Founded 1966

P.O. Box 59227

Kengray
2100 South Africa

Tel (+27) 010-237-0676

Fax (+27) 086-617-8002

Email: scribe@samilitaryhistory.org
Web: http://samilitaryhistory.org

NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER 2014

The Chairman, Malcolm King, opened the October meeting with notices and reminders:
# The Prisoner-of-War Exhibition (Frontier Wars to WWII) at Brenthurst Library
from August 2014 to July 2015: 8.30 to 4.30 Mon - Fri- by appointment only - call 011 544 5400
# Film shows Joyeux Nol on 23 November in Museum Auditorium. Entrance R100 includes afternoon
tea. Booking essential - Hennie 011 486 3648. Movie deals with Christmas Truce of 1914.
22 February 2015 My Boy Jack about Rudyard Kiplings son. 24 May 2015 Gallipoli, the
award-winning movie by Peter Weir.
#Malcolm thanked David Scholtz for organizing and sponsoring the very successful outing to Val.
This was followed by the popular This Week in History.
Malcolm then introduced Terry Willson presenting the curtain-raiser for the evening Africa: The
Rifles of British Imperialism. This dealt with motives for this imperialism and the rifles which were used
in its implementation. He commenced by defining imperialism in its various forms and outlining why one country
would wish to dominate others. This was generally economic and, despite some high-minded rationalizations,
greatly to the advantage of the imperialistic power. In the case of Britain, its interventions at both ends of Africa
were primarily to protect highly profitable eastern markets. Where colonists were involved, they perpetuated
and expanded imperialistic gains.
Terry outlined the history and usage of the four main weapons used. These were the India pattern musket,
the Martini Henry with the Lee Metford and Lee Enfield Rifles. He also outlined the background of the Dum
Dum and hollowed-nosed bullets. The use of the weapons covered the period from the Battle of Blaauberg
to the awarding of the mandated German territories after WWI. They achieved Britains imperialistic ambition
of influence from Cape to Cairo.
Next he covered British experience in the Boer War which led to the designing of the highly effective Short
Magazine Lee Enfield which had huge impact on the survival of the British Expeditionary Force at the beginning
of WWI. Terrys talk was beautifully illustrated and he brought along examples of the weapons for us to
examine afterwards.

The main talk was by Nick Cowley on Songs of WWI. Word sheets of the songs were distributed
and these can shortly be found on our website under Lectures. Nick was accompanied by two vocalists, a
violinist and a guitarist. He pointed out that the songs were a way of keeping up spirits in the appalling
conditions and that most had originated in the music halls. Tipperary, sung by the Connaught Rangers as they
embarked in 1914, was an example. The attitude that was prevalent was that the higher your rank the better
war you would have - except for one-pip lieutenants who had the highest mortality rate. Then we heard the
truth behind Mademoiselle from Armentires! This was followed by Goodbye-ee full of the slang of the
cocktail-party set of the time. Oh! How I Hate to Get up in the Morning mirrored the dislike of army routine
and the bugler in particular.
The Old Barbed Wire sang again of the benefits of rank plus the bitterness of the lot of the ordinary
soldier - the army tried unsuccessfully to stop this song. Pack up Your Troubles showed us the inseparable
companion - the kit-bag. Whilst Rolling Home offered the whisky alternative to dealing with your troubles.
How the soldiers kept thinking of home was the theme of Long, Long Trail, Keep the Home Fires Burning
and She Wears a Yellow Ribbon. Then Nick moved on to songs on the theme of the end of the war with
When At Last This War Is Over, Bless Em All and Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty. He concluded
with South African versions of songs plus Sarie Marais which the South African troops would have sung at
Delville Wood. Everyone sang along with gusto with some giggling over the bawdier versions of the songs.
The Chairman then closed the evening.
Pat Henning
Scribe
*******

Poppies for SA Legion

As was done last year there will be a collection for the SA Legion at the November meeting in
Johannesburg. Poppies are traditionally not sold but given in exchange for donations.
*******

BOOKS
The committee is generally reluctant to publicise books in this newsletter, however, the shortness of the
above report, combined with several offerings from members and with the festive season looming large, lead
to listing (not endorsements) of the following:
World War I in Africa by Dr Anne Samson
Overseas-based Society member Anne will be visiting SA at the end of the year and is scheduled to speak
at the Johannesburg lecture meeting in January. She has offered to bring copies out to members who prepay saving considerably on postage even IF the postal strike is over. Publisher cost is GBP62 excl postage; her
price is GBP45 or R800 if paid into an SA account by 22 December when she is due to leave. Banking details
from her at thesamsonsed@gmail.com
The Machine Guns of Mushroom Valley by Nigel Fox
Another member, Nigel is due to speak on the same topic next week and will bring along a few copies of
his book to the meeting.

FORTHCOMING LECTURES
Johannesburg:
Thursday 13th November:
CR: Nigel Fox
The Machine Guns of Mushroom Valley
ML: Gerhard Buchner General Ignatius Stephanus Ferreira my Father
Thursday 11th December:
CR: Hamish Paterson Gibeon, 1915 Sir Duncan Mckenzies Last Triumph
ML: Robin Binckes
The Battle of Blood River

KZN in Durban:
Thursday 13th November:
DDH: Maj Dr John Buchan Operation Torch; General Patton in North Africa
Main Talk: Bill Brady

Collapse in the West, 1940

Thursday 11th December 2014:

Only one lecture: Ian Sutherland on An RAF Crash in the Scottish Highlands. This will be followed by an
end of year cocktail party.

Cape Town:
Thursday 13th November:
Ian Cameron

The Battle of Plataea 479 B.C. and the Persian Invasion of Greece

SAMHSEC in Port Elizabeth

The next meeting will be on Saturday 15th November. There will be a field trip in the morning to
Schoenies with picnic baskets advisable. After holding an Act of Remembrance, the curtain raiser will be
Pat Irwin on The Sinking of the Lusitania. The main lecture by Geoff Hamp-Adams, titled SAAF
history made, heritage lost, will focus on the challenges facing the stalwarts fighting to preserve South
African military aviation history. More details from Malcolm Kinghorn (see below).
*******

BRANCH CONTACT DETAILS

For Cape Town details contact Johan van den Berg 021-939-7923

warbooks@mweb.co.za

For Eastern Cape details contact Malcolm Kinghorn 041-373-4469 culturev@lantic.net

For KwaZulu-Natal details contact Ken Gillings 031-702-4828

ken.gillings@mweb.co.za

For Gauteng details contact Joan Marsh 010-237-0676

scribe@samilitaryhistory.org