Hierdie volume bevat die manuskrip van Comrades All wat in 1946 deur Albert Hilder geskryf is oor sy ervaringe as ‘n lid van die Canadian Mounted Rifle afdeling tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog. Die volume bevat ook dagboek inskrywings wat Hilder in 1900 en 1902 gedurende die oorlog geskryf het.
Albert Edward Hilder (In uniform tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog)
Hilder se seun Charles onthou dat sy vader tydens sy aftrede daaraan begin dink het om sy oorlog ervarings neer te skryf. Gesprekke met sy ou oorlogsvriende het herinneringe aangewakker, wat hom aangespoor het om dit neer te skryf. Hilder het destyds ‘n uitgewer gesoek, maar was onsuksesvol. Hy is in September 1947 oorlede terwyl hy steeds die moontlikheid ondersoek het om sy manuskrip te publiseer.
In die voorwoord van Comrades All skryf Hilder: “… I recorded those years and events in my diary from which I have been able to give an accurate description of army life and movement in the regiments with which I served throughout the campaign.”
Albert Edward Hilder is in 1878 in Engeland gebore. Reeds in die eerste bladsye van Comrades All lees ons dat sy militêre belangstelling deur die Jameson-inval in 1895 geprikkel is, toe Hilder nog ‘n tiener was. Hy het die koerantberigte oor die fiasko en die daaropvolgende gevangenisstraf en vrylating van die oortreders gevolg. Soos baie jong Engelse destyds, het Hilder hierdie mans verafgod.
Hilder wou aansluit by die weermag in Brittanje, maar is geweier weens swak sig in sy een oog. Hy het na Kanada verhuis in 1897, waar hy as plaaswerker in diens geneem is. Hy het egter nie van sy droom vergeet om by die weermag aan te sluit nie. Dit blyk of hy by die milisie eenheid van die Royal Canadians Dragoons aangesluit het kort na sy aankoms.
Drawing by Charles Hilder, son of Albert.
“His horse continued on but the horse of the Canadian stopped, with the result that the officer was pulled from his horse and fell heavily to the ground“
Drawing by Charles, Albert’s son
“I sped around the stern of the ship, the baboon after me, in turn followed by dozens of men, all eager to get their hands on him”
In 1899, toe Hilder hoor van die komende oorlog in Suid-Afrika, het hy die kans waargeneem om as vrywilliger aan te meld. Hy het in Kaapstad aangekom in Maart 1900 as ‘n lid van die 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles, maar na ses maande keer sy regiment terug na Kanada. In 1902 besluit die Kanadese regering om ‘n tweede afvaardiging van die Mounted Rifles na Suid-Afrika te stuur. Hilder sluit weer aan, die keer as ‘n korporaal weens sy vorige ervaring. Sy eenheid word na die Wes-Transvaal gestuur waar hulle De la Rey moes terugdryf in die laaste fase van die oorlog. Na die vrede verklaar is, het Hilder se eskader in Junie 1902 vanuit Durban teruggekeer huis toe.
Hilder se skryfwerke is ‘n seldsame verslag van Kanadese optrede in die oorlog, soos gesien vanuit die oogpunt van die berede infanterie. Geen ander wesenlike beskrywings van hierdie eenhede is gepubliseer nie, alhoewel hierdie mans meer as 50% van die Kanadese soldate uitgemaak het wat in die oorlog geveg het.
Standbeeld van Canadian Mounted Rifleman, Boer War Monument, Central Park, Calgary, Alberta, Kanada
Hilder se taalgebruik is duidelik, goed geskryf en dikwels humoristies. Dit is beslis nie ‘n droë weergawe van gevegte en logistiek nie. Daar is weinig foute in sy verslag en al die details pas in by ander beskrywings van die oorlog. Hilder se werk bied ongetwyfeld insigte aan ‘n nuwe generasie geleerdes in Kanada en Suid-Afrika oor die gevoel van die algemene soldate want aan die oorlog deelgeneem het.
