Siege by Challoner

 

COPIES OF LETTERS OF LT.E.L CHALLONER

1ST LEICESTER REGIMENT, LADYSMITH, SOUTH AFRICA

15TH NOVEMBER 1899 TO 3RD MARCH 1900

 

Ladysmith Camp 15 Nov 1899

 

I think I shall try and write a few lines today, as I never know when I may get the chance again. I am afraid that you will be very anxious about me as the lines of communication between this and Maritzburg have been cut for nearly a month now and of course no letters can get out. I wrote a letter giving you a description of our last few days here, but I am afraid it is a very indifferent account. I think what I minded most was not getting a wash for one’s hands and face for over seven days. We marched all day and were on outpost duty most nights. I never even took off my boots or even my sword for seven days and nights. You can imagine what we Looked like on our arrival here and most of us had nothing but what we stood in, as we lost everything at Dundee and all our other kit had been sent on to Maritzburg. We have managed to rig ourselves out in some way again, but no one looks as if they had been measured for their clothes, not that it matters in khaki.

Well, to resume, on the Sunday night after we returned, Sir George White determined to make a general attack on the Boers who were threatening us on all sides and the line to Maritzburg. This was the battle of “Lombards Kop”. Two strong columns, about 4,000 strong each started at 10pm Sunday night, one going north-east to take the Boers on their right flank and ours east to take them on the left. I will describe our lot first. We had the 2nd kings Royal rifles and Dublin Fusiliers the 5th Lancers ourselves and 2 batteries. We marched through the night until 4 am next without hardly halting and no food to begin the battle on, so you may imagine it was not easy work. Somehow in the dark the Dublin Fusiliers

got detached and did not come up till after the battle had begun. The Artillery opened fire on the big gun of the Boers which was on top of the huge hill and after an hour shelling they managed to stop it. We then saw a lot of Boers riding round out right rear and the musketry commenced. Knatchbull, Bryce and I were sent with our three companies to hold a Kopje near where we had halted. As I was crossing the open ground with my lot they opened fire on me with a field gun and the first shell from it just went over my head. It made me feel a bit funny, however I got across to the kopje without losing a man. From here we were engaged with the Boers for about five hours but no advance was made. The fire was very warm at times as the Boers were shooting at it from two sides. It was the first time we had been under a sharp fire and I don’t mine admitting I didn’t like it. Every bullet sounds within an inch of one’s face with a buzz like a large bee makes flying quickly past. Once I had to go right over to the kopje to see if Knatchbull wanted any help as there was a terrific fire going on his side. Coming back to my Company there was a-Boer who had three goes at me. I tell you it was all I could do not to run, but I walked back quietly as if I liked it. He went all round me. The first just went over my head and the next one by the right and the next one by the left and then I was fairly under cover. One poor chap was shot next to me, but we lost very few as we had excellent cover behind the rocks. At times the fire was almost deafening, and the Boers’ guns shooting over our heads and our guns shooting over our heads at the Boers’ guns combined with the rattle of musketry. At 12.30 noon a general withdrawal was ordered by Sir G. White and I thought we should have lost heavily but we retired steadily and didn’t lose many. The Boer guns all opened on us when we began to retire but they fired mostly at our transport. The two mules drawing our Maxim were shot and I regret to say we had to leave it.

We got back to camp about 5pm having no food or sleep since the evening before. I simply fell on the floor on a blanket and went fast asleep.

So ended “Lombards Kop” for us. As a matter of fact it was a very disastrous affair. Our column lost 15 killed and nearly 100 wounded. We ourselves lost no officers but we had about 4 men killed and about 20 wounded. The other column met a terrible disaster – their ammunition mules and the mules of the Mountain Battery, stampeded in the middle of the night and they thought it would alarm the Boers so they halted where they were and, in the morning, found themselves surrounded by Boers – after losing very heavily they had to surrender – altogether that day cost us four guns which stampeded and about 1200 men killed, wounded and prisoners. In fact it was almost a catastrophe. I trust they wont have any more night marches. It is impossible in this difficult country. Well, this gave the Boers confidence and they brought all their guns and placed them on hills around, cut the line to Maritzburg and we have been here ever since, bombardment every day.

 

 

 

The regiment has two hills to protect and we have been living on them day & night for the last two weeks. I am getting quite accustomed to it and I don’t really think I could sleep under a roof. One has a stone for a pillow and sleeps like a top. We parade every morning at 4 am and it is daylight at 4.30 am. They have a big 6″ gun on a hill about 1500 feet high. This gun is about 8500yaersd from our post and they bombard us every day. This gun carries a shell which weighs 96 pounds so you can imagine what it is like when it hits these rocks. However, it has done very little damage and it mostly favours the town. One sees the smoke and has plenty of time to get under cover as it takes 10 to 15 seconds to reach. One day we had three men hit by splinters from it, one was terribly cut about and killed and the other two only wounded.

We have two big guns which the Naval contingent brought up. The Naval Lieutenant, poor chap, a few days ago was hit by one of “Long Tom’s” (we call the 6″ gun Long Tom) shells and had both legs blown off. He was a nice chap called Egerton. I was so sorry for him. He was quite sensible for some time and the first thing he said was “by Jove, that does for my cricket”. This rather appealed to me. He had both his legs amputated that night and died the next morning. It is really terrible when one thinks of what a lot of really fine chaps there are who suddenly find themselves without an arm or leg. I think ones gets accustomed to anything and it sounds rather terrible to say so, but really one thinks very little when one sees a poor fellow carried by on a stretcher with his head all blown to atoms. One feels just a sorry but somehow one gets accustomed to it. Just like a doctor I suppose.

Well, as regards food. We have been living very well indeed considering that we were cut off. There was a large supply of everything here but, of course, things are very expensive. The Boers cut off the water supply but luckily there is a river running through the place. It looks like mud but, bejond a little dysentery and diarrhoea from sleeping in wet clothes, the men are very fit up to date. I never felt better in my life and I think I must be thoroughly climatised to the open air. You may wonder why we haven’t got tents. Well, there aren’t enough for everybody and those that have them only go into them at night as the shells are falling among them all day. I am glad to say they stop shelling on Sunday and one is able to get a wash once a week. We had 3 terribly Now as regards the outlook for the future. Of course we individually know little more than you do. There is no use our advancing until Buller gets into the Free State. There is a column advancing from Maritzburg at present and ought to arrive here next Saturday when we shall go out and meet them and have a good fight. The Boers are undoubtedly no mean enemy. In this kind of country they are simply wonderful and they are undoubtedly as well if not better than we are and they have quantities of ammunition. Welstead is very fit and enjoying himself immensely. Of course he is bound to be killed. He is the bravest man I ever saw and I don’t think he knows what itis to be afraid. I can’t quite explain my feelings under fire, but I feel perfectly certain of this that I am always jolly glad when it is over. And yet, the next day I am keen enough to want to go again. I think when one gets hungry and sleepy and thirsty one feels at once that one has had enough and one does not relish bullets. I don’t know whether you will able to read all this disgruntled rot but there is nothing else to write about. I shall be so glad to get another letter from you as I haven’t had one for about a month now. I do hope you are all well and quite strong. I suppose you will be worrying about me but I wish you wouldn’t as I wouldn’t have missed it for world’s and am perfectly fit & happy. It is terribly hard that we are not one of the Regiments actually engaged at Talana as it was a fine performance and would have done the Regiment an awful lot of good. Of course we shouldn’t all be here present but one chances that. Somehow, one always thinks