NAM.1986-11-36-3

Bound Army Book 129 containing diary of Lt Col Hon Charles Granville Fortescue, Rifle Brigade, 1901-1902. The narrative opens at Middleburg where he was engaged in siting posts and other administrative duties. On 1 Feb he left for Naauwpoort, and on 15th reached De Aar where he was engaged dispatching columns. On 6 Mar Springfontein was reached, and the 12th Bloemfontein, where he co- ordinated the columns hunting De Wet. He reached Edenburg on 29 Mar, where in addition to playing bridge he sent troops out, gave orders, and performed other administrative duties to prosecute the campaign. On 7 Apr he recieved orders to serve as DAAG and CSO to Fetherstonhaugh's Column which worked out from Middleburg, where he arrived on 13 Apr. On the 16th they set off, reaching Johannesburg on the the 30th, and treking around Klerksdorp thereafter, seeing quite a bit of action with the Boers. On 20 Oct he was told to command the Pretoria Column, which he joined at Pretoria on the 25th, and from there proceeded to Tweefontein on 27th, Middleburg 10 Nov, and early Jan 1902 they operated around Roodepoort. They were then based on a blockhouse line near Middleburg, at Caroline in Feb, and reached Wonderfontein on 31 Mar, still garrisoning blockhouses. On 1 Jun he heard that peace had been declared, and they set off on their last trek on 16th, proceeding to Middleburg. On 17 Jun he received orders to act as MS until Henry Yarde Buller returned from leave, and went to Pretoria the next day. The entries end with him in Pretoria in that position. Associated with the Boer War (1899-1902).

Boer War (1899-1902)