Melrich Tours

25/01/2024

The Anglo Boer War, Thursday the 25th of January 1900

Under a ceasefire, a joint clearing up operation on Spionkop commenced between both, the Boers and the British.
The battle of Spionkop, fought on the 23rd/24th of January 1900 marks one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles that would be fought between the British forces under the supreme command of General Sir Redvers Buller and the Republican forces under the command of General Louis Botha in Natal.
Spionkop was a crucial bastion for the British to open the route to relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith.
It was at 22h00 on the night of the 23rd of January 1900 that a large party of General Sir Redvers Buller’s army, under the command of Major General Woodgate would ascend Spionkop. It was decided that the assault would be led by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Thorneycroft.
On reaching the summit at 03h00, the British found it covered in dense fog, yet they commenced digging in. As dawn broke on the 24th, and the fog cleared, they found themselves to have entrenched themselves in the wrong position and that they were right in the center of three surrounding hills which were occupied by Boer snipers and artillery.
The battle of Spionkop would continue the entire day and the British trenches would be shelled at a rate of ten shells a minute, inflicting immense casualties.
By nightfall Thorneycroft would be overcome with grief as he witnessed the devastation of the day’s battle. Thirst and hunger had overcome the exhausted men. The British trenches were littered with dead and wounded soldiers and then there were those crying out for medical assistance.
Thorneycroft decided after conferring with his superior officers to order a retreat. The battle cost the British an estimated 243 fatalities. These men were buried in the trenches where they had fallen. In addition, approximately 1,250 British soldiers were either wounded or captured.
The Republican forces would suffer an estimated 335 casualties of which 68 succumbed of their wounds. This number also included the casualties of Boer Commandant Prinsloo's commando’s, which counted 55 men killed and 88 men wounded.
Being a Boer victory, Spionkop would become known as the “Acre of Massacre”.

22/01/2024

The Anglo Zulu War, the 22nd of January 1879.
The Battle of Isandlwana and the Defense of Rorke’s Drift.

It was on the 11th of January 1879, that the ultimatum which was sent to King Cetshwayo expired and that British troops, in three columns; under the command of Lord Frederic Chelmsford, crossed the Buffalo River into Zululand.
The Zulu king made countless attempts to avoid any conflict or war with the British Empire; however, he did find it impossible to comply with the requests which were set within the ultimatum.
The center column, of Colonel Richard Glyn under the command of Lord Chelmsford reached Isandlwana on the 20th of January 1879, and commenced setting up camp. The column numbered approximately 1800 troops, mainly made up of British soldiers of the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 24th Regiment, Natal Mounted Police, mounted infantry, artillery and also local African men of the neighboring British Natal colony, the NNC.
Chelmsford chose to rely on scouting which he believed would provide them with adequate warning of any possible attack. By the evening of the 21st of January, he was convinced of the presence of the Zulu Army in the vicinity of the Nkandla Hills and the Nquthu Plateau.
On the 22nd of January 1979, the British Army would face a Zulu force of approximately 20.000 Zulu warriors. The “horns and chest” formation, originally introduced by King Shaka, was used to encircle and trap the British against the side of Isandlwana hill.
The Battle of Isandlwana would be written into British history as one of the most embarrassing British defeats in military history, despite of British superiority in military resources and modern weaponry for that time.
By late afternoon, there was not a single defender left alive within the burning British camp. The British losses, out of the force of 1800 men, were estimated to be approximately 1300 men.
Zulu losses were estimated around 1000 men.
The tide would however turn later that evening and the following day, with the British victory at Rorke’s Drift, the 22nd and the 23rd of January 1879 where 150 British and colonial troops defended the mission station and hospital against an attack of an estimated 4000 Zulu warriors.
A total of eleven Victoria crosses would be awarded for bravery for the Defense of Rorke's Drift.



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18/01/2024

The Anglo Boer War,
Thursday the 18th of January 1900
In their attempt to break through the Boer defense at the upper Tugela, the British force under the command of Sir Charles Warren had succeeded a partial crossing of the Tugela at Trichardt’s Drift.
After crossing the river, Lord Dundonald, accompanied by a recon force, commenced into the direction of Tabanyama. A Republican force opened fire on them as they approached, forcing them to retreat to the main British force at Trichardt’s Drift.
It would also be on this day 18 January 1902 that Commandant Gideon Scheepers was executed by a British firing squad at Graaf-Reinet.

