125 years ago today, Buller attempted to break through the Boer positions at Colenso, and raise the Siege of Ladysmith. Pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and Buller called off the attempt after just a few hours.
Most remarkably, however, is that Buller would later assure the Royal Commission into the War in South Africa that no such battle actually took place that day:
‘I hope I have practically made it clear that I never attacked on the 15th [December 1899] at all. I have been accused of having done so, and it has been said that every military man condemned the execution of the attack. But I made no attack. I stopped at the very earliest moment in the morning every General from moving, and no attack was made on Colenso at all on the 15th of December. I have tried to make that clear here… my left Brigade [the 5th (Irish) Brigade under Major-General Hart] moved too soon, contrary to my orders, I did not succeed in stopping it, but withdrew it at once. But no other troops, except for some artillery that got into the wrong place, moved forward at all for any purpose of any attack’.
This is, of course, simply untrue.
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How could Buller deny it given that it was the culminating battle of “Black Week”.
Who coined the phrase “Black Week”? They must have been aware of Colenso.
It is especially bizarre, given that he made the statement several years later, not in the immediate aftermath of the action, when emotions were running high.
However, Buller – fairly or unfairly – been made a scapegoat for the early set-backs in the war, and seems to have been guilty of selective memory while trying to protect his reputation. There is simply no doubt that he issued attack orders for the battle fought on 15th December, so it is unclear if he really thought anyone would buy what he was selling.
That said, Colenso isn’t the only failed attack in history to have been re-invented as a ‘reconnaissance in force’.
Selective memory
but
Photos never lie ?
Have a peep here
Women’s Demonstration for the release of General C. R. de Wet and the other Rebels
( At the just completed Union Buildings )
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hilton-t/albums/72157637056410734/with/14200420381
There are many other time period photos including many of Kruger – in Pretoria during his – presidential days
Be warned you will be sucked in and spend an hour or two – or more
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