Anglo Boer War Series - Scheepersnek Traditional Cache
Wazat: Will have a look at this at a later stage. The hiding place is not good.
Anglo Boer War Series - Scheepersnek
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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Battle of Scheepersnek memorial and graves.
On 16 May Col Bethune was ordered to pursue some Boers who were reported making their way towards Nqutu. Finding none there, Col Bethune's column commenced in the direction of Blood River and thence towards Vryheid. On 20 May a squadron under Capt W E D Goff, in the act of reconnoitering in advance of the main party of Mounted Infantry, was ambushed at Scheepersnek, some 10km distant from Vryheid on the Dundee Road. Despite orders to the contrary, Capt Goff galloped far ahead of his supports and, upon entering the nek, was fired on from the vicinity of two farmhouses to the west and from the high ground to the east, both at very close range. A short, sharp engage- ment followed resulting in the deaths of Capt Goff (3rd Dragoon Guards), Lt Lanham (Bethune's Mounted Infantry) and Lt McLachlan (Bethune's Mounted Infantry). Capt the Earl de la Warr and Lt de la Salle were wounded. There is some discrepancy in the various accounts of the other British casualties. According to Col Bethune, 18 NCOs and men were killed, 23 wounded, 9 taken prisoner and 9 prisoners wounded. The Times History states that, in addi tion to three officers killed, 30 men were killed, 30 wounded and six taken prisoner. In addition to these specific casualties others were reported missing, including Lt (later Capt) A E Capell. On the monument at Scheepersnek, 31 names appear.
The Boers involved in the Battle of Scheepersnek were members of the Swaziland Police, commanded by Commandant Koot Opperman. According to the Rev E C Andersen, in his memoirs, Die Verlede Herleef (The Past Re-lived), he had ridden out to Scheepersnek and was holding a church service for the Boers there when a sentry shouted from a ridge that the English were almost upon them. The Boers took up positions from whatever protection they could find and stood their ground, the British taking cover behind antheaps. The Rev Andersen comments upon the incredible fact that only one Burgher was killed, he being the popular Cornelis Ferreira from Vryheid
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