Cecil Edwin
& Emily Agnes Uphill -
children - Private.....
[No changes have been made to the spelling or grammar in quotations taken
from Trooper Ewens' diary]
The material for this article was supplied by Robert E Ewens of South Australia
Ewens, C E (3rd intake) Boer War
Number: 10
Rank: Trooper
Unit: 3 BUSHMEN'S CNTGNT
State: SA Murray Page Number: 354
NAME: Cecil Ewens DATE: 1900 - 1901
UNIT: South Australian Busmen's Corps LOCATION: South Africa
When the Boer War started in 1899, many young Australians made an instant
decision to offer their services as soldiers, but actually getting into the
various army units that were to head for South Africa wasn't as easy as you
might expect.
Cecil Ewens was determined to take part in the war as soon as he heard the South
Australian Bushmen's Corps was to be formed. Having caught the coach down to
Adelaide from his home in Port Augusta, he fronted up at the Exhibition Building
where the recruiting office had been set up.
He joined a long line of hopefuls and watched in amazement as man after man was
turned down without a word being said. He knew that only 14 more men were needed
to reach the required compliment of 100 men.
"After a certain amount of manoeuvring, I passed the different severe tests,
unnecessarily so, without trouble, hundreds being turned away," Cecil wrote in
his diary.
"While passing I might state that some splendid bushmen and fit for the greatest
hardships were turned aside for some petty disfigurement while a few others with
no bush experience were passed in.
"I entered the Exhibition Building in about the middle of a large number of men
& filed along a rope. Took my hat off in the building, eventually it came my
turn to be called over to the selectors, or waved on out as dozens had been
before me.
"Looking across at the Bushmen's Judge & Jury, I was astounded to see the hand
waving for me to pass on out without as much as a question. After having
travelled over 500 miles [800km] in post haste to join this contingent, this
reception was a stunner. In fact I was dumbfounded for the moment," he wrote.
"The hand kept on waving so out I went by the door at the rear. Gathering my
thoughts together for a moment outside, I resolved to enter the building again
by the front door. Entering, I found that the crowd of men had diminished
considerably.
"This time I kept my hat on & well over my eyes. The same performance was still
going on waving them out with an odd one being called up now & again to be
questioned etc.
"My turn at last came again, this time I was called before the 'bench' without a
demure and went through the rest of the performance without a hitch. The doctor
examined my teeth as carefully as a horse dealer would an eight-year-old 'prad'
at an auction sale.
"Made to strip every vestige of clothing off, do a cake walk up & down the room
in front of him, jab his finger here, jab his thumb there and eventually passed
me out as sound & fit."
Cecil went into camp the next morning and just over a week later found himself
on board the SS Maplemore heading out to sea. The voyage to South Africa was one
to be remembered
"not for pleasure but with abhorrence and disgust," according to Cecil Ewens.
"Fully 75 per cent of the food dealt out from the ships stores to the Troopers
was simply scandalous; a tramp would not offer such food to a blackfella's dog
in this country," he wrote.
"The salt pork was absolutely rotten and the unfortunate troopers who happened
to be on fatigue duty had to go below and handle the putrid filth, long since
recognised as pork."
Cecil wrote that the 'tea' was undrinkable and the biscuits full of weevils.
Naturally complaints were made and the men were called on deck and given a
lecture by the ship's captain to the effect that they would thank their lucky
stars if they fared as well in South Africa.
Once the troops had finally disembarked, they were concerned for the welfare of
their horses. These were loaded onto trucks and travelled several hundred
kilometres in appalling conditions, with a number of them dying.
"This was one of the many, many errors committed in South Africa during the war
that came under my notice," he wrote.
One of the first actions involving the South Australians occurred near Ottoshoop,
not far from Mafeking.
"Left camp about 6am, our Squadron being advance guard to the guns," Cecil
wrote. "Heard firing about 7am, the Boers firing on the scouts. At 7.30 the guns
began to play on the enemy. Shortly after that we were up to our neck in it, the
enemy soon retired, our guns being too accurate.
"About 3.30pm the New Zealanders, N.S. Wales, Victorians, Tasmanians and
ourselves charged a string of kopjes [hills] at a hard gallop which we took in
great style, the guns pouring in shells the while.
"The Boers retired from their position in confusion but the country was very
rugged here, they soon secured cover elsewhere. Saw three dead Boers during our
charge."
A few days later they were in the thick of things again.
"Started out at 5am to give the Boers a shaking up. Our column under Brigadier
General Douglas on the left, another column under Lord Errol on the right -
composed of NSW, Tasmanian and South Aus Bushmen, some Imperial Victorian B. Our
squadron had an important position as per usual, advance guard & scouts and
started the ball rolling, our scouts being fired upon.
