Memorable Order Of Tin Hats Monte StancoShellhole
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This cache is only available on a Saturday btw 12:00 -15:00 There
is a bell on the left of the big drive in gate. The MOTH is an
Ex-Servicemens organisation founded on 7th.May 1927.The MOTH
Revolves around the three ideals of True Comradeship, Mutual Help
and Sound Memory The idea or the Order ,then and now is to help
fellow comrades in need, either financially or physically and to
remember all servicemen who have answered the Sunset Call, both in
war and peace time.
Mothistory The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH) was founded at
Durban, South Africa in 1927 and almost immediately the idea caught
hold in the U.K., symbolic of the great friendships which had
occurred, during and after, the Great War, 1914 -18. Our Founder,
Charles Evenden, more affectionately known as 'Evo' or MOTH 'O',
had witnessed life in the trenches and the sense of despair which
swept the world after the war. MOTH 'O' had a vision that
REMEMBRANCE was the opposite to FORGETFUL-NESS. MOTH 'O' had an
overpowering belief in common friendship. He once said, "Friendship
is the greatest power given to man, it turns ideals into practical
deeds." He saw a purpose for all veterans, mostly disabled, to band
together into units, challenging the common day to day problems
within Durban and the Provinces.He established clubs, known as
Shellholes with a regional structure of Dugouts in each of the
provinces. These terms were quite familiar to all ex-service men
who not only experienced the trenches but also the camaraderie
which developed among allied troops in a time of adversity. History
of Monte Stanco Shell Hole: 1. THE OLD ARMOURY, SCOTT STREET,
NEWCASTLE. THE OLD ARMOURY WAS BUILT IN 1879 BY BRITISH FORCES
ALONG WITH FORT AMIEL AS A DEFENCE MEASURE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE
ANGLO-ZULU WAR, BUT, IN ACTUAL FACT, SAW NO MILITARY ACTION.
ALTHOUGH THE ARMOURY WAS INDEED USED TO STORE AMMUNITION (SEVERAL
YEARS AGO SEVERAL MARTINI-HENRY CARTRIDGES WERE FOUND IN THE
CELLARS), IT WAS MAINLY USED AS A PLACE TO STOCK LARGE AMOUNTS OF
HORSE FODDER (OATS, HAY ETC.) FOR THE BRITISH FORCES. OLD
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW SEVERAL WOODEN HORSE STABLES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF
THE BUILDING AND ONE OF THE ORIGINAL HORSE TROUGHS IS STILL THERE
ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING.THE ARMOURY HAD SOME CLAIM TO
FAME, WHEN, IN 1899 DURING THE 2ND ANGLO-BOER WAR, WHILST THE BOERS
WERE IN CONTROL OF NEWCASTLE FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS, A YOUNG NEWSPAPER
REPORTER FROM LONDON WAS CAPTURED BY A BOER KOMMANDO WHEN THEY
AMBUSHED A BRITISH TRAIN AT CHIEVELY, NEAR ESTCOURT. EN ROUTE TO
PRISON IN PRETORIA, HE WAS REPORTEDLY HELD OVERNIGHT IN THE OLD
ARMOURY.HIS NAME WAS WINSTON CHURCHILL! MANY YEARS AGO THE OLD
ARMOURY WAS DECLARED A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND A PLAQUE ON THE FRONT
WALL MARKS THIS STATUS. 2. MONTE STANCO SHELLHOLE MONTE STANCO
SHELLHOLE WAS FOUNDED ON 7TH NOVEMBER 1946. IT’S 1ST MEETING WAS AT
THE CORONATION MASONIC LODGE IN HARDING STREET, BUT LATER ON THE
NEWCASTLE MUNICIPALITY LEASED, THEN LATER DONATED THE OLD ARMOURY
TO THE MOTHS. PART OF THE AGREEMENT IS THAT THE MOTHS MAINTAIN AND
ENHANCE THIS NATIONAL MONUMENT. MOST OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS FOUGHT
IN WWII, AMONGST THEM SEVERAL WHO SERVED IN THE ROYAL NATAL
CARBINEERS (BASED IN PIETERMARITZBURG). AT THE BEGINNING OF WWII,
THE CARBINEERS ESTABLISHED THE 2ND BATTALION, LARGELY MADE UP OF
VOLUNTEERS FROM NORTHERN NATAL, MANY FROM THE NEWCASTLE AREA. IN
OCTOBER 1944, THE NATAL CARBINEERS WERE INVOLVED IN A HEAVY BATTLE
WITH GERMAN FORCES, TO GAIN AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF A MOUNTAIN 14
KILOMETERS FROM THE TOWN OF BOLOGNA IN NORTHERN ITALY. THE
CARBINEERS, WITH OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN REGIMENTS SUCH AS BOTHA AND
WITS/DE LA REY, SUCCEEDED IN THEIR TASK, BUT WITH MANY KILLED AND
WOUNDED. THE NAME OF THIS MOUNTAIN IS “MONTE STANCO” (SLEEPING OR
QUIET MOUNTAIN) – HENCE THE NAME OF THE SHELLHOLE – SEVERAL MEMBERS
OF WHICH WERE INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE. ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS
OF THE SHELLHOLE, THE LATE JANNIE MOLL (EX-MAYOR OF NEWCASTLE,
SENATOR IN PARLIAMENT, SPRINGBOK GYMKHANIST) WAS, AS A CORPORAL IN
THE NATAL CARBINEERS, AWARDED THE AMERICAN BRONZE STAR FOR VALOUR
(THE SOUTH AFRICAN 6TH ARMOURED DIVISION WAS AT THE TIME PART OF
GENERAL MARK CLARK’S AMERICAN 5TH ARMY) FOR SAVING SEVERAL OF HIS
COMRADES WHILST UNDER HEAVY FIRE. AS A MATTER OF INTEREST, THE 2ND
BATTALION WAS DISBANDED SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THE WAR, BUT WAS
RESUSCITATED AS “REGIMENT NORTHERN NATAL”. AS WITH THE DRAKENSBURG
COMMANDO, THE REGIMENT WAS SADLY DISBANDED NOT SO LONG AGO, AND THE
OLD ”COLOURS” OF BOTH HAVE FOUND A HOME IN THE SHELLHOLE MOST OF
OUR WWII VETERANS HAVE NOW ”ANSWERED THE SUNSET CALL” BUT THE
SHELLHOLE STILL HAS OVER 50 MEMBERS, MAINLY THOSE WHO DID MILITARY
SERVICE IN VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS SINCE WWII. THE “SHELLHOLE” HAS A
COLLECTION OF ARTEFACTS FROM AS FAR BACK AS THE BOER WAR UP TO MORE
RECENT CONFLICTS, INCLUDING, STANDING OUTSIDE THE ARMOURY A 25
POUNDER CANNON AND A STUART (“HONEY”) TANK OF WWII VINTAGE.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ol ubbx be ol pebbx