Journal of the International Churchill Society - Winston Churchill

In Pretoria, Witbank, Middleburg, Machadodorp, Belfast,
and Waterval Boven—the last four along the Churchill rail route
—I succeeded in my plans to have stamps cancelled to coincide
with Churchill's escape. Belfast, where WSC's train stopped
overnight, is a small town of about 10,000 with neat, clean
streets, pastel-colored buildings and beautiful gardens and lawns.
But my welcome wasn't entirely unanimous.
As I was photographing the Belfast station sign, an impeccably
uniformed railroad official approached and asked if I had
permission to take pictures. "I've been taking pictures along
similar tracks all day long," I said. "You know," he began, "I'm
not making an accusation, but a communist could stand there,
take pictures of the railroad, and give them to our enemies in
some of the countries that surround us." I was flabbergasted.
When I got my voice back I told him I was an American and
would be glad to show him my passport. "Tell you what," I said:
"Let me take a picture of you with the tracks in the background
and I'll send you a copy." He said okay, and when I said I could
send some U. S. stamps to his son, the confrontation was over.
But there is no doubt that many South Africans think of themselves
as a people under siege.
I would have traveled further east, all the way to Komati Poort
on the Mozambique border, but our schedule called for us to
drive north at Nelsprout for a photographic safari at Kruger
National Park and Mala Mala, a private reserve. But my Churchillrelated
travels were anything but over.
In northeast Transvaal we drove toward Lady smith, passing
Newcastle, Dundee, Glencoe and Elandslaagte, famous Boer War
battle areas. We spent a night in Ladysmith nearly opposite "the
little Town Hall, the tower of which, sorely battered, yet unyielding,
seemed to symbolise the spirit of the garrison." (London to
Ladysmith, p.472). Pictures, famous today in Ladysmith, were
taken of Gen. White's retreat from Dundee to Ladysmith, and of
the Town Hall after Buller broke the Boer siege. Today the belfry
is long repaired, with some addition built on. There is a small
park north of the Town Hall with a building containing historical
material, and a mile away I found the hill where Sir George White
had his headquarters, overlooking Ladysmith and—presumably —
its Boer beseigers.
South from Ladysmith and then west we found Spion Kop,
the 1450-foot hill where "Corpses lay here and there. Many of
the wounds were of a horrible nature. The splinters and fragments
of the shell had torn and multilated in the most ghastly manner."
(Ladysmith, p.308). Churchill devoted 20 pages of his book to
this 24-hour battle that the British, after being within sight of
victory, lost.
Many changes have occurred here since 1900. Route 616 lays
to the north (and only entrance). A reservoir was built south of
the Tugela, which is two miles south of Spion Kop, overlooked
now by Spion Kop Resort. Here we stopped to see the Spion Kop
Museum, picked up a booklet, and then headed for the hill.
It took us a half hour to drive around to the north side where
some children opened a gate for us, the area being farmland. But
only 20 minutes were needed to climb the wide, rocky path to
the west of the Kop. A Boer monument of rough stone is about
100 yards north of the crest, and we could see the peak of the
British monument, 15 feet high with the names of officers and
men who died on that 20-acre summit.
The 24th of January 1900 was hell here. The many dead, including
General Woodgate, were buried in long, shallow trenches,
realistically portrayed in contemporary photos. Today they are
dirt mounds about IVi feet high, with white-washed stones along
their sides. Metal crosses, some looking ancient, carry names or
memorials from families or friends of the fallen. Spion Kop is
really a cemetery, a memorial for nearly 1500 killed, wounded
and missing soldiers, mostly British. They died in an unnecessary
war that could have been prevented, save for Kruger's stubbornness
and Rhodes' imperialism. Much worse was to come in 1914.
Few people were on Spion Kop with us. An ex-pilot told me
of his exploits in Italy during World War II. Now he is an engineer
— and a poet —who climbs the Kop for its quiet and eeriness.
Going down was easier than climbing up, and the children were
still there to open the gate for us and collect their small tips. It
was a sad yet wondrous visit.
From Spion Kop we went southeast to Colenso, a sleepy
ICS Cover #24: LONDON TO LADYSMITH VIA PRETORIA
David Druckman went to considerable expense, but charged us
nothing (he is not a philatelist), to create this unique cover. Our
supply is limited to 40 copies. Dave (and we) hope you will consider
a donation of $5 or more for yours (tax deductible in US). We will
put it to good use-more cover projects! But as they say, "offer
good while supplies last." Please order from David Marcus, 221
Pewter Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20904; enclose long SSAE.
Armoured Train memorial (see also FH #20 p5) is 100 yds. from track.
On-site map and description of Armoured Train incident 26 Nov 1899.
Graves of those killed during the Armoured Train wreck.
The mineshaft where WSC hid; sign is temporary. Truck Co. behind.
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