and everything nice and comfortable – all commandeered. We have three good meals a day with plenty of fresh milk porridge etc all of which costs us very little owing to the number of us – twelve. Of course we get our rations from the Government bread, meat, tea, coffee, jam, and sugar also salt and pepper. Fresh vegetables are plentiful and altogether we do very well. As I said before this is a gentlemanly way of fighting merely acting on the defensive. Our guards are very wakeful and vigilant at night and it will take a good Boer to pass our defences. I can bathe every day if I care to (!!!) (I am not as particular as I used to be) and there is no necessity to be in this beautiful country & climate – God’s own country; I have a boy to look after my horse make my bed & generally clean & look after my things. Altogether I am fairly well off with 7/- a day coming in 1/6 of which more than covers all my expenses in fact 1/- a day does it servants, messing, washing, everything. Brakpau is an extremely dull little place & would be of absolutely no importance were it not for the fact that the Johannesburg Electric Works, which supply the power for the whole of the Randt – that is the gold-bearing district, are here. We are fifteen miles away from Johannesburg, a three hours comfortable ride on horseback. Johannesburg is a most awful place. Talk about rapid – money simply flies there – I spent £10 in ten days and got very little for it except a good time and a pair of riding breeches.

I hope you are all well and comfortably settled by now and that the girls are getting a little amusement, also the dear little ones. I wonder when I shall hear from you again. I fear my letters have gone to the Corps Headquarters – I mean Lumsden’s Horse. I have signed for 12 months in the Police but I do not doubt that Mr Henry will either promise me a Commission in the Police or else will help me to a Civil Engineering billet & in that case will of course let me go, that is if Dr. B. has written him about me. I would not have joined as a trooper had I had the letter of introduction you spoke of but I had to under the circumstances or loaf about as military rule is still supreme and to be out of khaki is to be placed under all kinds of restrictions and to be kicked about by any body in khaki. As it is I swagger about with my comrades-in-arms booted & spurred and look with contempt on all those who are in sober broadcloth that is those in civilian habiliments. I notice (from a distance) that khaki is in great demand with the fair sex & to be a “khaki” is to be irresistible; needless to say this does not affect me in the slightest. All the other fellows have gone on patrol and I am left behind to write out passes etc required by civilians & natives wishing to go anywhere. My horse is in the sick lines at Boksberg with a sore back and consequently I am at present dismounted. I intend however commandeering a horse so as not to be in this predicament again.

Christmas is about ten days off and I can’t help thinking of last Christmas when we were all together with the exception of Rachel and this year Uncle is in India, I am in S. Africa & you are all at home the best place of all. I intend sending you my photo in a day or two taken with three of my friends Clifford (Jim) Consterdine & Laurie; the two latter are going to call on you when they arrive in London. There are going to be some festivities at Boksburg 5 miles from here on Christmas day but I do not suppose any of us will be able to go as we are so few here and the cattle & stores must be protected. However Christmas is not Christmas away from home and I don’t care a bit if it is my turn for guard on that day. Good-bye.

Love to all.

Your loving son

Willie

Address.

Trooper J.D.W. Holmes

Late of Lumsden’s Horse

Johannesburg Mounted Police

Johannesburg

S. Africa

Brakpau

Dec 29th ‘00

My dearest Mother

No letter from you for a very long time now; I cannot understand it, are you unwell? I am beginning to get letters forwarded to me now but none seem to come from you. I am quite anxious about it.

What sort of Xmas did you have? Ours was a most depressing one till dinner time when under the influence of beer we began to feel better.

On Boxing Day morning a place called Benoni two miles from here was attacked by a very large number of Boers. Ten of us saddled up and went to see if we could help but on the way we were attacked by about sixty of the enemy who very nearly succeeded in surrounding us. We managed to escape under a most terrific fire but had the distance been a quarter mile more we should all have been captured as they came within sixty yards of us. We left one poor fellow in their hands but they have since released him as he was wounded in the wrist – he had a very bad horse. Two hours afterwards another fellow and I made a second attempt to get to Benoni to see what had happened there. We were caught in a trap under three fires from the enemy and none more than a hundred yards away. The other fellow’s horse was shot dead under him and I went back to let him get on behind me. My horse was shot in four places under me and we both were slightly grazed in the face by bullets. We got away however but how we did it God only knows. We came out of the mouth of hell and the fire was the hottest that I have ever been under. One good thing they could not pursue us as the Benoni Garrison would have shot them from their positions. We had to go four hundred yards at a canter before we were under cover. I lost my rifle and my hat was shot off my head. I am however quite safe and there is no need for you to worry as a column has started after these Boers in this district and I don’t suppose we shall have any more trouble from them. They burnt down three gold mines or rather the machinery in them – over half a million pounds damage.