17/01/2024

The Anglo Boer War,
Wednesday the 17th of January 1900

The sun rose over the 99th day of the war.
General Sir Redvers Buller had still not succeeded in crossing the Tugela River in his attempt to relieve Ladysmith after it had been besieged by the Boers forces on the 2nd of November 1899. His attempt in crossing the Tugela River at Colenso on the 15th of December 1899 turned out to be a total failure and disaster.
The British forces did however manage to gain ground by marching up towards Trichardt’s Drift where Sir Charles Warren would attempt in crossing the Tugela River by means of temporary pontoon bridges assembled by the British Army Engineers.
General Piet Joubert, the overall commander of the Boer forces, now appointed General Louis Botha as commander of the Boer forces at the Upper Tugela.
It was however decided to strengthen the Boer defense line by moving an additional number of approximately 5000 Boers with 7 guns towards the upper course of the Tugela River where Boer commandos were serving under the command of General.
A P Cronje and Commandant Ben Viljoen.
The British crossing of the Tugela River would build op and lead to one of the fiercest battles to be fought in this war.
General Louis Botha would still play a significant role within the South African history in the years to come.

12/01/2024

Colonel Richard Glyn’s 3rd Column with Lord Frederic Chelmsford and his staff crossed the Buffalo River into Zululand at Rorke’s Drift on the 11th of January 1879. Their destination; to set up camp at Isandlwana.
It was on the 12th of January 1879 that the first skirmish between the British forces and the Zulus would take place at Sihayo’s Kraal.
This British victory would create a false sense of victory under the invading force, and this would prove to be fatal on what was to come.

11/01/2024

The Anglo Zulu War 11 January to 4 July 1879

The Anglo Zulu War originated in 1877, when Sir Henry Bartle Frere, the newly appointed British High Commissioner to South Africa proceeded with the implementation of policies aimed to place South Africa under a British centralized confederation government. This confederation would also include the two Boer republics of which the Transvaal already served as a British colony from 1877.
King Cetshwayo, the king of the Zulus was Frere’s largest hurdle to cross, as the Zulu King rejected any British interference in his territory and would not submit to British rule.
Realizing that the London War Office would disapprove of any war with King Cetshwayo, Frere immediately consulted with Sir Theophilus Shepstone, the newly appointed British governor of the Natal and Transvaal colonies. Frere emphasized the possible Zulu threat on the two British colonies bordering Zululand and the implications thereof if not being dealt with swiftly, thus calling for a military solution.
The Zulu King was issued with an ultimatum demanding that the entire Zulu army be disbanded. In addition, there was another series of demands that followed which was blatant British interference within the affairs of Zululand. The King was given 30 days to comply.
It was on the 11th of January 1879, that the ultimatum expired and British troops in three columns under the command of Lord Frederic Chelmsford crossed the Buffalo River entering Zululand, thus the start of the Anglo-Zulu War.

10/01/2024

As the sun set on the 11th of October 1899, the Boer ultimatum to Britain expired and the British Empire was at war with the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
A war which was estimated to last for only three months became a war lasting close to three years. The British garrisons which were stationed at Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley were immediately besieged by the Boer commandos.
“Black Week” would follow thereafter with the battles of Colenso, Stormberg, Modder River and Magersfontein, inflicting successive defeats to the British Army as the British were unprepared for what they were actually up against.
After the defeats of “Black Week” the British Army was necessitated to send for re-enforcements. It would be on Monday the 10th of January 1900 that Field-Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Lord Herbert Kitchener of Khartoum would sail into Cape Town harbor on the RMS Dunottar Castle with the much-needed re-enforcements.
Lord Roberts had now taken over the overall command of the British forces in South Africa.

09/01/2024

Welcome to 2024!
Our aim for 2024, is to make every tour an unforgettable, memorable, fun filled experience. Join me as I take you on a journey through the rich history and diverse nature that this country has to offer.
For further information visit our page, Melrich Tours or our website at, www.melrichtours.co.za where all our contact details are available.

