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THE NATAL REBELLION
OF 1906
BY
WALTER BOSMAN
CAPTAIN, ENGINEER OFFICER, NATAL MILITIA STAFF; AIDE-DE-CAMP TO COL.
DUNCAN McKENZIE, C.B., O.6M.G., V.D. ; ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF INSTITOTE
OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
AND AN INTRODUCTION BY
COL. DUNCAN McKENZIE, C.B., C.M.G., V.D.
COMMANDING THE COLONIAL FORCES
WITH TWENTY-ONE PORTRAITS AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
SEVEN PLANS AND A MAP
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., LONDON
J. C. JUTA AND CO.
CAPE TOWN, PORT ELIZABETH, GRAHAMSTOWN, JOHANNESBURG
EAST LONDON, STELLENBOSCH, AND DURBAN (NATAL)
1907140 THE NATAL REBELLION OF 1906
the rising of thesun. Forty of the enemy were found
dead immediately round the laager. Two rebels were
discovered close by, wounded. Their wounds were
dressed, by Major Campbell himself who in civil life is
one of the leading medical men in Durban. McColl
ied of his wounds on the way to Thring’s Post.
rm Rexer guns, which were used in repelling the
attack on the convoy for the first time in active war-
fare, were a gift to the Colony from patriotic Natalians
in London, and were brought to Natal by Major-
General Sir J. G. Dartnell. Three of the guns were
handed to the ZM.R. Their portability and utility
were fully demonstrated on the night of the attack.
It may be of interest to those old Natalians, whose
patriotism prompted the gift, as well as to others who °
are more closely concerned with machine-guns and
their uses, to quote the following from a report by
the Officer Commanding the ZM.R. who, after the
guns had been some time in use, wrote:—
“T am of opinion that the Rexer gun is admirably
adapted for military purposes and is probably the best
rifle calibre machine-gun of to-day. I have experi-
mented somewhat largely with this gun since issued
to the Zululand Mounted Rifles, and can speak with
confidence of the following advantages possessed by
the weapon,
“Tts handiness and portability, which qualities are
far in excess of other machine-guns, Being handled
_ by one man only, who assumes the same position as
an ordinary rifleman, the gun would be very difficult
aa
INSUZI FIGHT AND ATTACK ON CONVOY 141
to locate while in action. The same cannot be said of
the Maxim gun which almost invariably offers a good
target calculated to draw a heavy fire. The lightness
of the gun renders it capable of being used in the
roughest country with far less trouble than other
machine-guns, the supply of ammunition also present-
ing less difficulties :—
“Its rapidity of fire is nearly, if not quite, equal to
that of the Maxim or Colt gun, and I am of opinion
that its accuracy is greater. During the time the
guns have been in use not one single instance of a
cartridge ‘jamming’ has occurred, a valuable point
that needs no comment.
“The number of spare parts that have to be carried
are few, and easily adjusted, and the fact that no tools
are required to strip the gun for minor repairs or clean-
ing, naturally tends to lessen the impedimenta that
must necessarily be carried in the field.
“The ammunition magazines are rapidly and easily
filled and the cartridges cannot take any but the
proper position. In guns with a belt feed, hitches
may occur through cartridges being improperly placed
in the belt,-other difficulties of a like nature arising,
as can readily be vouched for by anyone with a know-
ledge of such guns.
“T may mention that it would be advantageous for
the magazines to be ‘browned’ similar to the barrel,
ete, of the gun itself. At present they are of bright
white metal which would necessarily be very con-
spicuous on a bright day.142 THE NATAL REBELLION OF 1906
“ Of the equipment supplied with the guns, I cannot
speak favourably. The cavalry pattern saddle and
bucket supplied are quite unsuitable for the class of
horse common in this country. It would appear to
have been overlooked that a man riding in this saddle,
carrying the gun and a supply of ammunition, would
be quite unable to carry his personal equipment, such
as cloak, blanket, ete. The weight of the gun and
bucket, viz. 224 Ibs., is too much to carry on one side
of the saddle, and quickly causes rather bad cases of
sore back. By having a few alterations effected on
an ordinary general service pack saddle, I was enabled
to have three guns in their buckets, and a supply of
ammunition carried by one pack horse, the weight of
the load being well under the maximum a horse is
capable of carrying. This method of carrying the
guns answered thoroughly well.
“The ammunition pack-saddle supplied is in need of
much improvement. The attachment of the magazine
cases is wrong in principle, and the weight of the
ammunition quickly tears the cases apart. This fault
could however be rectified. Although these criticisms
do not apply to the gun itself, it can easily be appreci-
ated that such defects interfere with the capabilities
of the weapon, as presenting possibilities of impeding
the supply of ammunition, such supply being of vital
importance.” a