Three men were killed one J.M.P. late Lumsden’s Horse, Walker by name, and two Tommies of the North Staffords. I hope you are all keeping well and cheerful but I wish I could hear from you. I am in the best of health and weigh 146 lbs – 10 stone 6 – not bad considering I was 135 lbs in India when I left. With love & kisses to yourself dear mother the girls and the butchas.

Your loving son

Willie

P.S. I am glad to say I recovered my rifle in the grass. W

Zastrou. O.R.C.

11-11-01

My dearest Mother

I was not able to write you last week as I was on trek but as I am again in a standing camp I am dropping you a letter or rather writing it as Heaven alone knows when I shall be able to send it.

A great change has taken place in my fortunes. I was suddenly ordered away from Pretoria to take the first train to Bethulie. I reached Bethulie (on the border between ORC & Cape Colony) two days afterwards and reported myself. The next morning I took the train to Aliwal North which I reached that night. I was then given charge of all the Transport belonging to Copeman’s Column of Thorneycroft’s Brigade and at midday the next day started on the trek with a large convoy of provisions & stores. It took us three days to reach here the camping place of the column and here I have been ever since. I am Officer Commanding Transport Copeman’s Column and get extra allowances being a C.O. I also have all the powers of a C.O. in punishing, etc and have to do all my own administrative work hold parades, inspections, keep books and send in returns to the A.AST. It is most responsible work and I shrank from having to do it but one never knows one [‘s] capabilities till they are tested and I now find I manage very well. I did hope I should have been sent as a subaltern to some other C.O. a Captain or a Major where I should have had no responsibility, but being one’s own C.O. has its advantages; nobody to give you orders, do as you like, the extra pay, I now draw 17/- a day, besides having a Tommy servant and a native groom, a pony, a tent or wagon to sleep in and rations & forage. I am a member of the Yeomanry Officers mess and it only costs me 2/6 a day. We don’t live badly. We have the Burma M.I. [Mounted Infantry] here 3 Squadrons of Yeomanry and 2 guns, also a couple of doctors with ambulances.

We have a well fortified camp here and we are pretty safe. We are only half a mile from the kopje where 30 of Lovat’s Scouts a Colonel Murray and a Captain Murray were killed about six weeks ago. Their camp was rushed during the night and every man slain in his sleep.

Zastrou is the name of a village close by, but as in all these towns & villages in the O.R.C. (late Free State) there is nobody living all the people having been cleared man woman & child into refugee camps near the large garrison towns. Some of these villages are just the same as they were when the people were moved, fine churches & town halls hotels shops beautifully furnished houses gardens everything but others have been looted by the troops pianos organs and splendid mahogany furniture being broken up for firewood. We all have iron spring beds washstands carpets etc and we have a piano in the Mess on which a Tommy plays every evening while we are at dinner. We try to imagine it is the band. I have an excellent servant a regular soldier from the Army Service Corps. He is quite a young chap and superior to the ordinary Tommy. He does everything for me and I never have to ask for anything, it is always there, of course he makes the nigger do all the fetching & carrying and cleaning up and grooming my pony.

I expect we shall soon be going on the trek again the rumour is to Thabanchu [Thaba Nchu] near Bloemfontein where we (Lumsden’s) had our first fight. I hope not however but should like to go down into the Cape Colony since I cannot be in the Transvaal. I wish I were on the Randt again; Pretoria was too hot and this is not much better. I have been seedy the last two days and was very bad this morning, the first time I suppose for about 15 months. My head swam I felt sick and as weak as a kitten. The doctor has given me some medicine and I feel better now. Will be all right to-morrow. I should never be able to stick India again at least the plains the heat kills me and it is only in the cold I flourish.

How are all the Asansol people? quite well I hope. Give them my kind regards.

Address

2 Lieut J.D.W. Holmes

attd A.S.C

Transport Officer

Copeman’s Column

O.R.C.

S.Africa

Your loving son

Willie.

Give my love to the pater WH

Zastrou. O.R.C.

Nov. 14th 1901

My dear Pater.