04/04/2023

The Siege of Okiep.

It was during September 1901 that General Smuts with a small Boer commando of approximately 300 men had entered the Cape Colony. Their main objective was to obtain support from the local Afrikaners of the Cape Colony, but also to try and stir up a general rebellion against the British government of the Cape.
Friday the 4th of April 1902.
General’s Smuts, Bouwer and Manie Maritz were busy with reconnaissance, finding themselves at the small town of Concordia, approximately ten kilometers north - east of the copper mining town of Okiep,
A burgher with a white flag was sent to Okiep demanding its immediate surrender. General Smuts had also decided to pack a train with explosives and to detonate it within the town should they not surrender.
The town surrendered on the condition that their property rights were respected and that the copper mines be left intact and in peace.
The peace negotiations of Vereeniging would follow soon hereafter.

31/03/2023

“For he who desires to build a future dare not neglect the past.
Seek, therefor, all that is good and beautiful in the past, build on it your ideal, and strive to realize that ideal for the future.”

President Paul Kruger 1904

31/03/2023

The Battle of Sanna’s Post 31 March 1900

Under the command of Brigadier General Robert George Broadwood, a British mounted force withdrew from Thaba Nchu after attacking Boer positions there. General de Wet divided his force and sent approximately 1600 men under the command of his brother Piet de Wet, to launch an attack on General Broadwood’s force from the north.
A British reconnaissance force sent out to scout the area however failed to notice General Christiaan de Wet’s force at Koornspruit.
General de Wet's main objective was to cut the water supply to Bloemfontein.
At daybreak, General Piet de Wet commenced with an artillery bombardment on Broadwood’s forces, forcing them to retreat to Koornspruit where General Christiaan de Wet had set up an ambush.
The British soldiers, not suspecting anything, approached the river in small groups only to be ordered by De Wet’s men to surrender. An estimated two hundred British soldiers were captured there, along with the six artillery pieces.
The British forces were eventually alerted by a Captain, which allowed them, under heavy fire from De Wet, to retreat back to the railway station. Heavy rifle fire now ensued from the station.
With Piet de Wet's increased artillery fire, Broadwood’s forces had to retire south as they were running low on ammunition.
By sunset, both the forces had retired from the field. General de Wet’s force had retreated across the Modder River having achieved their purpose by leaving Bloemfontein without water.
In total the British suffered a loss of 18 men killed, 134 wounded and 426 men captured, this including a total of 7 artillery pieces and 117 wagons also captured.
The Boers suffered a loss of 5 men being killed and 11 men wounded.
The loss of the water supply to the town of Bloemfontein resulted in a further loss of 2000 occupying British soldiers due to enteric fever, dysentery and cholera.

30/03/2023

The Battle of Sannaspos 31 March 1900
It was on the 13th of March 1900 that Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, was occupied by the British Army under the command of Lord Roberts.
From Bloemfontein Roberts would advance north to Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal. He believed that the war would be over if the two capitals were in British hands.
On the 30th of March 1900, General Christiaan de Wet, the Free State Republic’s prominent Boer General, advanced to Sannaspos with a force of 400 men. He had divided his force in two, sending the other part of his force with his brother Piet de Wet to Thaba Nchu.
Sannaspos was the target as it held the water works of Bloemfontein.
The stage was now set for the battle of Sannaspos which took place on the 31st of March 1900.

30/03/2023

Battle of Kambula.
It was on this day, the 29th of March 1879, that the Anglo Zulu War battle of Kambula was fought. The battle was fought between the British 4th Column under the command of Colonel Evelyn Wood VC and the Zulu force under the command of Ntshingwayo . The Zulu Army followed their traditional “head, horns and chest” attack tactic and was encouraged by their successful achievement during the Battle of Hlobane. The Zulu had a numerical advantage over the British Army as they counted approximately 20 000 men strong. It must however be noted that the warriors were not in good condition due to malnutrition and some still recovering from their wounds from the previous battles (Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift)
The British Army, with 2,000 British troops and some local levies were successful in defeating the Zulus, with Wood’s force suffering 83 casualties and the Zulus losing approximately 3,000 men.

