West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 22 August 1901, page 5


THE BOER WAR. BOER LOSSES. LORD KITCHEN, WEEKLY RE-PORT. London, August 21. The War Office has received the follow-ing telegram, dated yesterday, from Lord Kitchener :— "Since 13th inst., columns report 64 Boers killed, 20 wounded, and 247 cap-tured (including Landdrost Stoya, of Vredefort. and Commandants Breyten-bach, De Villiers, the father-in-law of Mr. Schalk-Burger, and Bornpoort), and 95 surrenders. Also 267 rifles, 13,700 rounds of small arms ammunition, 127 waggons, 940 horses, and 4,700 cattle captured." IN THE ORANGE RIVER COLONY. PREVENTING A JUNCTION. London, August 21. General Knox and Colonel Rawlinson are dealing with 250 Transvaalers, who are endeavouring to pass Thabanchu southwlards, and with 250 of Kruitzin-ger's raiders, who are moving north-wards. A REVIEW OF OPERATIONS. INSENSATE RESISTANCE AND IGNORANT ARROGANCE. London, Augunst 21. Lord Kitchener has addressed a des-patch to the War Office, in which he re-views the military operations in South Africa up to July 8. He emphasises the fact that patience is necessary: to overcome the Boers' in sensate resistance.- He also denounces the ignorant arrogance of the Boer lead ers, who are solely responsible for caus ing the present. devastation and distress. 'Lord Kitchener 'concludes his despatch by, mentioning a number of soldibrs, in-= ,' cliling eleven Australians, for conspicu o: "o service. S . THE. HONOUR ROLL. CONSPICUOUS SERVICE OF WEST AUSTRALIANS. S. . "'..- London August 21. The following is' the list of the eleven Australians' who are mentioned for con S.'spicuous service ii-Lord Kitchenei's re cent despatch tou the War Office:-West Aiistralians: Captain J. Camp .- bell ard ..ieuts. Stanley Reid. A. For rest (hbthdeceased) and A. J. Brow~i. ' Queenslanders: Lieuts. C. G. Reese . and D. C. Cameron. . South Australians: Capt. Langley. New Zealapders;: Capt; Banciop and :Surgeon' Capt,.O'Neil. • SVictorian: Veterinary Lieut.. Sler lock.:. KRUGER'&.AGENTS IN LONDON. BIDDING FOR FRENCH CANNON. Lo'ndon. August 21; The London "Daily Express" is re sponsible for the statenient, that Mr. Kruger's agents have made a secret bid for'the new French cannon. One of these' pieces of ordnance is now on exhibiiton" among the military ethibits at Earl's .Court, London. AUSTRALIANS IN CAPETOWN. HAUL DOWN AND BURN THE .TRANS"VAAL FLAG:. London, August 21. The. Capetown correspondent of the Standard'! states that on Tuesdav last a number of ?Australian troopers hauled down and burned the' Transvaal. Vier kleur (the 'Boer's national flan) which ass flyinsg over the offices 'of the "On land" newspaper. Many of the spectators witnessed and applauded the act of the Colonial soldiers. IThe "Onsland," which is published in Caietown, isthe organ of the Africandeir -Bond.] . SUSPENSION OF PAYMENTS. A PROCLAMATION BY LORD KIT-' London, August 21. A proclamation has been issued by' SLord Kitcheiier .and countersigned by the Civil Administrator at Pretoria; 'providingh for the suspension during the. whole' eriod of hostilities of all payments required for preserving mining and land rights secured nder contract prior to the war." The 'proclamation is not applicable` where- contracts 'have not been carried out in certain circumstances of indivi dual default. [The above proclamation would seem to be almost identical with a proclama tion issued early last month. This pro vided that. owing to the inability, on ac count of the war, of parties to contracts *relating to. the purchase and lease of farms and the acquisition of.mineral rights to fulfil theobigations of such cons tracte. the period lietween October 11, 1899, apd a dqte to be fixed shall not be taken into account in calculatitig the .'period during which the contract is in force. This proclamation was'not ap nlin~hln whe~r~a sa Mntennc s rl rnse hear