This letter will reach you at the same time as the one I wrote to Mother the other day as I have not been able to send hers off and they will both go together. Long ‘ere this you will of course know that I have left the Police and have joined the Army again – this time as an officer. I have the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and am attached to the Army Service Corps, for Transport duties. After my month’s training at Pretoria I loafed round for a fortnight and then suddenly got orders to take the first train to Bethulie which you will see on the map is a small town on the border, that is the Orange R., between the Cape Colony & the O.R.C. This place is the headquarters of the district of which Gen. C. Knox (the De Wet man) is in command. I arrived there on the 2nd night after leaving Pretoria & reported myself to the general’s Chief Staff Officer. He informed me I was posted as Transport Officer to Copeman’s Column which is part of Thorneycroft’s brigade, which was at that moment operating or rather camping at Zastrou (where I am at present). As there was a convoy belonging to Copeman’s Column in Aliwal North getting supplies – Aliwal N. being the point on the Railway nearest to Zastrou – I was ordered to take the train early next morning to Aliwal N. I did so and arrived there that evening; stayed the night in the best hotel in the place and next morning took over my command ie the convoy. At midday we started trekking for this place and on the third day arrived here. I am now quite used to the work and thoroughly understand the handling of transport – it is not difficult and only wants a little common sense. This place is very dull and monotonous and I shall be extremely glad when we start trekking again. Trekking as a Transport Officer than whom nobody treks more luxuriously, and as a trooper are two very different things. I have a covered wagon (tented) to sleep in at night with bed, table, chair etc inside; two ponies, a Tommy servant and a nigger groom and I am my own Commanding Officer for which I get 2/6 extra a day Command Pay and I have all the powers of a C.O. to punish offenders with imprisonment or fine. I now draw about 17/- per diem with rations, forage, lights etc. I have joined the Yeomanry Officers’ Mess as being more sociable although I could live somewhat cheaper by myself. Up to the present I have not drawn a penny pay but will draw it all in a lump sum when I get to a decent sized town. My work is more responsible than arduous as I have four good Colonial Conductors who do the actual “bossing” of the niggers and they have to report to me. As they are each about twice as old as I am and probably know all about the work I do not interfere with them but draw my own conclusions on everything they do or say and make them give me the reason why. This arrangement suits them and I think it is a much wiser plan than to try and teach them what to do. They work much better.

Although from a monetary point of view I am well off and also from a social, yet I am not content somehow and wish I were settled down in a good civil billet permanently. I shall not enter the Service – this roving about is very fine for a time but I have had enough and I shall be heartily glad when the war is over.

To relieve to monotony we had sports and a smoking concert yesterday, we officers subscribed according to our rank, Major 30/- Lieut. 10/- and gave the men prizes for the different events. The concert was very good as we fixed up a wagon and put a piano on it (looted from Zastrou) and had a huge bonfire fuel being a wagon load of doors, window frames, furniture etc (from Zastrou also).

Only about a mile or so from here is the place where Colonel Murray, Captain Murray and 30 men of Lovat’s Scouts were killed in their sleep one night; the Boers rushing their camp and shooting them in their bivouacs. There is no fear of a similar fate overtaking us; our camp is under the shelter of a huge kopje on which we have very strong picquets and we have barbed wire entanglements all round and over a hundred men go on picquet every night all round; we also have two guns on an eminence trained to sweep the whole plain on the third side of the triangle, two kopjes forming the two sides. The position is impregnable against anything except guns and the Boers have none.

I had a few interesting snapshots of my comrades in Pretoria and myself to send you and was getting them printed when I was ordered away. They will come in time however.

How are all my Asansol friends? give my love to May if you see her. I know Mother won’t. I shall send it myself one of these days directly I get settled.

Good bye with love

Yours affectionately

Willie.

Address

2 Lieut J.D.W. Holmes

attd A.S.Corps.

Copeman’s Column, Thorneycroft’s Force

Field Force.

S. Africa

Ternan’s Column

Camp

13th Jan. 1902

My dear Grace.