"We had four 15 pounders, 2 pompoms and some Maxims with us but they were not
used during the day. We soon began to play upon them [the Boers] and they
retired quickly. No damage done to our side.
"After hauling that lot of Boers, we went to some houses and burnt down the lot.
Gave the women short notice to remove their goods. But a lot of different
articles were burnt also.
"I was one of four tolled off to do the burning & of course we caught all the
poultry handy. I felt rather sorry for the women but some Boers sniped at our
patrol a few days before out of one of them.
"After doing this we advanced in extended order and drove the Boers back. They
would not stand and have a shot at us. Captured 21 prisoners during the day,
most of them were on foot and hid in the scrub, holes, trees etc."
Replacement horses, or remounts, were in constant demand but were generally
snapped up by other units, much to the disgust of the South Australians who
blamed their officers for not doing something about it.
"The remounts arrived early and after the usual delay we made a start for the
main camp, riding one & leading three horses apiece, 30 of us in charge of a
Victorian Imperial Bushmen Lieutenant.
"I picked a good horse, as I thought, out of the mob & rode him out. On arriving
at the camp we were lined up and the staff picked out every good horse as they
thought. We then took them over to the Imperial Yeomanry lines & exchanged these
horses for theirs. I exchanged three then told them that the one I had saddled
was one of their cast offs. Through this bit of manoeuvring I managed to stick
to the remount I picked out in Ottoshoop.
"This was another case of the many gross injustices that came under my notice
during my term at the front," Cecil wrote. "Our men without horses at this time,
had actually to take the sore-backed, badly knocked about horses that the
Yeomanry had just exchanged away."
In September the squadron took part in a big battle.
"About 11am we were ordered to get our horses in & saddle up," Cecil wrote.
"Started out and were advancing in squadron column towards some kopjes about 3
miles [5km] out that we knew the Boers occupied.
"Got within 2000 yards [1800m] when they began to pour the volleys in. We then
dismounted and got behind cover and poured volleys into them NSWB, NZ &
Victorians were further along the ridge on our right, with big guns. Ten minutes
later our squadron alone was ordered to charge a kopje across open country about
half a mile nearer the Boers. Directly the horses were brought up, the Boers
turned most of their fire on them.
"We mounted in double quick time, the bullets making one continual hiss the
while. Our captain wanted us to dress up in line under this hail of bullets, but
directly we heard what was wanted we let a yell out of us and charged across.
"The big guns poured in shell and raked the kopjes. Luckily only one horse was
killed, two others wounded. The owner of the horse that was killed had to run
the last two hundred yards for shelter under the kopje.
"We took up a position on the kopje and began returning the Boers fire which was
very warm. About quarter of an hour afterwards we got the order to retire again
much to our disgust.
"We galloped back again all scattered out in a terrific hail of bullets. My
beautiful mount went dead lame on me again. I was one of the first to make the
charge on the kopje but was quite 200 yards [180m] behind when the others
reached it. In the retirement I simply cantered back and was very little further
than halfway when the others pulled up.
"No mistake, the bullets did kick up a din, our own forces firing over my head
and the Boers keeping up an incessant fire from behind. One hundred packets of
crackers going off near your ear at once would be only a mild comparison."
In mid December the squadron was near Lichtenburg.
"Had hardly got into bed when we were ordered out again at 12 o'clock," Cecil
wrote. "Started out at 1.30am and picked the Boers up at sunrise but they were
not speaking and went for all they were worth.
"Colonel Merritt went out in a slightly different direction with a portion of
the mounted men. Of course we started after the Boers, our regiment going out on
the right flank. We galloped for about seven miles [11km] before we caught up to
part of the convoy, 8 waggons & some scotch carts all loaded with different
stuff. Unfortunately our squadron was on the left flank so were not in the
waggon catching, although we got plenty of stock.
"We then halted for about two hours, then started to return bringing in 1000
head of cattle & the same number of sheep."
On Christmas Day the cook made some plum puddings.
"I believe the officers gave some silver to put in them," Cecil wrote. The
puddings turned out very well and I managed to find sixpence in my slice. Had a
spell in the afternoon after a very rough week."
But the rest didn't last long. At 2.30am on Boxing Day they were called out
again and chased a group of Boers who managed to escape into the bush.
Despite expecting to be sent home at any time, the squadron continued to be
involved in the fighting. While at Mafeking on 23 January 1901, they heard of
the death of Queen Victoria.
The diary ends on 26 January 1901.
After the war, Cecil returned to Australia and after marrying his wife Emily,
worked on Bungaree Station about 160km north of Adelaide in South Australia
where they had five children. They later moved to Caroona Station about 50km
further north.