THE ROODEWAL INCIDENT, 7th JUNE 1900

Brown pictorial carton covers. Numbered 126 of a limited edition. 44 pages text with examples and images. Slight wear to the rear cover, slight foxing on a few pages only.

It Happened in the Orange Free State 7th June, 1900. The Roodewal Incident.

It is probably true that every war has had certain highlights which have been recorded for posterity in one way or another. Some occurrences pass into legends and even traditions of one kind or another. More recently written records have enabled these records to be of greater accuracy than was the state in the past. This is undoubtedly true of the South African War of 1899-1902 of which much has been written often after reference to reports made at the time by the actual participants. The sieges of Ladysmith and Kimberley are well known examples.

On the 7th June 1900 the 4th Derbyshires were overwhelmed by the Boers under that distinguished General Christiaan de Wet who so frequently proved to be a thorn in the side of the British. The story of what occurred on this occasion has often been told but probably without the writers having had an opportunity to see the official papers, including the reports of those principally concerned. These notes are intended for philatelists interested in the matter chiefly from their particular point of view.

Historically it will be remembered that in March, after the fall of Bloemfontein, the British sought to advance north up the railway towards Pretoria. According to "The Times History" the railway which was, understandably of great importance to the British, was necessarily a main target of the other side. We are told that Major Haigh had moved up to a railhead a few miles further north leaving some thirty men to guard stores at Vredefort Road. "Seven companies of the Derby Militia and some Colonial scouts were at Rhenoster River Bridge and at Roodewal, three miles further south, one company of that battalion, with a company of the Railway Pioneer Regiment amounting to about 150 men, were guarding a large consignment of stores left on the side of the railway" (The Times History of the War in South Africa).It is not altogether clear whether the 150 men included numbers of the Army Post Office Corps.

On 17th June Lt.Col.Greer, the Director of Military Postal Services, South Africa reported the Incident to the Secretary of the G.P.0. in London- On the 7th inst, about 2000 mail bags containing two week's mail for some units, four for others were captured by the Boers and destroyed, with the exception of two bags.

Then follows details of the attack, defence and outcome. The stock of stamps, postal orders and cash were captured.......

The documents then detail and list examples of items captured.