carried out for special reasons provided for.] AUSTRALASIAN CASUALTIES. London, August 21. Private John Charlton, of the Fifth New Zealand Contingent, has died-.from enteric fever at Pretoria. Private A. Alexander, of the Fifth South Australians, has been slightly wounded accidentally at Tentersdrift. LETTER FROM SERGEANT W. MILLS. Sergeant W. Mills, of the Sixth West-ern Australian Contingent, writing to a relative from Pretoria, under date July 16, gives the following account of the en gagement.in which Lieutenant Reid sus tr :ned his fatal wound :-The Fifth and Sixth Contingents were on a patrol, and the division under Mr. Reid were sent to hold a certain place ;n line with other divisions. . . We left a group behind to hold this position, bring ing our numbers down, I think, to ten, and went off right out of touch with the main body. Two Boers came and played a very old, game, and Mr. Reid bad us fellowing them. Finally he dismounted us, and started us off, and sent the horses back.. No scouting was done. .. We just walked into them, about. 1300 ,strong, .mut of sight of friends. Just be fore the smash came DMr. Reid asked me to send back for the horses. I had a man mounted on our right as we were ad vsneing, so I went over and sent him back to oring up the horseholders. This left me a bit to Mr. Reid's right, and it was as I was going over to join him tha. be walked into the enemy. The fire was sudden and terrific, and must have dropped the two who were killed at oince. Anyway I hurried and signalled to the herseholders, who were by this time about 100 yards behind, and then faced " ound again, and got dowa and began to shoot. It was no use shooting, for they had us surd, but I felt like having a shot. I opened fire on some who were running across towards Mr. Reid in front of me, at about 40 or 50 yards. Some fire cr six of them at once turned their attention to me, and I cannot understand why they did not settle me first shot. Anyway they seemed to fire quite a number of shots all .ound me before, after seeing one par ticular chap fire a; me, I felt my lee hit. I was just ready to shoot, and I n~ade nvite sure of him, for I sat up for that shot, and a couple more, and then they flattened me out with two shots in the shoulder and neck, which I got together. I thought it was good enough then, and, anyway, my magazine I think was about empty, so I sat up and held up ihy hands. I then lay down for a time, and an old Boer came over and took my bandoliers, and asked me if I had a "clock." I handed it over most unwillingly, but all the ar gument was in his favour. Soon L saw one of our chaps coming from the horses, so called to him, and he came over, and shortly another, and they patched me up. Then the doctor arrived, and I sent him to his brother (Mr. Reid). for they

told me he Was badly hit. ?:?Later --he came and lobked to me, but the fellows had fixed menretty well., My leg didn't bleed, only.there was alterrible pain in 'my foot. and for- some reason or other-if haEn't stopped yet. I lost:a lot of blood from my neck and shoulder, but. I-got some water and plenty of spirits from the Boers, and felt all right till the. am bulance cam.:. I shall never forget that. ride into caap.. They put ine in with Mr. Reid, and you know how a~ army ambulance bumps .... I was beginning to feel pretty bad by the time we got to camp. They say that as wumnds get cold that is always so. We went with the column another three days, and then halted three days, and transferred from the Indian to an English Field Hospital, going with convoy to Middleburg. Three mnore days in h'bullock waggoiin;rought us there just about done. (Mr. Reid died during the'three days' halt.) I had three days in the hospital at Middleburg, the most disgracefully managed affair I have ever seen.' Some day I will tell you more about it. Then I went by the Princess Christian hospital'train to Pre tcria. Things are pretty good here (Pretoria), but. it is miserable to be kept in bed.. . . I have heard it said that there iai not much pain in a wound the momdnt of being hits but when first, hit I felt'as if my foot had been struck by a I lacksmith's hammer. , It nearly stood me up, and after.vardi, whei I got, the other two, although they hi nothing hard, it knocked me 'down flat, on my back. I had two other bullets through my coat, and they were the only, ones that didn't hurt at all! I hope to re join the corps soon. All'but my foot is practically healed Cunningham, of the the 1st Wests, is here, marked for Eng laid. He. has had bad luck--twice un der fire; and wounded each time.