home Anglo-Boer-War >> next << back
Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 188
Moedwil, Action at,
30 September 1901
Koos De la Rey demonstrated his ability to deliver severe blows to the British at Moedwil, but lost
heavily and failed to acquire any supplies, particularly ammunition which was badly needed. Colonel
Kekewich showed his abilities as a commander, fighting off a surprise attack and vindicating himself
from the attempts made by Cecil Rhodes to blacken his reputation by criticising his conduct at
Kimberley.
On 30 September 1901 at 4.40 a.m. a bivouacked column commanded by Colonel R. G.
Kekewich was engaged by Vecht-general J. C. G. Kemp at the farm of Moedwil, fifteen miles (25km)
west of Rustenburg in the western Transvaal. At the same time Assistant Commandant-general Koos
De la Rey sent other units to outflank the British. The advancing Boers were discovered by a patrol
and a fierce fight ensued, ending when the British managed to outflank the outflankers. The action
ceased at 6 a.m., but the losses were great. Eleven Boers were killed, thirty-five wounded and ten
made prisoner, while on the British side sixty-three were killed and 151 wounded, including
Kekewich himself. The Boers were buried at Dwarsspruit and the British at Moedwil and at
Rustenburg. These burials are said to be among the few that have not been consolidated in later
memorial burial grounds.
See also:
Kekewich, Lieutenant-colonel R. G.; Kimberley, Siege of; Rhodes, Cecil.
Reference:
Jones, Huw M. and Meurig G. M. Jones, A Gazetteer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899–1902
(Milton Keynes, The Military Press, 1999); Wulfsohn, Lionel, “Moedwil”, Soldiers of the
Queen,no. 87, 1996.
Morant, Harry Harbord,
The Breaker
1865?-1902
On 27 February 1902 two Australian officers of the Bushveldt Carbineers were executed by firing
squad at Pretoria prison, having been found guilty of murdering Boer prisoners. Lieutenants H. H.
Morant and P. J. Handcock died and Lieutenant G. R. Witton was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Knowledge of the manner of their trial and punishment reached Australia by an indirect route about a
month later; Handcock’s widow learnt of her husband’s death because a lodger read of it in a
newspaper. While the world press generally applauded the verdict and Lord Kitchener’s approval of
the sentence, the delay fed Australian rumours of a cover-up. Although it is certain that the men were
guilty of the actions of which they were accused, some question remains about the status of those
actions. The principal defence was obedience to orders and here, as at the Nuremburg trials after the
Second World War, it was found wanting. This has not prevented Breaker Morant becoming a
symbolic victim of the allegedly arrogant British elite. A practical outcome was that Australia
assumed complete responsibility for the enforcement of discipline in Australian units.
home
Anglo-Boer-War
>> next
<< back
Critical USA/EU Defense Intel Item / Threat Reporting Issue (Urgent for USA/NATO/German attention)
US/EU Investment & Security Risk – GBP Crash – ponzi ‘Rainbow Investment scheme ‘ – SEC insider Trading investigation
Additional Intel Details & Forecast(1 Year & 5 Year):
Industry : US & EU Defense
9/11 Attackers & Financiers : England(Prince Philip/Charles & Windsors)/Russia/China
Finance Source (9/11) : Diamonds via Anglo America plc / De Beers extracted SA & Namibia (ex German SWA) – Marketed China USA
Attack Co – Ordinators (9/11) : England -Windsors / Privy Council (UK)
Intelligence Intrusion Mgt/Blowback Suppression (9/11) : UK/England (MI5 & GCHQ – rainbow moles – Erik Ciaramella types )
Proxy Attack team(9/11) : Muslim “rainbow team” (non Christian) led by Mohammed Atta etc
Latest Defense Threat/Opportunity USA : Mi5/GCHQ “intel mole Erik Ciaramella unmasked” attempts to smear President Trump and enable corrupted $400million package to Ukraine
Latest Download Details :