Check out the image below for all the details. Email Rob to book - rob@robmilne.com

Battle of Nooitgedacht Tour - 11 April 2021.jpg

Nooitgedacht Battlefield Tour: Day Tour One “the Boer Triumph”.

• Ruins of Pioneer Farmhouse. Background to British Farm burning policy and the key events leading up to General Clement’s Force re-fitting in Krugersdorp and returning to the Moot via Scheerpoort on 3rd December 1900.
• Mounted Infantry Campsite. The Battle begins at 03h45 when Commandant Badenhorst and the Pretoria Town Commando stumble into the main MI campsite pickets. The Commanding Officer, Colonel Legge is killed whilst reinforcing a surrounded picket. Sergeant Farmer wins the Victoria Cross for taking the wounded Lt Sandilands to safety (He also becomes the only VC recipient to earn the highest award for bravery and be captured on the same day). An Australian Officer, Lieutenant Skene, is killed whilst trying to rally Kitchener’s Horse in his “half-clad state”.
• Northumberland Fusiliers far western defences. Commandant Krause and the Scouts fired on at 04h30 by an alert garrison and grounded. After General de la Rey’s attack on Green Hill is beaten off at 05h00, the garrison cheers, which spurs Krause to charge across open ground to overcome the Northumberland’s’ five positions, one by one.
• Move East and park opposite the sangar next to the road. Walk north to the Northumberland’s sangars attacked by Commandant van Staden and the Waterberg Commando at 05h00.
• Walk south-east to “Trig Beacon Fort”. One of the main defences overcome by Van Staden’s Waterbergers. Re-built as a fortress by the British in 1901 – here we cover the development of the Blockhouse System. Walk south to the road, where the vehicle will be waiting.
• Park above the Vulture Restaurant and walk south to the Heliograph Station and supporting sangars. Here some of the Northumberland’s were pushed off the cliff to their deaths by Boers who were out of ammunition. We cover the various methods of communication during the War, together with entertaining stories of both secret and intercepted signals. Whilst walking back to the vehicle we note the position of “Last Stand Sangar”. This is where six soldiers fought off Krause’s Scouts before bolting for the ravine with 50% losses. Jan Joubert, the son of the late Commandant-General was gravely wounded in the final charge.
• Stop halfway down the gorge to view the British escape route to Yeomanry Hill. This is where the 4.7-inch Naval Gun was manhandled to safety by a handful of oxen and brave soldiers.
• Return to Askari Game Lodge, viewing game along the way.
• Optional free tour of the Plumari Museum and ox wagon collection.