Uxolo Bush & Battlefield Tours

16/08/2022

10/11/2019

Today we remember all those who fell serving their country, fighting along side their brothers.

10/05/2019

URGENT APPEAL: We urgently need to replace the fabric on our Bushcat aircraft's wings, which has been quoted at R40,000.

Our Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing) aerial patrol provides support to South Africa's second-largest rhino population and is one of KZN's most effective anti-poaching initiatives. Even the smallest donation can help:
Donate via GivenGain; PayPal or Direct Deposit by following these links:

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Givengain: http://www.givengain.com/cause/3213/projects/11081/

Email us for a s18A tax certificate ([email protected])

African Conservation Trust (ACT) Conservation Outcomes Wildlands Wildlife ACT - Focused Conservation Love Africa Marketing The Uthingo Foundation Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Game Rangers Association of Africa Mpeti Manyoni Private Game Reserve Phinda Private Game Reserve Thula-Thula private game reserve ZuluNyala Thanda Safari Somkhanda Game Reserve Weenen Nature Reserve Etienne Ge**er Ian Waghorn Grant Fowlds

22/01/2019

Today marks the 140th anniversary of the battle of iSandlwana (22nd January 1879) and the heroic defense of Rorkes Drift.

At iSandlwana 1 800 +- men of the 24th Regiment of foot and various other regiments under the command of Lt. Col. Pulleine camped in the shadow of iSandlwana, where they on the morning of the 22nd January 1879 were attacked and overwhelmed by a Zulu force consisting of close to 24 000 brave impi under the command of Ntshingwayo kaMahole.

The men of the 24th managed to hold their own over the course of the battle, at one stage even stalling the Zulu force.

At the end of the day the British forces lost 1 300 men while the Zulus lost approxitmately 4 000. Men on both sides fought like gallant heroes, those who were meant to be there and those that weren't. So fierce and devastating was the battle, that inkosi Cetshwayo kaMpande was reported saying "alas a thorn has been thrust in the side of the Zulu nation."

lest we shall not forget.

Image credit: Unknown artist
Final stand at iSandlwana

24/12/2018

19/12/2018

Too good...

06/12/2018

Well done Kruger Park so amazing 🙌

The Kruger National Park will now be accessible for people in wheelchairs and other mobility challenges thanks to new activity vehicles.

09/04/2018

On this day on the 9th April 1820 the first British Settlers arrive in Algoa Bay.

The first of the British Settlers, known as 1820 Settlers arrived in Algoa Bay, (Port Elizabeth) on board of twenty-one ships, the first being the Chapman. Their number was about 4 500 and included skilled men such as artisans, tradesmen, ministers of religion, merchants, teachers, bookbinders, blacksmiths, discharged sailors and soldiers, professional men and farmers. They were placed on the eastern border of the Cape Colony, later called British Kaffraria, to strengthen the border against incursions by hostile Xhosa societies. Their first homes were tents given to them by the government which were pitched after they had chosen a suitable piece of land. Their first and primary task was to build more permanent abodes for their families, after which they started to till the lands.

The government wanted to keep them as farmers, though many of them did not have farming experience. They were also too few in number and poorly equipped to repel invaders and soon they began to drift towards starting towns, where these settlers made their mark on South African society. They embarked on development programmes by setting up a free press, schools, churches, and businesses. Those who had stayed on the farms eventually began to prosper.

Ref: sahistory.org.za

06/04/2018

On this day on Saturday, 6 April 1652 Van Riebeeck lands at the Cape.

On 24 December 1651, accompanied by his wife and son, Jan van Riebeeck set off from Texel in The Netherlands for the Cape of Good Hope. Van Riebeeck had signed a contract with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to oversee the setting up of a refreshment station to supply Dutch ships on their way to the East. Sailing on the Dromedaris with two other ships, the Rejiger and De Goede Hoop, Van Riebeeck was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women.

When Van Riebeeck left The Netherlands in 1651, the Council of Policy, a bureaucratic governing structure for the refreshment station, had already been established. On board the Dromedaris Van Riebeeck conducted meetings with his officials – minutes of the meetings of the Council of Policy, dated from December 165, have been established.

The ships docked on this the 6th April 1652. Within the week of the arrival of the three ships, work begun on the Fort of Good Hope. The aim was to establish a refreshment station to supply the crew of the VOC's passing trading ships with fresh water, vegetables and fruit, meat and medical assistance. However, the first winter experienced by Van Riebeeck and his crew was seen to be extremely harsh, as they lived in wooden huts and their plantations were washed away by the heavy rains. As a result, food dwindled and by the end of the winter approximately 19 men had lost their lives as a result.

Ref: sahistory.org.za

05/04/2018

On this day Friday, April 5, 1652, Table Mountain is sighted at 2.30 p.m. by a crewmember of the Drommedaris, the ship on which Jan van Riebeeck and his company were travelling.

Johan Anthonisz "Jan" van Riebeeck was born on the 21st April 1619 in Culemborg in the Netherlands.

In 1639 Van Riebeeck joined the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie aka VOC (Dutch East India Company) and sailed to Batavia in April 1639 as an assistant surgeon. From there he went to Japan, and in 1645 Van Riebeeck took charge of the company trading station at Tongking (Tonkin, now in Vietnam). Van Riebeeck was recalled from the post in Tongking as it was discovered that he was conducting trade for his own account.

