The history of the South African forces in France

[1] On January 1, 1917, the pay of privates was raised to 3s. a day, but other ranks continued to draw pay at Imperial rates.

[2] About 15 per cent. of the original Brigade was Dutch. The proportion rose to something like 30 per cent. before the end of the campaign.

[3] The regiment wore the tartan of the Atholl Murrays. The story of the Atholl Highlanders may be read in The Military History of Perthshire, by the present Duchess of Atholl.

[4] See Appendix I.

[5] A medical unit with South African personnel for service with the French Army was formed in South Africa in the autumn of 1914 by the Société Française du Cap. Early in 1915 this unit was established by the French military authorities at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage at Cannes, which was equipped as a hospital for the reception of French sick and wounded. It did admirable work under the auspices of the French Red Cross, with which it was affiliated.

[6] Troops could not be moved to Dabaa by rail from lack of rolling stock.

[7] The phrase is Sir John Maxwell’s in his dispatch of March 1, 1916.

[8] The Duke of Westminster received the Distinguished Service Order; he was recommended for the Victoria Cross.

[9] The 9th Division was now composed of the 26th Infantry Brigade, comprising the 8th Black Watch, the 7th Seaforths, the 5th Camerons, and the 10th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; the 27th Infantry Brigade, comprising the 11th Royal Scots, the 12th Royal Scots, the 6th K.O.S.B. and the 9th Scottish Rifles; and the South African Infantry Brigade. The Pioneer Battalion was the 9th Seaforths.

[10] Both of these brigades belonged to Major-General Shea’s 30th Division.

[11] The XX. Corps held the Grand Couronné of Nancy in September 1914, and delivered the counter-attack at Douaumont on February 26, 1916, which turned the tide at Verdun.

[12] If we take the casualties from the 1st of July, the total is 2,815—made up of 502 killed, 1,735 wounded, and 578 missing. Tanner, MacLeod, and Thackeray were all wounded. General Lukin was slightly gassed.

[13] Lieutenant-Colonel Tanner was wounded on 17th July and his second-in-command, Major Gee, took over the 2nd Regiment. Major Gee was killed almost at once, and as there were no senior officers of the 2nd left Major Heal of the 1st took over command. This he held till the arrival from England at the end of August of Lieutenant-Colonel Christian, who took command of the 2nd Regiment. After the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Jones the 4th Regiment was under Major D. M. MacLeod. He was wounded on 17th July, after which Major D. R. Hunt took over, and continued in command till December 31, 1916.

[14] In its origin it was probably a big-gun emplacement.

[15] “One saw a large party of South Africans at full stretch with bayonets at the charge—all dead; but even in death they seemed to have the battle ardour stamped on their faces.” Lieut.-Col. Croft’s Three Years with the 9th Division, p. 84.

[16] When the Nose was finally occupied by the 6th K.O.S.B. they found over 250 German dead lying around it.

[17] The atrocious condition of the ground was partly due to our use of the delay-action fuse, which caused shells to explode well below the soil and so led to big subsidences which speedily became mudholes.

[18] The Butte de Warlencourt was never taken during the Battle of the Somme, though early in November the 50th Division made a gallant attempt. It was occupied by us in the last week of February 1917, when the enemy retreated.

[19] Their right flank was in a marsh, where duck-shooting could be enjoyed within 800 yards of the German trenches.

[20] The casualties of the 27th Brigade in this ill-fated action were nearly as high as those of the South Africans.

[21] MacLeod took over the 4th from Christian on 25th April when he returned from sick leave, Christian going to the XVII. Corps School of Instruction as Commandant.

[22] On some maps this is given as the Hansbeek, or Hannebeek, but it is more convenient to keep this name for the larger stream which runs by St. Julien.

[23] Private C. E. Fennessy was awarded the Military Medal for this exploit.

[24] He was mortally wounded on the 20th, and died the day after.

[25] Of Lukin Sir Douglas Haig wrote: “Coming to France in April 1916, his skilful command of the South African Brigade soon induced me to select him for command of the 9th Division. This division he has commanded with skill and ability in many hard-fought battles, and I have looked on him as one of the most reliable divisional commanders in France.” Lieut-Col. Croft in his Three Years with the 9th Division has this pleasant tale of Lukin at Third Ypres: “In the early stage of the night march we met the divisional commander, who, like all the divisional commanders of the 9th Division, spent most of his time near the front lines. He was on his way back, and this good old regimental officer insisted on getting off the track and up to his knees in mud while the men went by, saying, ‘I have a comfortable dug-out to go back to,’ when we offered to make way for him.”

[26] Up till this, Chapel Hill had been in the area of the 21st Division, but Dawson that afternoon was ordered to assume responsibility for it.

[27] Major C. M. Murray, another distinguished officer, had been recalled in September to take up work in England. He was with the ambulance during the heavy fighting of the first half of 1918.