Make a booking and come and join me on an epic journey into the heartland of the Zulu Kingdom where we will explore the famous Battle Route of the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.

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27/03/2023

The death of Commandant General Piet Joubert,
It would be on the 28th of November 1899, during the Natal campaign of the Anglo Boer War that General Piet Joubert was thrown from his horse sustaining serious internal injuries. He would die of peritonitis on the 27th of March 1900
The name of General Piet Joubert will always be associated with the South African Republic (ZAR) and the prominent roles which he played in both of the Wars of Independence against Britain, 1880 to 1881 and thereafter the Second Anglo Boer War 1899 to 1902.
Petrus Jacobus Joubert was born on the 20th January 1834 in the district of Prince Albert within the British Cape Colony. After the death of his mother at his birth, he was taken in as an orphan by his grandparents. They migrated to the Transvaal during the Great Trek of 1835 and settled in the Wakkerstroom district within Natal.

Becoming a successful farmer, he decided to further his education by studying law. He would begin his public career in 1860 as a member of the Transvaal Volksraad (Parliament).
After the British annexation of the Transvaal Republic in 1877, Joubert accompanied by Paul Kruger and M W Pretorius, strongly opposed the British annexation. They tried to negotiate a peaceful solution and the reinstatement of the independence of the Republic, but with little success. The annexation eventually culminated in the outbreak of the First War of Independence in 1880 with Joubert serving bravely as Commandant General of the Transvaal burghers.
After the defeat of the British at the battles of Laings Nek, Ingogo and Majuba Hill, Joubert formed part of the delegation negotiating peace and thereafter the signing of the Pretoria Convention which brought an end to the war in 1881.
After the war, Joubert would stand as Paul Kruger’s political opponent during the 1883 presidential election but would be defeated by Kruger. Within the years to come, differences between Joubert and Kruger would escalate, especially after the discovery of gold in 1886 and with the growing “Uitlander” problem in Johannesburg. He would run as presidential candidate against President Kruger again in 1888, 1893 and 1898 with no success. He did however serve as Vice President to the Kruger government from 1883 until 1888 and thereafter from 1896 until his death on the 27th of March 1900.
Joubert was extremely criticized by the younger generals for his short-sightedness within the initial invasion of Natal in 1899 and the damaging effect that the siege of Ladysmith would have on the Boer forces and the eventual progress of the war in Natal.
His tendency to rather fight a defensive war in the place of an offensive war against the British forces in Natal would cost the Boer forces dearly.
General Joubert was buried on the farm Rustfontein close to the town of Wakkerstroom.



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30/01/2023

Beautiful Clarence. Lovely little Town. So much to do and see. Well worth a visit.

26/01/2023

26/01/2023

This is the Natal Royal National Park. What a gem! Home to the Protea (Dracamontana) and the Protea (Nubigena) found high up on the ridges of the Drakensberg mountains, and found no where else on earth. The common tree fern (Cyathea dregei) is also found here in abundance. This is also where the highest peak (Thabana Ntlenyana 3428m) is found on the border of South Africa and Lesotho. This is also where the Tugela river originates from and ultimately flows into the Indian Ocean. Contact us for more information.

25/01/2023

Golden Gate National Park. An absolute must see. The sandstone formations so beautiful. In the midst of it all, a small pit stop area at Glen Reenen. Put it on your bucket list. We offer guided tours through this beautiful part of our Country. For any information contact us at [email protected].

23/01/2023

Melrich Tours would like to welcome back everyone from their holidays. Trust you all are rested and ready to go. We'd like to share some beautiful pictures of the Drakensberg mountains. They are truely majestic and well worth a visit. Not only are the mountains beautiful but most of the area is steeped in rich
Boer, English and Zulu history. We offer guided historical tours to all these areas. Please contact us at www.melrichtours.co.za.
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23/12/2022

Good morning to all. Wishing all of our loyal patrons a merry Xmas. Please enjoy this time with your family and friends and stay safe. Looking forward to reconnecting with you all in the New Year.