UITTREKSEL UIT DIE TEKS
On the 19th, our 2nd Troop was called out again for reconnaissance duty and, being numerically the strongest, had to do the advance guard going out and the rear-guard returning. We had no officer to look after us so Corporal Herriot paraded us to the Colonel. Colonel Lessard asked Corporal Herriot what the parade was about. He was told, in a few words, that our Troop, numbering twenty all told, was perfectly willing to continue fighting, but we wanted capable N.C.O.’s and an officer in charge of us, whom we could trust, but it was unfair for us to do all the dangerous work when the N.C.O.’s remained in camp11. The Colonel asked Corporal Herriot if he and his men were willing to continue if the regiment were re-organized. Corporal Herriot replied that, under our enlistment oath, we agreed to serve six months, one year or longer, if required. He further said, he did not think we should be sent back to Canada when experienced mounted men were required so badly. He then mentioned the action of 7th November, in which we had lost our troop officer, two men wounded and five captured. Colonel Lessard replied that he was going down to Pretoria the following day and would decide what was to be done on his return.
Our 2nd Troop had seen more action than any other troop in the Regiment, it had been on the march for nearly eight months. Two men had died in hospital, two officers wounded, six men wounded and five taken prisoner and yet we were still fifty percent of our original strength on enlistment and twenty-five percent of the entire Regiment of A and B Squadrons. A record to be proud of.
After Corporal Herriot had marched us back to our lines, some of the regular N.C.O.’s came over and congratulated him on what he had done, but neither the R.S.M. nor the S.S.M. had made any efibrt to help us, claiming that Corporal Herriot had laid himself open for court martial. There was little love lost between us and the regular N.C.O?s.
Colonel Lessard returned three days later and told us that we had the choice of returning to Canada as a unit or we could enlist in the Canadian Scouts which was to be formed under Lt. ‘Gat’ Howard. Some of the regular .N.C.O.’s would get commissions but none of our officers were remaining. We decided to return to Canada. The new enlistment plan did not appeal to us. We ought that the Strathcona Horse, A, B, C and D Squadrons should be organized into six squadrons and re-inforcements sent out from Canada to keep the newly formed force up to strength. Instead, with the exception of a mere handful, all the Canadian troops in South Africa were sent home. Such folly, when experienced men were so badly needed. But it may have been a question of seniority among the mounted men, Colonel Lessard, Colonel vans and Colonel Steele, all in command of regiments, two would have d to step down. This might have been the reason.
A number of men were still wearing beards, many had not shaven for eight months, so orders were given for the men to shave, and there would be an inspection. Private A. Hood was very proud of his beard and moustache, but orders were orders, so he persuaded Private McKelvie to be his barber, but not cut off his moustache, which he kept trimmed to sharp points. McKelvie proceeded with shaving off the beard and then completely snipped off the left side of Hood’s moustache. For some reason, Hood did not realize what had happened until, going to his tent, he was met by loud laughter from his comrades. He assumed that his appearance was so changed with his beard off, until one of the men asked him to look in a hand mirror hanging on the tent pole. Only then did he discover what had happened. It took the efforts of three men to stop him for going after McKelvie with a loaded rifle. Some of the other men remarked, ‘Who hit you in the face, Hood?” So he had to shave off the other side and, with his hair clipped short, his entire appearance was changed
Redakteur
Alan Gregory Morris is tans ‘n medeprofessor aan die departement van anatomie en biologie by die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Hoewel Professor Morris ‘n gebore en getoë Kanadees is, is hy ook ‘n genaturaliseerde Suid-Afrikaner. Hy het ‘n graad verwerf in biologie aan die Wilfrid Laurier Universiteit in Waterloo, Ontario, en ‘n PhD in anatomie en fisiese antropologie aan die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand.
Professor Morris het breedvoerig gepubliseer oor die prehistoriese en vroeë historiese mense in Suider-Afrika, maar het ook ‘n aktiewe belangstelling in meer moderne Suid-Afrikaanse historiese gebeure, insluitend die Anglo-Boereoorlog, gehandhaaf.