Churchill Read online

  Copyright © 1999 by Celia Sandys

  First Skyhorse edition 2019

  First published by Carroll & Graf 2000

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Qualcom

  Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-4386-1

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-4387-8

  Printed in the United States of America

  For Ken

  CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  LIST OF MAPS

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PREFACE

  PROLOGUE

  1 Gateway

  2 Preparing for War

  3 Cruising to a Catastrophe

  4 The Station Yard

  5 Knight Errant

  6 The Botha Legend

  7 Into Captivity

  8 The States Model School

  9 Controversy

  10 Wanted Dead or Alive

  11 A Soldier Again

  12 A General on Spion Kop

  13 Into Ladysmith

  14 A Lull in the Storm

  15 Return to Pretoria

  EPILOGUE: A Triumphal Progress

  REFERENCE NOTES

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  INDEX

  FOREWORD

  I have greatly enjoyed writing all of my five books, but by far the most exciting experience was retracing my grandfather’s thrilling adventures in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War.

  I had intended to cover thirteen years of his life from when he left Sandhurst aged twenty until his marriage to Clementine Hozier in 1908. This was intended to be a sequel to my first book, From Winston with Love and Kisses: The Young Churchill, which was published in 1994. At the end of that year it was to be launched in South Africa, and I decided that my attendance at the launch was a good excuse for a family holiday/research trip. On the first day I was on my way to the launch party via a television interview when in idle conversation with the public relations girl I asked how many books there were.

  She replied, “Three hundred.”

  I asked, “At the party tonight?”

  “No.”

  “In Johannesburg?”

  “No.”

  “In all South Africa?”

  “Yes.”

  I realised immediately that there was little point discussing a book on television that would be sold out at the launch party, so I asked the presenter if she would, instead of promoting another book, help me find people whose parents’ or grandparents’ lives had been touched by Winston Churchill a century before. She was more than happy to do so, but the representative from the publisher were less so.

  That night I received more than sixty responses to my appeal. I was amazed and delighted and immediately decided to change the focus of my next book from thirteen years to nine months. Those nine months, which covered his thrilling adventures in South Africa, were in any case the part of his early life that excited me the most. When we were children, the favourite game of my siblings and I was “Churchill: Wanted Dead or Alive.”

  At the time, I didn’t realise the true significance of the journey on which I was about to embark in the footsteps and hoofprints of the grandfather I had known only in his later years.

  When the twenty-four-year-old Winston landed in Cape Town on October 30, 1894, he was the precocious son of a famous politician; when he sailed away nine months later, he was a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.

  This fame was not a gradual process. His capture by the Boers on November 15 caught the imagination of the British and American newspapers, but this was nothing compared to what was to come.

  Four weeks later, he climbed over the wall of the latrine block of the States Model School where he was imprisoned and stepped onto the international stage where he was destined to remain for the rest of his life.

  Before then people were interested in him because of his father, but from that day on I discovered, in the course of my research, that they could tell me what he said, what he looked like, what clothes he wore, what he did, and even what he ate.

  That day was the beginning of his greatest adventure and perhaps the most significant day of his life.

  He didn’t know it at the time, but the fame and glory that he craved was about to be his.

  Winston was on his way.

  Celia Sandys

  2019

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  Section One

  Winston Churchill, war correspondent, by Mortimer Menpes (From Mortimer Menpes, War Impressions, Adam & Charles Black, 1901)

  The Dunnotar Castle, on which Churchill sailed for South Africa on 14 October 1899 (Fiona Martin)

  General Sir Redvers Buller

  Estcourt in 1899 (Fort Durnford Museum, Estcourt)

  Estcourt station, where Churchill pitched his tent (Fort Durnford Museum, Estcourt)

  Churchill in South Africa, by Mortimer Menpes (From Mortimer Menpes, War Impressions, Adam & Charles Black, 1901)

  Churchill with Colonel Julian Byng, commander of the South African Light Horse (Churchill Archive Centre)

  Captain Aylmer Haldane

  ‘Hairy Mary’, the armoured train (MOTH Museum, Durban)

  The armoured train approaching Blaaw Kranz bridge (Johannesburg Star, Barnett Collection)

  Driver Wagner and Second Engineer Stewart, photographed shortly after the action (Alexander M. Stewart)

  The Boer commander General Louis Botha (Africana Museum)

  Daniel Swanepoel, who guarded Churchill on the train to Pretoria (Johanna de Wet)

  Churchill with other prisoners of war on arrival at Pretoria (National Archives Repository, Pretoria)

  The States Model School at the time of Churchill’s imprisonment (National Archives Repository, Pretoria)

  Section Two

  Louis de Souza, Transvaal Secretary of State for War, and his wife Marie (Dr Jonathan de Souza)

  Sergeant Major Brockie (Vera Gallony)

  The Revd Adrian Hofmeyr (Dr F.E. Hofmeyr)

  John Howard’s house at the Transvaal and Delagoa Bay Colliery (Peregrine S. Churchill)

  John Howard, mine manager (J. McLachlan)

  The mine shaft down which Churchill was hidden (Anthony Burline)

