It was a seriously sad place to visit. The War Graves Committee has re-buried many of the soldiers that dies fighting for South Africa on this spot and some of the stories is really touching. The air of neglect around the grounds also adds a feeling of despair. The granite gravestones seem fairly new but there are weeds and grass growing everywhere from the paving stones.
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| Burgher Grave Memorial |
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| The Memorial Write up - One of the burgher's re-buried here is Adrean De La Rey |
The Battlefield Museum was great. The Kopie gives you a view of the whole battlefield and shows a map of how the battle unfolded and how South Afria (brilliantly) outwitted the British attack.
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| The View of the Battlefield |
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| The Map of the Battlefiled showing the trenches to the right of the Kopie |
The standard battle plan in those days was to move your forces to the top of the kopie if you held the siege. With the introduction of artillery into the mix, the opposing forces would just show up and bomb the hell out of the top of the hill - game over. So when Genl. Cronje who commanded during the siege of Kimberley heard of the advancing British troops he stasioned the South African forces at the top of the hill. Genl. De La Rey returning from the burial of he's son argued that the forces should be moved to trenches at the foot of the hill. When the British arrived under command of Major General Lord Methuen, after a night march, they played according to the rules and proceeded to bomb the top of the kopie which only served to announce their arrival and intentions to the Boer troops in their trenches. We held the day but then lost the siege of Kimberley 2 months later at Paardeberg (to hopefully be visited on our way back).
After their dismal defeat (the 3rd one that week!!) they started using "spy" balloons. These were mini hot air balloons with a soldier inside, hanging on for dear life while making a drawing of the battle layout prior to attack.
For more info :- http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/magersfontein.htm
The site has a separate museum near the top of the hill, very well done. There is a separate room where you are in a trench, with 2 other Boer's and you watch a video of their view as the British troops advance. It tells the story of the Highland troops that lost nearly a whole Brigade during the battle being that surprised by the trench attack from the boers.
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| The 2 Boer "Soldiers" with us in the trench |
The rest of the museum shows the name of the fallen as well as some of the South African "pop-pop" cannons and uniforms used etc. - definitely worth a visit if you are a battlefield addict.