Willow Grange memorial war graves are situated off the R103 Between
Estcourt and Mooi River and are best done out of the rainy season
with a vehicle with good clearance.
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Willow Grange battle
Louis Botha as the newly appointed to Assistant-General, planned
to head for Durban in order to cut off the British supply route.
President Piet Joubert, being a far more conservative and cautious
man, disagreed. He was quite content to play “the waiting
game” by “starving” the British out of Ladysmith.
After considerable pressure from Botha however, he eventually gave
in and allowed 4000 men to explore the British lines. Botha passed
swiftly through Colenso and by the 15th November 1899 he had all
but surrounded Estcourt. Fortunately General Hildyard had earlier
arrived in Estcourt with his staff, the 2nd Battalion Queens
regiment, the 2nd Battalion East Surrey regiment, Bethune’s
Mounted Infantry and the 7th Battery Royal Field Artillery.
Back at Mooi River, the British were amassing troops with the
arrival of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, General Barton
and the 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, Thorneycroft’s
Mounted Infantry, the 14th Battery Royal Field Artillery and the
2nd Battalion Devonshires.
On the 20th November 1899 the British discovered that Botha had
installed a gun on the Brynbella Hill at Willow Grange, just 6
miles south from Estcourt.
General Hildyard decided that the sooner this gun was removed
the better and instructed Colonel Kitchener accordingly. The plan
was to use the element of surprise to capture the Boer gun and then
drive the Boers toward Mooi River and into the arms of the waiting
British troops. Although these British forces were forty kilometres
apart, they totalled some nine thousand seven hundred men and
possessed twenty-four field guns.
At 2.30 pm on 22nd November 1899 a force consisting of
Kitchener’s 2nd Battalion West Yorkshires, 7 companies of
East Surreys, 4 companies of 2nd Queens, one 12 pounder Naval Gun
and 7th Battery Royal Field Artillery moved out in the direction of
Willow Grange. By 5pm they had occupied Beacon Hill.
Joubert, with 2000 men, two guns and two Maxims, took up the
position on the Highlands Hills, between Hildyard and
Barton’s Brigades.
About this time a terrific thunderstorm came on which continued
at intervals until about 1am, under cover of which the West
Yorkshires and East Surreys moved to a spur of Beacon Hill
overlooking the Highlands. At midnight they moved out towards
Bryn-Bella Hill to capture the Boer Gun. In the darkness some
confusion arose and the East Surreys opened up on the West
Yorkshires causing several casualties. At 2.50 am the attack on the
Hill commenced and, on reaching the top, the Hill was secured only
to find the gun had been moved minutes earlier and the Boers had
moved back onto the Highlands Hills.
At that time there were only about two hundred men in action,
150 Freestaters and 50 Johannesburg police. Louis Botha arrived
with the Krugersdorp commando and began the attack. With two field
guns and a pom-pom, the Boers eventually gained the upper hand and
Hildyard decided to retire his troops.
Before daybreak five companies of the Border Regiment and a
group of mounted troops had arrived only to find they were too late
to join the attack but they did assist in getting the other troops
safely back to Estcourt, arriving at about 6 pm.
British casualties were listed as 16 killed and 60 wounded.
Major Hobbs and 7 soldiers were taken prisoner because they had
elected to stay behind with the wounded.
Botha reports 1 killed and 4 wounded.
BRITISH FORCES
1st Battalion Border Regiment; 1st Battalion Durham Light
Infantry; 2nd Battalion East Surreys comprising 7 companies.
2nd Battalion West Surreys (Queens) comprising half
battalion;
2nd Battalion West Yorkshires.
3rd Battalion Kings Royal Rifles mounted infantry; Bethunes
Mounted Infantry.
Imperial Light Horse; Natal Carbineers; Natal Mounted Police;
The 7th Battery Royal Field Artillery
Royal Navy 12 pounder under Lieutenant James.
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To find this cache you would need to work out the following to
get the final:
Find the grave with the bullet casings and look for the
following:
S29 06.ABC E29 55.DEF
A = number of casings in the letter N
B = number of casings in the letter V minus 5
C = number of casings in the letter H minus 9
D = number of casings in the letter U minus 11
E = number of casings in the letter B minus 9
F = number of casings in the letter L