  Daniel Dewsnap, mine engineer (Oldham Chronicle)

  The watch presented to Dewsnap by Churchill for having assisted in his escape (J. McLachlan)

  Churchill about to disembark from the Induna in Durban (Dr Ryno Greenwall)

  Churchill on the jetty in Durban (Dr Ryno Greenwall)

  Churchill making the first of his two speeches in Durban (Dr Ryno Greenwall)

  Churchill in Durban – with the cowboy hat he purchased in Lourenço Marques (Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg)

  Cigarette card issued after Churchill’s escape (Dr Ryno Greenwall)

  Churchill commissioned as a Lieutenant in the South African Light Horse

/>   Churchill visits the wreck of the armoured train (Daily News, Durban)

  Major-General the Earl of Dundonald, who commanded an irregular cavalry brigade

  Anna Beyers, who served Churchill in her uncle’s farm shop, and who told the story of him chasing a chicken (Lette Bennett)

  Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren

  Section Three

  Buller and his staff watching the battle of Spion Kop from Mount Alice

  Colonel Thorneycroft, who raised his own mounted infantry regiment of colonials and Uitlanders

  The author’s son Alexander on Spion Kop

  The British main trench on the day after Spion Kop

  The same scene today (KwaZulu-Natal Museum Service Collection)

  Churchill and Lord Basil Blackwood on Hlangwane Hill, after Spion Kop (Royal United Services Institute)

  Lady Randolph Churchill on board the hospital ship Maine, with her son Jack as a patient (Estate of Lady Randolph Churchill)

  Churchill, Captain Percy Scott and Jack saying farewell to Lady Randolph and the Maine (Dr Ryno Greenwall)

  Brigadier-General John Brabazon, commander of the Imperial Yeomanry

  Lieutenant-General Ian Hamilton

  Field Marshal Lord Roberts

  Churchill returning home on board the Dunnotar Castle (Jim Bailey)

  Churchill in October 1900, as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Oldham

  MAPS

  The Scene of Conflict – South Africa 1899

  Winston Churchill’s Natal

  Churchill’s Route to Freedom

  The Battle of Spion Kop

  The Breakthrough to Ladysmith

  Bloemfontein to Diamond Hill

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I would like to thank the many descendants, and their families, of those who were involved with Winston Churchill during the Anglo-Boer War who responded to my request for information. Without their help and guidance as I retraced my grandfather’s footsteps around South Africa this book could not have been written. I am grateful to them for sharing with me the stories told to them by their parents or grandparents, for allowing me to reproduce diaries, letters and photographs, and for their friendship and hospitality. They include: Jim and Barbara Bailey, Martha Bam, Lette Bennet, Anthony Berlein, Joan Bromley, Molly Buchanan, John Burnham, Liz Burrow, Angela Caccia-Lloyd, Max Van Cittert, Stewart and Jenny Clegg, F.L. Hugh de Souza, Dr Jonathan de Souza, Johanna de Wet, Errol Dewsnap, Daniel du Plessis, Joy Fourie, Vera Gallony, Ken Gibson, Dr Alexander J.P. Graham, Jay Haggar, John Haldane, Ian Hamilton, Dr F.E. Hofmeyr, Nancy Horsfall, E.N. Howarth, Yvonne Knowles, Karl Kohler, Mike McKenna, Doris Maud, E.P. Mitchell, Jill Osborne, Tessa Power, Molly Pringle, Dr Willem Punt, Alan Raubenheimer, Becky Smit, Alexander M. Stewart, Charles Wagner and Judge Louis Weyers.

  I am most grateful to my cousin Winston S. Churchill for permission to quote from works of Sir Winston Churchill and to reproduce certain documents and photographs.

  I am indebted to the directors and staffs of the following libraries, museums and archives, many of whom have allowed me to reproduce material from their collections: Thomas B. Smyth of the Black Watch Museum; Marcell Weiner and Diana Madden of the Brenthurst Library, Dr Piers Brendon, Keeper of the Archives, Churchill Archive Centre, and his staff; Sir John Boyd, Master of Churchill College, Cambridge; Brian Spencer of the Don Africana Library; Lieutenant Colonel J.J. Hume of the Durban Light Infantry Museum; George Goodey of Fort Durnford Museum; the director and staff of the Killie Campbell Africana Library; Gilbert Torlage of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum Service; Marjorie Heron and Brian Kaighin of the Ladysmith Historical Society; Maureen Richards and Elizabeth Sprit of the Ladysmith Siege Museum; Clive Kirkwood of the National Archives Repository, Pretoria; the Trustees and Sheila Mackenzie of the National Library of Scotland; Philip Hirst, editor of the Oldham Chronicle; John G. Entwhistle of Reuters Archive; John Montgomery of the Royal United Services Institution; Piet Westra of the South African Library, Durban; Hester Nel and Mona Niemand of the Staats Model School, Pretoria; Barbara Conradie of the Standard Bank, Johannesburg; the staff of the MOTH Museum, Johannesburg.