In 1651 he was sent to establish a refreshment post at the Cape of Good Hope. On the 6th of April 1652 van Riebeeck landed at the Cape with 3 ships (Reijer, Dromedaris, Goede Hoop), accompanied by 82 men and 8 women (including Maria de la Quellerie). The Walvisch and the Oliphant arrived late, having had a total of about 130 burials at sea.

30/03/2018

08/02/2018

Just a little bit of South African History for our amazing followers...

Post by Peter Dickens for the South African Legion.

Can you recognise this flag?

If you’re a South African you should know exactly what flag this is - but I’m guessing most South Africans won’t have a clue...

What if we told you it is the South African national flag as it was during World War 1.

As servicemen we have to be familiar with flag protocol and etiquette, it’s a key part of soldiering, especially when national flags go on parade.

However the funny thing in South Africa is just how poor our collective knowledge is of our own national flags.

Many times in veteran circles there is steaming debate on when to use the “old” national flag and in what context - however few people in South Africa know what flag to use, what they really mean and even less know what the first South African flag actually looked like.

Most people believe that the Oranje-Blanje-Blou (known more commonly as the “OBB” - Orange White and Blue), which most South Africans will recognise, was the flag used during WW1. But they are entirely incorrect.

The very first National Flag of South Africa on the 31st May 1910 when the Union of South Africa came into existance was the “ensign flag” (British union Jack top left and the South African National Coat of Arms inserted bottom right). Known as a “Red Duster” - now not too many South Africans today have ever seen that flag.

The National Flag as depicted in this WW1 postcard is the National Flag that South Africa fought under during the First World War (there where two versions of this ensign flag which they used - one Red and one Blue).

Ironically, the Boer Commandos that joined the South African Union’s Defence Force at Union in 1910, used and fought under this “South African Ensign” in the South West African and the East African campaigns of World War 1 from 1914 to 1918.

As noted, there was another variant of the “Red Duster” which is an ensign with the respective nation’s emblem against a Blue Background and a British Union flag in the left hand corner (you’ll still see this variant used in New Zealand and Australia for their National flag). The Red Duster variant was the primary flag adopted by South Africa and Canada (Canada used their ensign version during WW1 and WW2 - it was only changed to the Maple Leaf in 1965)

Both South Africa “Ensign” flags - Red and Blue qualified the de facto South African national flag from 1910 to 1928, however the Red one was more common.

Given the Ensigns where the flags usually adopted for British “Dominions and Colonies”, the South African “Union” government (which was in fact an independent Parliament) felt differently. To the South African Union the national flag of 1910 was “still born” and not reflective of the history of the Boer Republics which made up the other half of the “Union” nor did it adequately reflect on South Africa’s Dutch colony origins.

The Oranje-Blanje-Blou (“OBB”) was adopted by the South Africa as the national flag in 1928. It was proudly flown as the flag of “Union” represneting the British Colonies of the Cape and Natal and the Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The use of the British Union flag in the OBB calmed the “English” detractors who objected to such a dramatic flag change.

Here’s another fun fact, the OBB is not the “Apartheid” flag, the National party when they came to power in 1948 put forward a proposal to have it amended and remove what they called the “Bloed Vlek” (Blood Stain) which was the British Union Flag inserted in the OBB. This was a National party pet hate as it reminded many Afrikaner nationalists of British decimation of Boer families and farms during the Boer war - the campaign to change the OBB flag was stepped up by the National Party under Hendrik Verwoerd when South Africa became a Republic and when he withdrew South Africa from the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1961.

However broader public pressure at the time prevented their proposals for a flag change from being passed by Parliament and the idea was eventually shelved. In effect the campaign to change the OBB died with Verwoerd in 1966.

Historically speaking the National Party members disliked the original South African ensign national flag even more, so much it was literally erased from the South African collective consciousness and very few examples of it survive to this day.

That the subsequent flag of South African Union (the OBB) was kept during the implementation of Apartheid by the National Party from 1948 to 1990 is unfortunate as it detracts from it’s rich heritage as the flag of the South African “Union” and it is not the flag of the South African “Republic” - it especially detracts from all the kudos that South Africa received during World War 2 fighting under the Union OBB.

The “new” South African flag adopted in 1994 was actually an “interim” flag, however it proved highly popular and became the national flag. According to its designer Fred Bromnell - It is actually a combination of the “OBB”, the Transvaal Boer Republic “Vier Kleur”, the British Union flag and the ANC Flag. The V symbolises inclusion and unification. In essence it is another flag of “Union” only this time acknowledging the county’s Black population and its historical heritage (there are some claims that the flag is just a “design” with no meaning or symbolism - but that’s not the opinion of the man who actually designed it).

So in fact the “New” South African flag reflects all the old flags of South Africa, these exist right there - symbolically placed in the new flag - and that’s an inconvenient truth to the “new” flag’s detractors and the detractors of the old OBB.

Todays image is - TO VICTORY! "UNION IS STRENGTH!", "EENDRACHT MAAKT MACHT!"

Part of a set of 6 Postcards promoting the Commonwealth countries commitment to partaking in World War 1. The series focussed primarily on the dominions, including South Africa - this one carries the then National Flag of South Africa.

04/02/2018

Had a really good 3 day tour visiting the sites of Talana, Isandlwana, Rorkes Drift and Spioenkop (images below).

02/01/2018

Spent last week with two sets of different guests showing off the Hluhluwe / iMfolozi game reserve and Giants Castle a long with Midlands Meander.