And haven't I read somewhere that at Magersfontein (I think) a highland kilted regiment, pinned down all day in the sun by Boers were practically all hospitalized because of bad sunburn to the backs of their legs? Pat -----Original Message----- From: John Wilson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Monday, 26 May 2003 10:51 AM Subject: [BOER-WAR] Re: Dull Khaki Uniforms >Dull Khaki Uniforms without decorations: > >Thomas Pakenham in "The Boer War" (Ch 12) mentions the Gordon >Highlanders at Ladysmith camp before the battle of Elandslaagte, 21 >October 1899. They had just arrived from India and were preparing to meet >the Boer on the veld: "There were kilts to be patched and mended, khaki >covers to be sewn over the hairy black and white sporrans, and the usual >mixture of brown paint and cow-dung to be painted over the white webbing >..... their Highland dress was half-hidden by all the battle equipment: twin >cartridge pouches on the chest, balancing, under the criss-crossed webbing, >the neatly rolled greatcoat, and the water-bottle; Lee Metford rifle; >bulging >haversack, a hundred extra rounds, field dressings and the rest." > >But "despite those attempts to camouflage themselves with khaki and >cow-dung, the Highlanders were natural targets. Their dark green kilts >stood out against the grey-brown veld; and the bulls-eye, so to speak, was >the place where the black and white sporran hung below the Highlander's >belt." (ouch!) > >Later at the Orange River four of the six casualties of a reconnaissance >patrol were officers (Ch 16). "Those gleaming insignia, the stars and >buttons and buckles of the professional soldier, were all very well in the >drawing-room. In the sunshine of the veldt they blazed like a heliograph." >Buller told Methuen to follow Symond's example in Natal and make the >officers dress like the men. > >Barbara Tuchman in "August 1914" (Ch 3 page 47) mentions that while the >British had adopted khaki and the Germans were about to change from >Prussian Blue to field-grey the French were still wearing blue coats with >red >kepi and trousers despite Messimy's attempt after seeing the Balkan front in >1912 to change uniforms to a dull colour: grey-blue or grey-green. > >Yours, John Wilson (Wellington, New Zealand) > > >> So when did the practice of painting black -----badges, buttons, and all >> 'brass'fittings - >> >> --when in battle conditions start , please, I presume to cut the >> reflection from snipers sites ? >> >> My husband says that when he did National Service in the 50's-- they >> used WW11 uniforms, which all had black painted brass buttons..... >> >> June Adderley > > >==== BOER-WAR Mailing List ==== >Have you used Tree Tops? >The Free FAMILY TREE & WE'LL MEET AGAIN SERVICE >http://freespace.virgin.net/tree.tops > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

Off the top of my head the Black Watch under Wauchope and the first time trenches were used in 'Modern Warfare' Regards, David Bossenger, who has sat on the battlefiel and felt sorry for the Scandinavians who fought on the Boer side! -----Original Message----- From: Doug & Pat Frykberg [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 26 May 2003 04:51 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [BOER-WAR] Re: Dull Khaki Uniforms And haven't I read somewhere that at Magersfontein (I think) a highland kilted regiment, pinned down all day in the sun by Boers were practically all hospitalized because of bad sunburn to the backs of their legs? Pat -----Original Message----- From: John Wilson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Monday, 26 May 2003 10:51 AM Subject: [BOER-WAR] Re: Dull Khaki Uniforms >Dull Khaki Uniforms without decorations: > >Thomas Pakenham in "The Boer War" (Ch 12) mentions the Gordon >Highlanders at Ladysmith camp before the battle of Elandslaagte, 21 >October 1899. They had just arrived from India and were preparing to meet >the Boer on the veld: "There were kilts to be patched and mended, khaki >covers to be sewn over the hairy black and white sporrans, and the usual >mixture of brown paint and cow-dung to be painted over the white webbing >..... their Highland dress was half-hidden by all the battle equipment: twin >cartridge pouches on the chest, balancing, under the criss-crossed webbing, >the neatly rolled greatcoat, and the water-bottle; Lee Metford rifle; >bulging >haversack, a hundred extra rounds, field dressings and the rest." > >But "despite those attempts to camouflage themselves with khaki and >cow-dung, the Highlanders were natural targets. Their dark green kilts >stood out against the grey-brown veld; and the bulls-eye, so to speak, was >the place where the black and white sporran hung below the Highlander's >belt." (ouch!) > >Later at the Orange River four of the six casualties of a reconnaissance >patrol were officers (Ch 16). "Those gleaming insignia, the stars and >buttons and buckles of the professional soldier, were all very well in the >drawing-room. In the sunshine of the veldt they blazed like a heliograph." >Buller told Methuen to follow Symond's example in Natal and make the >officers dress like the men. > >Barbara Tuchman in "August 1914" (Ch 3 page 47) mentions that while the >British had adopted khaki and the Germans were about to change from >Prussian Blue to field-grey the French were still wearing blue coats with >red >kepi and trousers despite Messimy's attempt after seeing the Balkan front in >1912 to change uniforms to a dull colour: grey-blue or grey-green. > >Yours, John Wilson (Wellington, New Zealand) > > >> So when did the practice of painting black -----badges, buttons, and all >> 'brass'fittings - >> >> --when in battle conditions start , please, I presume to cut the >> reflection from snipers sites ? >> >> My husband says that when he did National Service in the 50's-- they >> used WW11 uniforms, which all had black painted brass buttons..... >> >> June Adderley > > >==== BOER-WAR Mailing List ==== >Have you used Tree Tops? >The Free FAMILY TREE & WE'LL MEET AGAIN SERVICE >http://freespace.virgin.net/tree.tops > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > ______________________________

I thought this report from SA might be of interest to the list Regards Deirdré Snook Mystery graves may be from Boer War @ http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1356161-6078-0,00.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Marleen Smith Dozens of mystery graves discovered recently in Kimberley may date from the South African War when Boers besieged the town for four months, an archaeologist believes. David Morris, from the local McGregor Museum, said archival evidence pointed in this direction. "There was mounting malnutrition in Kimberley towards the end of the siege on February 19, 1900," Morris said. "Records show that large-scale fatalities due to the malnutrition continued into March of that year." The graves were uncovered a few weeks ago by municipal workers building a stormwater trench outside the town's Gladstone Cemetery. About 180 metres of unmarked graves were disturbed by the workers before archaeologists became aware of the discovery of human remains. Construction has since stopped. Morris said as many as seven skeletons were found in some of the graves. A salvage team, including archaeologists, was now excavating the site, sifting through the remains. Unearthed remains were being kept temporarily at the McGregor Museum. Another explanation for the mystery being investigated by scientists was the 1918 flu epidemic, which killed nearly 4,500 Kimberley residents within two weeks. Morris said the graves contained many skeletons and the fact that no signs of coffins were found indicated a disaster situation. Large numbers of people must have been buried hastily, he said. Although coffins disintegrate over the years, they usually left behind visible markings. This was not evident in these graves. The absence of goods such as buttons also puzzled them, Morris said. The team only found traces of textiles like hessian in which the bodies must have been wrapped. Boer forces besieged Kimberley for four months until British soldiers relieved the town on February 19, 1900. The flu epidemic hit the town in 1918 in what became known as Black October. Historical records showed that local undertakers ran out of coffins during the epidemic, and mass burials were common, Morris said. Sapa