HOBBS END GAZETTE

September 21st 1901

Our South African correspondent Tarquine Squears was on the scene when the Boers blew up the railway track leading to Kroonstad, he was staying with the garrison of a blockhouse on the veltd nearby.

The garrison is made up of men from the Royal Fusiliers and a section of Australian troops of the third contingent, several volunteers from Hobbs End are serving with the Fusiliers.

A party of Fusiliers went to inspect the damage and soon Mauser rounds started to whistle and crack over head. Our attention was drawn to a nearby kopje with distant figures moving around.

The men soon started advancing in open order supported by riflemen, two Fusiliers were soon dropped by very accurate Mauser fire. Moving forward as fast as they could the infantry were in a precarious position as there was not much cover.

The Boer riflemen were deadly and soon British and Australian troops were strewn across the veldt, but the attack went on. The Boers were not without casualties and they were soon mounting, the infantry were about to assault the kopje.

Bodies littered the kopje, Corporal Jones took control of the Boer position and the remnants escaped on horseback to fight another day. It had been a costly day with 12 Imperial casualties and 6 Boer, the area is now called Jones's Kopje.

Tarquine Squears, Hobbs End Gazette 1901