Impression sketch
of A Clean Sweep. [With Mr Punch's enthusiastic compliments to General Botha.] -
by Jamie. See the original at: http://punch.photoshelter.com/image/I0000yB7vyhOcWFE
Closure on one
battlefront,
Came with success
of General Botha
And surrender of
German forces -
30 miles North of
Otavia at Tusumeb;
Colonel Myburgh
captured guns
With release of
British Prisoners.
Such was the marking
of victory
In South West
Africa - which
Had been involved
from opening
Of war in 1914, when
British
Imperial Garrison
had transferred
From South Africa
to France.
In protection from
any German
Actions, the Union
Defence
Force acted to
protect Africa - while
Louis Botha, prime
minister,
Then faced
Afrikaner nationalist's
Desire for neutrality.
With lack of water
sources, borders
Of German-held
South Africa,
Consisted of barren
open desert.
Yet the rugged land
allowed
Germans to create a
defensive line;
Keetmanshoop to
Windbuk
With reluctance a Botha
Government
Created volunteer
expeditionary
Force, as Britain
asked for capture
Of German stations -
officially
South Africa
entered the war on date
Of 14 September
1914.
Following on defeat
at Sandfontein,
The British
survivors were
Given allowance to
return to their
Territory - after
some few
Months Germans
acted to make
Their invasion at
Kakamas.
The conflict of
February 1915
Centered on the control
of two fords
Over the Orange
River - this
Time South Africans
halted German
Invading forces in
their
Attempt to cross
the Orange River.
As experienced
commander,
Prime Minster Botha,
In taking command
of Northern
Force, passed on control
Of Southern troops
under the
Lead of General
Smuts.
All became ready
for a March
Invasion - in
advance Botha,
By Swakop Valley,
took control
Of communities then
enter
5 May 1915,
Windhuk, the capital;
To reject German
surrender.
Botha continued the
conflict,
Declaring martial
law -
In actions to
separate German
Forces from all coastal
Regions, worked on
maneuvers
To enclose the
enemy.
With columns fanned
out these
Commander’s
experiences,
From fighting Boers,
used swift
Actions to beat
Germans
Northwest, who took
stand at Otavi.
Between Otavi and
Otavfontein,
Major Ritter
attempted
To stall Botha for
time - for forces
At Tsombie to
reinforce
Positions, but
failure came - Botha
Troops routed
Ritters troops.
In the breaking
down of German
Lines, the campaign
moved
To an end; as
General Smuts took
To secure
Luderitzbucht -
For an eventual
push of southern
Germans into
Botha's hands.
by
Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Botha's
Final Triumph. Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue
9, [online] 10 July. P.5.
Available at: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19150710.2.23&e=11-07-1915-----10--1----011+july+1915--
[Accessed: 11 July 2015].
Source: File:
South-West Africa Campaign. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online]
Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South-West_Africa_Campaign> [Accessed: 11 July 2015].
Source: File:
Battle of Otavi. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Otavi> [Accessed: 11 July 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100
years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 11 July
2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1SouthAfica
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