On Commando | Page 2

to see
to except provisions for a day or two, as Government would supply us
with all necessaries at Zandspruit, where the commandos were to
concentrate; so many of us took neither pots, pans, nor mugs.
What a disillusion it was to find on our arrival at Zandspruit that there
were no tents, and as yet no provisions of any kind! So we were
initiated by having to pass the first nights of our commando life on the
open veld with insufficient food. And in the daytime our work was cut

out for us, as every other minute our horses disappeared--lost among
the thousands of horses that all looked exactly alike in the eyes of an
inexperienced townsman. Then it meant a running and seeking, an
examining of marks and tokens, until the stupid among us were obliged
to tie ribbons to our horses as a means of recognising them. And one,
the story goes, even tied a nosebag, with a bundle of forage, to his
mount so that it should not run away.
At length the provisions began to arrive, but the pots and pans were still
scarce and we could not even drink a cup of coffee till a tin of jam or
meat had been emptied.
We were just beginning to feel comfortable, when the time stated in the
ultimatum expired, and we had to cross the boundary of Natal. General
Erasmus was at the head of our commando. We spent the night near
Volksrust in a cold hail storm and rain. Those first days we are not
likely to forget. They were wet, cold days, and we were still
unaccustomed to preparing our own food and looking after ourselves.
Fortunately, we had the opportunity, a few days later, of supplying
ourselves with all necessaries at Newcastle.
Before we crossed the boundary General Erasmus had addressed us and
told us the news of our first victory--the taking of an armoured train at
Kraaipan; at that time we still made a fuss about such a trifle. Also, in
those days, we still looked up with respect to our leaders.
Ds. Postma, who accompanied us everywhere, led us in prayer. Not one
of the burghers seems to have known where the enemy were. We
advanced slowly and carefully, as we expected _to meet with the
enemy at any moment_; but we saw no signs of them until we came to
Dundee. After a rest of a few days we undertook the momentous
expedition to the mountains of Dundee, to the north of the town.
Towards evening we got the order to 'prepare for three days.' For three
days! And we had not even provisions enough for one. But we
understood that there could not yet be a proper commissariat, and we
fought for our country willingly, convinced of the justice of our cause;
so we 'prepared' cheerfully.
Before the commando started, a terrible thunderstorm came on that
slowly passed over and was followed by a gentle rain. We rode hard in
the dark, through dongas, past farms and houses, zigzagging in a
half-circle, to the mountains of Dundee. No sound was to be heard

except the dull thud of the hoofs of the galloping horses. Now and
again we whispered to each other how delightfully we were going to
surprise the enemy. When the horses came to a sudden pause, and an
inexperienced rider, owing to a presentiment of evil, involuntarily
uttered his wish to 'halt,' we turned upon him angrily and called him
'traitor.' We did not then know that we were far beyond earshot of the
enemy. It stopped raining, and towards morning we reached the
mountains; and after we had with great difficulty got our horses on to
the mountains, we had to await the dawn in the cold, drenched to the
skin. A mackintosh is of small service in such a rain. When the day
dawned we led our horses higher up. A thick fog had come on. General
Lucas Meyer was to begin the attack on the west, and we were to
surprise the enemy from the heights.
When the roar of cannon announced the battle, we were full of
enthusiasm, but General Erasmus forbade anyone to move on before
the fog lifted. It was quite possible that the fog might be only on the
mountain-tops, because of their great height, and that we would have
clear weather as soon as we began to descend, therefore several of our
men begged General Erasmus to be allowed to go on ahead as scouts.
But he was very much against it, and said that the enemy might cut off
our retreat, and 'if the enemy surround us it is all up with us,' said he.
As soon as the roar of the cannon ceased, we withdrew some distance