On this day in 1899: the Empire Strikes Back (again)

As far as the Siege of Ladysmith goes, the raid against the Boer Long Tom and Howitzer on Gun Hill is a bit of an epic. Launched on the night of 7/8 December by men of the Natalian regiments and the Imperial Light Horse, it was a splendid success… though it was by no means a one-off.

Shortly thereafter, Lieutenant-Colonel Metcalfe, CO of the 2nd Rifle Brigade (part of the force manning Colonel Howard’s B Section^[1] at the north-east of the perimeter), requested and was granted permission to hit the Boer howitzer on Surprise Hill. On the night of 10 December, Metcalfe led out 5 companies of his regiment, ^[2] including the tireless Captain Johnnie Gough.[3] They were supported by a detachment of sappers, commanded by young Lieutenant Digby-Jones RE (who would be killed a few weeks later at Wagon Hill).^[4]

Led through the night by two local men of the Natal Guides, Thornhill and Ashby,^[5] the riflemen pushed through the darkness, dropping off supporting companies on their way to Surprise Hill. Until a few days earlier, the slight rise about half a mile before the hill had been occupied each night by a strong Boer picquet. This was on the orders of Ben Viljoen, who had been responsible for that section of the perimeter, before he was reassigned to the Tugela line.^[6] His replacement had not seen fit to continue the practice, however, as must have been discovered by Metcalfe on the close target recce he and Major King of the RA[7] had conducted the night before.^[8] After a lengthy pause for the moon to drop,^[9] the raiders made it to the foot of the hill, and the assaulting party/demolition team, personally led by Metcalfe,^[10] commenced their climb at 0200 hrs. They were swarming over the crest before a Boer sentry challenged them, and loosed off a shot.^[11] It is remarkable that the Boers could have been caught napping again, but as one who lived through the siege observed, ‘As a fighter he has his limitations, and one of them is disinclination to, or complete unfitness for sentry-go.’^[12]

Luck was not on the side of the riflemen, though: the howitzer had been moved and it took a while to find it in the darkness. This delay was then compounded by the first attempt to blow it up failing, and another fuse having to be lit.^[13] Though the howitzer was destroyed on the second attempt, the wasted time gave the nearby Boers time to react, and an effort was made to cut off the riflemen as they withdrew back to Ladysmith. ‘Straight through them with the bayonet!’ ordered Metcalfe, and the raiders rushed on, slashing and stabbing.

In his book, Commando, Deneys Reitz claimed that he and just 10 others of the Pretoria Commando had ‘accounted for more than eighty of opponents’,^[14] and that, when dawn broke, he saw ‘over sixty dead and wounded English soldiers’.^[15] This is complete nonsense, however: the riflemen only lost 12 killed, and seven missing (35 wounded made it back to Ladysmith,^[16] so would not have been seen at dawn by Reitz).

On the other hand, the Boers lost heavily; as well as the howitzer, it was initially estimated that the Boers – some of whom were reported to have ‘shrieked like women’ – lost about 50 men. Of course, this could only ever be a ‘best guess’, but an inspection of the riflemen’s bayonets after the fight found that no fewer than 96 were smeared with blood.^[17] The Boers later admitted to a loss of 28 killed and 23 wounded, but exchanges between the doctors of both sides suggested their causalities were much higher, with the republican medicos talking of losses ‘more severe than on any other occasion since the opening of the campaign’.^[18] Whatever the real figure was, there can be no doubt it was a brilliant success by Metcalfe’s men – and one completely at odds with the National Party version of the war, so loved by today’s True Believers.

NOTES:

[1] Maurice, History of the War in South Africa 1899‒1902, Vol.2, p.537

[2] Beckett, Johnnie Gough VC, p.59

[3] Later, Brigadier-General Sir John Edmond Gough, VC, KCB, CMG (1871–1915). Born in British India – in what is now Pakistan – ‘Johnnie’ was the younger brother of (the later) General Sir Hubert Gough. After Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own) in 1892, and saw service in British Central Africa, and the Sudan Campaign, then the Occupation of Crete (1898–99). He served throughout the Boer War and won his VC in 1903 during the Third Somaliland Expedition. Gough deployed to the Great War as a brigadier-general on Haig’s staff and had been assigned to command one of the newly raised divisions, but – before he could take up this appointment – was killed by a stray bullet on a visit to the front line.

[4] Maurice, History of the War in South Africa 1899‒1902, Vol.2, p.548

[5] McDonald, How We Kept the Flag Flying, p.115

[6] Amery, The Times history of the war in South Africa, 1899–1902, Vol.3, p.170

[7] Major King RA had been stationed in Ladysmith prior to the invasion and thus knew the ground well.

[8] Amery, The Times history of the war in South Africa, 1899–1902, Vol.3, p.169

[9] Beckett, Johnnie Gough VC, p.59

[10] Pearse, Four Months Besieged, p.122

[11] Maurice, History of the War in South Africa 1899‒1902, Vol.2, p.549

[12] McDonald, How We Kept the Flag Flying, p.120

[13] Stirling, Our Regiments in South Africa 1899–1902, p.385

[14] Reitz, Commando, p.59

[15] Reitz, Commando, p.58

[16] Beckett, Johnnie Gough VC, p.60

[17] McDonald, How We Kept the Flag Flying, p.119

[18] McDonald, How We Kept the Flag Flying, p.120