Driefontein Scouts

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Does anyone have anything on the Driefontein Scouts ?. It appears that history may have forgotten these people Some members of this corps where involved in noteworthy actions in the AZW.

Barry

Posts : 269 Join date : 2010-12-02 Location : Kloof, KZN

Barry

I have checked Terry Sole's recently published book, 'For God, Queen and Country', which has the most comprehensive account of Colonial units during the Zulu War, and there are no readily evident mentions of the Driefontein Scouts. Perhaps the only official record of this unit was amongst the Colonial records of the Zulu War that were pulped during World War I, in which case they ended up as a wad of paper in a shell fired at the Germans.

Brett

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi Brett,
Good to hear from you and thanks for your reply.
It seems to confirm that yet again many very worthy and courageous actions by individual members, fighting for the great cause, went totally and shamefully unrecognised.
I quote fom R.C. Samuelsons, Long Long Ago;
referring to a group picture on page 310 and Simeon Kambule standing in no 5 position in the back row,

... he it was with no 4 saved a Carbineer who had lost his horse and was fleeing from Isandhlwana battlefield hard pressed by the onrushing Zulus by handing his weapon to no 4 ( Jabez Molife) , and taking him, the Carbineer on to his horse and carrying him away to safety in Natal, in the company of no 4.
During the operations in connection with the Ulindi battle he picked up and saved an Officer , who once again was hard pressed by the Zulus, having lost his mount . He was awarded the Distinguished Silver Medal in respect of the Zulu War but the medal that he and other Boer War Scouts should have received in respect of the war were withheld, as explained elsewhere in this book .

Some gratitude?

barry

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 43

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Hi Barry.
I have a copy of the Medal Roll here at my Fathers place but the Driefontein Scouts are not listed . I found this from ' The Washing Of The Spears ' by Morris , page 610 , '' Despite the heavy fighting in Natal , Zululand was
virtually unscathed by the Boer War . Both sides generally refrained from using combatant Native Levies , although the Natal Native Horse came out 350 strong , and Robert Samuelson proudly led the Driefontein Scouts , recruited from the Edendale men , on patrols through the Drakensberg ''. Hope this is some help .
cheers 90th. Idea

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi 90th and Impi,
Thanks for your finds.
I think part of the recognition problem I have been alluding to maybe relates to their leader,Samuelson, who was a somewhat contraversial character too.

barry

Subject: Re: Driefontein Scouts Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:20 pm

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Group No 1. Men such as Stephen Mini and Khambule recruited amakholwa (Christians) to serve as scouts during the siege of Ladysmith. Samuelson served with these men as a Carbineer officer.
Source: samilitary History

» Newcastle Scouts.
» Tpr. H.J.L. Slabbert , Colonial Scouts Company !!!!!.