Your letters are most amusing; you are the most impudent little monkey in the world; upon my word if I were at home I should be strongly inclined to put you across my knee. So now you have the pater & mater with you and I suppose you are very happy; I only wish I could be there too. We have been having pretty rough times of it lately, marching, marching all the time since we left Zastrou a month ago but I believe we have at last come to our destination and we are going to settle down. We thought we had finished yesterday but the water near the camp was not good and we were within rifle range of a kopje on which there were seen a lot of Boers when we first came up, so it was decided to move to a better place & here we are having started about 8.30; it is now 11.30. We are in the middle of a vast plain with splendid grazing ground all round us and about 2 miles and a half away is a tremendously steep kopje the beginning of a long range of hills which stretch away in the distance. On this kopje the Boers keep an outpost for watching us and directly a party moves out towards them they of course take to the hills and are lost. On the right of this kopje is a kloof (a sort of valley the sides of the hills on each side being very precipitous) and in this kloof yesterday we discovered two or three huts in which were hidden away over a hundred Dutch women and children. We shall probably burn these huts and turn the women out in the course of a day or two; it ought to have been done at once. There are one or two other kopjes dotted about the veldt about three miles or so from us and on these we catch glimpses of figures (Boers) moving about; directly we see enough of them we let rip the pom-pom into them and they run like rabbits into their holes. Through glasses all their movements & the switching of their horses’ tails can be distinguished easily. I have given up my wagon and now live in a sort of lean-to tent and cannot use a table in it, consequently I write my letters in pencil. I believe also that I can write longer with a pencil without getting tired than I can with a pen. We have started fortifying the camp and putting barbed wire entanglements round so as to prevent rushes or stealthy creeping in by the enemy on dark nights.

Since writing my last letters to Mother & R. I have received three more letters from you, M & R and also the sham V.C. which is most excellent. One good thing about this position we shall now get our mails regularly as Vicksburg being on the Basuto border is entered without any fear of molestation by the Boers, that is, from the other side (Basutoland side) and there is uninterrupted communication with Bloemfontein, so that when we go in for our weekly supplies we also bring out our mails. This is a most excellent arrangement. I do not know how long we shall be but most probably some time, perhaps a couple of months. I intend giving myself a month’s holiday some time this year as I am entitled to leave and feel that I must get away from the war and all things connected with it. I shall go to Cape Town or Durban. Next June I hope to be able to go. I could get home but that is out of the question till the war is over unless I am invalided which I am afraid in my present condition is impossible, I am like a porpoise and as red faced as possible. Healthy! I feel as if I were treading on air in the early mornings when it is cool.

Give my love to all your girl friends especially little “Sweet Seventeen” Dolly.

What is the name of Elviva’s people in Durban from Johannesburg? Is it Lichtenstein? because if so they are Jews & Heaven forfend! that I should go & see them. I cannot say I care for Israelites. There are some big timber merchants & brokers in Johannesburg called Lichtenstein the same name as the old fat chap in Calcutta. Good bye now with fond love from

Your loving brother

Will

9th March 1902

Col. Ternan’s Column

About 3 miles N.W.

of Lindley. O.R.C.

My dearest Mother.

It is now a little over a month since I posted a letter to you. The reasons for this delay are many and I shall begin to unfold them. But before I start I may as well tell you I am wiring you in about a week’s time, when we touch the line of communication, that I am quite well and that there is no cause for anxiety & lest at any future time the same thing should occur, no letter for weeks, you must not be alarmed but rather be assured that I am quite well as the war office will wire you almost directly if any thing should occur to me, which is not at all likely being as I am in charge of the Transport. I never incur any danger.

