Battle of Witpoort

Battle of Witpoort
Part of Second Boer War
Battle of Witpoort, South African War Memorial (Halifax),Nova Scotia
Date 16 July 1900 Standort Witpoort, South Africa Result British victory
Belligerents
Vereinigtes Königreich Kanada	South African Republic

The Battle of Witpoort was a battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. Major Frederick Henry Munn commanded the detachment of the Royal Irish Fusiliers at Witpoort which was attacked on July 16th, 1900, his orders being to "hold it at all costs". The Boers called on Major Munn to surrender, but, scornfully refusing, he held out from daybreak till 2 pm, when the enemy retired.

Context

The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic) and the Orange Free State. It ended with a British victory and the annexation of both republics by the British Empire; both would eventually be incorporated into the Union of South Africa, a dominion of the British Empire, in 1910.

Hutton had four companies of the Royal lrish Fusiliers, the 1st Mounted Infantry, which was made up of the 1st and 2nd Canadians (who had arrived in camp on 15 July), as well as the Australians of the Queensland Mounted Infantry.

Battle

South African Republic General Ben Viljoen had positioned his burghers (An enfranchised citizen of the South African Republic) during the night of 15 July and then launched a three-pronged attack on the Major Munn and the Irish positions at davbreak. Viljoen ordered a 'general storming of the British's entrenchments'. The Official History states that the battle opened at 06.45 with an attack on the pickets at Rietvlei and heavy shelling on Maj Munn's three hills.

Before the Canadian counter-attack, the Boers were so close to Munn's position that they had repeatedly called on him to surrender. Col Edwin Alderson sent two squadrons of the Canadians to assist 'the Irish on the kopje which had been vacated by the New Zealanders' and, with the fire from the guns, the position was regained. 'B' Squadron of the Canadians climbed up to the rim of a rock outcrop, from which they charged the Boers under Pienaar, capturing the top and holding it with the help of 'C' Squadron.

At 14.00, British officer Edward Hutton moved all of his available troops onto the desperately regained positions and, by sundown, the battle of Witpoort had ended. His losses were seven killed, with 30 wounded. Two officers and 22 soldiers had been taken prisoner. The Canadian losses were heavy and included Lt Borden, the son of the Canadian Minister of Defence. He is buried at the Braamfontein Cemetery, not far from the grave of Willem Morkel du Toit.

The battle became famous because of the death of Harold Lothrop Borden.

Battle of Witpoort, Harold Lothrop Borden Monument, Canning, Nova Scotia

Legacy

There are very few battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War which present such well preserved traces as does Witpoort with its 51 small two and four man stone breastworks (sangars) built by the New Zealanders. The long line of stone shelters makes it possible for one to stand there and visualise the mad charge made by renowned Boer fighter Roland Schikkerling and his fellow Johannesburgers. There Willem Morkel fell. One can also crouch behind the rocky ridge thirty to forty meters below the sangars and then walk over the ground once swept by the New Zealanders' fire. There Schikkerling took his prisoners.

On the south of the ridge Col Alderson led his Canadians in their counter-attack toward the captured position. Today, this area is a well tended farm and in the north, the level ground over which the Boers charged is now a wattle plantation.

This battle site, with its clearly identifiable sangars, deserves to be declared a Heritage Site under auspices of the new National Heritage Commission.

See also

• Bombardment in the Second Boer War
• Military history of South Africa
• Military history of Nova Scotia

References

• Battle of Witpoort by D C Panagos, Military History Society Johannesberg Branch
• Harris, H, 'The Royal Irish Fusiliers' in Sir Brian Horrocks (ed), Famous Regiments, (Cooper, London, 1972).
• Miller, Carman, Painting the map red, (McGill-Queens University Press, Montreal, 1994).

External links

• Image of Monument to British Soldiers who died in Battle of Witpoort
• Battle of Paardeberg at Canadian War Museum