12/12/2022

The Battle of Magersfontein.
Black week had started on the 10th of December 1899 when the British forces, under the command of General Gatacre were defeated at Stormberg junction with a loss of 700 men.
As already previously mentioned, that during the two week lull after the Battle of Modder River, General de la Rey took over the tactical command of the Boers at Magersfontein Hill and utilized the time to supervise the digging of a trench system which was dug at the foot of the hill, following the natural contours into the defendable landscape on either side, which now formed a 12 mile unseen defense system on ground level, facing to the direction of the British advance.
The ground in front of the trenches was covered with barbed wire which formed a barrier. Empty tins were attached to the barbed wire which would serve as an alarm should there be a possible night attack.
The 12-mile trench would prevent the British to outflank the Boer positions during the course of the battle and would ensure that with any British artillery bombardment of the hill, the Boer positions would not be affected and that casualties would be minimized.
For the past two days, Methuen’s artillery had been bombarding Magersfontein Hill endlessly hoping that it would unveil any Boer positions. The only reports received from reconnaissance forces were that the artillery fire only splattered rocks and that there was no Boer movement to be seen at all. The bombardment of Magersfontein Hill would continue the following day.
After midnight, on the 11th of December 1899, the Highland Brigade under the direct command of Major General Wauchope, formed up in Quarter column, thirty-two companies of four battalions in lines, and six paces apart to advance to Magersfontein. It would be a frontal attack and it was planned to be carried out at dawn.
Methuen’s advance was however carried out with limited scouting and intelligence, thus without any knowledge of the Boer positions. These men had no idea what they were going to face.
The antiquated British Aldershot tactics of men standing shoulder to shoulder, firing volleys at the enemy, and then thereafter carrying out a frontal attack, charging the enemy with bayonets would now, in “Black Week” be proven disastrous.
The British would attack on a seven-mile-wide front. The left attack would be carried out by the 9th Brigade, the centre and main attack by the Highland Brigade (Black Watch) supported by artillery, and then the right attack to be carried out by the Guards Brigade.
The night march commenced in heavy rain and storm which brought intense cold and making the march extremely difficult due to poor sight.
Against General Wauchope’s better judgement, he carried out General Methuen's orders to keep the men in close formation until they were well up to the Boer positions.
The men held onto ropes to ensure that the lines were kept straight in the darkness.
At 4 am, as it became dawn, the order was given for the men to go into extended order with the Black Watch moving to the right (eastern side of the hill), the Seaforth’s to the centre and the Argyle’s to the left. The Highland Infantry advanced as a reserve.
As the Highlanders continued their advance, the soldiers reached the barbed wire defense in front of the Boer trenches, getting entangled and tripping over the jangling tin cans, alerting the Boers.
The Highlanders had advanced to approximately 400 meters of the Boer trenches, when a single shot rang out which gave the signal to fire. The Boers, opened up with a deadly fire from their trenches, and as the sky lit up furthermore, the rifle fire became even more accurate and intense, sowing death.
Dr Conan Doyle, in his book “The Great Boer War” claimed that approximately 700 Highlanders were hit within the opening seven minutes of the battle. The British commander, Major General Andy Wauchope was one of the first men to die.
To make things even worse, the Highlanders, who now became entangled in the barbed wire defense system, were shot to shreds. This would be a forerunner to the agony which soldiers would face in World War One.
For the rest of the day, the Highlanders were pinned down, with accurate rifle fire at any one of the men who tried to move. They were without food and their water rations soon ran out. The scorching Northern Cape sun was burning the back of their legs below the kilts as they were lying flat for cover.
Relief came when the British Artillery opened fire, shelling the Boer positions. This gave some of the Highlanders the opportunity to try and escape to safety, but it was unfortunately too late.
Still under heavy fire, the Highlanders started a general retreat which culminated in General Methuen ordering a complete retreat.
The overall British casualties came to 970 men killed, wounded and captured, the bulk being from the Highland Brigade who lost 53 officers and 650 soldiers. This would be the biggest loss suffered by the British Army in a single day’s battle since the Crimean War.
Boer losses came to 250 men who mainly died from British artillery fire.
The Battle of Magersfontein Hill is written into the history books as one of the deadliest battles fought in the Anglo Boer War.