Well my last letter was posted in Vicksburg on the 6th Feb where we were getting supplies. We took out 12 days supplies and as no orders were given us on the 17th about the convoy going in again for supplies we thought that another column must be bringing us out supplies and consequently I did not write as it was no good writing letters when one cannot post them. On the 18th morning we started marching very early in another direction and we did over 30 miles reaching a little place called Bethlehem which happens to be on a blockhouse line and where supplies had been brought out to us. I could have posted a letter here but had none written and it was out of the question writing one, besides which it would have had to go by convoy for days and there was every likelihood of our getting to Vicksburg in a weeks time and a letter posted there would reach quicker than one posted in Bethlehem. For the next five days we took part in a “drive” which means marching all day no tents pitched wet or fine and no lights after sunset. During this “drive” we did two night marches in the Brandwater basin & the Wittenbergen. On the 25th morning we started for Vicksburg, dead tired, having been up two nights running till dawn & marching the whole time, and reached there midday loaded up that night & started out again next morning to take part in another combined movement which however did not come off. We stayed on the veldt in the Winburg district for the next twelve days eating our rations and just changing camp every other day. During this time both myself and the fellow who was with me in a tent were seedy; a cold first then indigestion then fever. I determined not to be ill and although I had a temperature of about 100 I went & had a cold bath took a peg of whisky and went off for a long ride out of camp to a farm just inside our outposts where there were a lot of pretty Dutch girls, went out in the garden with them, kissed them all round & rode home – quite well. The other fellow stayed inside the tent moping – he has now gone into Winburg hospital but he will be away from this Column for about a month, ten days in hospital & the rest of time convalescent at the seaside Durban or Cape Town having a good time generally so perhaps he was wiser after all. On the 6th inst. we started marching & after doing 15 miles at a tremendous pace reached Senekal which is another deserted town; here another column, Col Pilcher’s, had brought out supplies, we loaded up that night & next morning early started on another “drive” ie a combined movement of a large number of columns on to a blockhouse line – a sort of squeezing up of the base of a triangle towards the apex, the columns of course getting closer and closer together so that providing the Boers in the enclosure do not get frightened too soon they are bound to get caught. The last drive between Harrismith & Van Keenen’s Pass into Natal accounted for 600 prisoners 120 killed & eighty odd wounded. It is by this system that the Boers are being caught weekly and at the present rate the war must be over by the middle of winter, July. We are still doing this drive and are at present lining the bank of the Valsh river near Lindley; this drive will last another three or four days & we shall go into Lindley for our next supplies which is being used as a supply depot at present. It is the corner of two blockhouse lines. The town itself is uninhabited as in Bethlehem and every town in the Free State off the Railway line. We are not using tents at present and all lights have to be out at Sundown. Being Transport Officer I am slightly better off than most of the subalterns as I have made a sort of shelter alongside a wagon with a wagon sheet & I am at present putting up another subaltern with me – the Colonel’s galloper – as his squadron is out on the flank. I hope to post this letter at Lindley which is connected with Kroonstadt by the blockhouse line.

I have been having some trouble the last few days with the tooth I had filled last year this time in Jo’burg, the stopping having come out and as it is impossible to get it stopped again out here I am afraid it will have to go. I have drawn no pay for this year at all but when I do which may be this month I intend sending the girls & children what I promised ten pounds, £4 each to the two bigger ones & £1 each to the chota wallahs for them to get some little thing each. I can easily spare it; what annoys me is the difficulty one experiences in getting it.

I am much amused at what you all say about the Service. In spite of it all I intend trying my best to get a civil billet and failing that to remain a soldier & then only as long as I have to. You may think at first glance the pay is good – the lowest rank 2 Lt getting 14/9 a day, rations & tent. But you must remember this is only active service pay in S. Africa. If peace were declared to-morrow and I were sent to England what would I get. First I should lose 2/6 a day field allowance then 3/- a day Colonial allowance that’s 5/6. In lieu of this I should get lodging light & fuel allowance but these would not pay for these things at home. I should probably be able to live but only by myself & that is not my wish. I wish to have the girls out here with me. Do you know my messing alone costs me £5 a month without liquors, then there is my servant and all kind of little items crop up. No 14/9 is not good enough in this country. I intend however putting in my application to be made permanent so as to have a second string to my bow.

In June next I hope to get leave for a short time, a month to run up to Jo’burg & down to Natal. A fortnight’s stay in Natal will be delightful as I have never seen it. I had a letter from my friend Clifford in India telling me that he had received £30 horse compensation, £5 gratuity and his medal so I expect the same are on their way to me minus the gratuity which I do not get till the “general issue” is made as I am still serving and then shall get a 2nd Lieutenant’s share £35 not £5.

Enough about myself - - Where are you and what are you doing? Where are you going to live? not in London I hope. Why not the country? Infinitely better. How are the girls and the children? And has the Pater taken any steps about coming out here. Let him go to the London offices of the different mining companies out here or rather write to them. Being out on column as I am I have absolutely no chance of seeing or hearing anything; I have never been near a railway since Dec. 7th I think it was. I hope to do some good when I go on leave in more ways than one. I have just heard than an officer is going to be sent into Bloemfontein to get his teeth attended to so that perhaps I may be able to go in also. I met the Commdg Officer of my the [sic] Coy A.S.C. I am attached to and he told me he would wire to the A.A.S.T. for permission to have me transferred to his column as he requires a subaltern. It is good to be at headquarters. Good bye now dearest Mother with love to all from

Your loving son

Willie.