  It is with great gratitude that I acknowledge the assistance of the many people who helped by providing information and material from which I have quoted: Dr Paul Addison, W.H. Atteridge, Eric Bingham, David Blem, Eric Boswell, George Chadwick, the late ‘Pitch’ and Eileen Christopher, Minnie Churchill, Peregrine S. Churchill, Liz Clark, Elliott Costas, Brian Dodds, Ambassador du Buisson, Steve Forbes, Robin Fryde, John Gaunt, Sir Martin Gilbert, Ken Gillings, Jill Gowans, Dr Ryno Greenwall, Peter Grindal, Clive Hatch, Sheila Henderson, Marjorie Heron, Raymond and Lynette Heron, Dr Fay Liesling, Brian Logan, Keith Lyon, W.H. Mackay, Jimmy McLachlan, Alastair Martin, Peter and Fiona Martin, the late Clive Mennell, Jessel Molin, Professor Fransjohan Pretorius, David Rattray, Taffy Shearing, Peter Stockil, Mary Swan, Audrey Densham Tanner, Ann Tyrrell, Graham Viney, Errol Wilson, Fred and Jo Woods.

  I am indebted to Jim Miller of SAMCOR and Nic Griffin of AVIS, who kindly provided me with vehicles for my travels around South Africa.

  I wish to thank Bridget and Harry Oppenheimer for their kindness and hospitality, and for introducing me to South Africa more than thirty years ago.

  My greatest thanks must go to Mary Slack for her help, advice and encouragement, and for giving us such a wonderful home from home in South Africa, but above all for her unswerving friendship since we first met at school when we were twelve years old.

  I am most grateful to my agent Araminta Whitley, my publisher Richard Johnson and my editor Robert Lacey for their enthusiastic encouragement, sensitive guidance and friendly support.

  Finally I must thank my husband Ken Perkins for his help and guidance throughout the research and writing of this book. His military knowledge has been invaluable and his patience endless.

  Celia Sandys

  Savernake Forest

  March 1999

  The Scene of Conflict – South Africa 1899

  PREFACE

  Winston Churchill’s heroic escapades during the Anglo-Boer War propelled him overnight onto the international stage. In 1994 I went to South Africa to research what I thought would be two or three chapters of a book I intended to write about my grandfather from 1895 to 1908. I chose to go there partly because I loved the country and already had great friends there, but mainly because that was the period of Churchill’s life which interested me most.

  Retracing his footsteps through South Africa during what was unquestionably the greatest adventure of his life was the most exciting journey I have ever made, even though there was no danger for me of death or capture – I only risked being killed by the kindness and hospitality of new friends eager to help me in my voyage of discovery.

  Although I knew there would be some people in South Africa with stories to tell, I expected my research to be mostly geographical. But during a television interview shortly after my arrival I appealed for anyone whose parents or grandparents had been involved in any way with Churchill during his time in South Africa to come forward. The response was incredible. Before the programme had even finished the telephone started to ring, the fax machine poured out constant messages, and letters arrived by every post. Encouraged by this, and with the cooperation of the South African media, I spread my request all around the country, on television, radio and in the newspapers. I found myself swamped with information, and it was at this point that I realised I was researching not just a chapter or two, but a whole book.

  The expedition soon became a family pilgrimage as, with my husband and our two young children, I travelled from place to place to check out information and meet those who had contacted me. We were welcomed with open arms by the descendants of Churchill’s friends and foes alike, who enthusiastically told us the stories they had heard while sitting on their grandparents’ or, occasionally, their parents’, knees.

  There was nothing orderly about the way the information came in, and therefore the
re was no efficient way for me to follow it up. We simply zig-zagged our way from place to place, with no idea where we would be the next day. From Johannesburg to Pretoria, from Vereeniging to Witbank, south to Ladysmith and Estcourt, on to Durban, north to the very edge of the Kruger National Park, back to Natal and down to the Cape. So it went on. It was not only we who travelled: some people came long distances to meet us.

  Wherever we went we were welcomed with great warmth, enormous interest in and huge enthusiasm for our search. We were wined and dined, shown treasured letters, diaries and photographs while at the same time making a host of new friends in a beautiful country we had all grown to love. This is the sort of research I enjoy most. Of course I visited libraries and archives, where people took endless trouble to help me find anything of relevance, but there is nothing to equal the experience of hearing living history passed down directly from those who were actually there.

  I experienced moments of highly charged emotion: discovering the place where my grandfather surrendered to the Boers, and being hugged by the descendants of men who had risked their lives for his safety and freedom. There were also amusing incidents, like the day we were told how Churchill chased a chicken round a farmyard because he wanted it for his dinner.

  One small mystery remains. Following his return to England in 1900, Churchill sent eight inscribed gold watches to people who had helped him during his dramatic escape as a prisoner of war. This story attracted a lot of attention when I mentioned it during my South African interviews, and as a result I now know where six of those eight watches are. Maybe the last two will come to light as a result of their present owners reading this book.

  Intrigued as I had always been by my grandfather’s time in South Africa, it was only as I retraced his footsteps of a century before that I realised with awe how thrilling were his adventures, and how great were the dangers which he often treated so lightly. It has been a wonderful experience to make this journey with my younger children, and to show them where their great-grandfather had adventures which any modern-day hero would have been proud to share.