Sabretache articles from December 2000

Sabretache archives from December 2000

History repeated -- The Battles of Majuba (1881) and Spion Kop (1900): the art of war is at best a choice of difficulties.
December 1, 2000... In the twenty years between 1881 and 1901, the names Majuba and Spion Kop became widely known throughout the British Empire. Both battles were defeats, yet there were sufficient similarities to suggest that there is some validity to the cliche...

Australians in the Unconventional Conventional War in South Africa, November 1899 to June 1900.
December 1, 2000... Most of us know that a squadron of New South Wales Lancers under Captain Charles Cox was the first Australian unit to arrive in South Africa in 1899 and the first to engage the enemy. That first engagement is usually taken to be Belmont, a...

Movement of the 40th Regiment as guard detachments on convict transports 1823-1824.
December 1, 2000... The 40th Regiment was formed as Philipp's Regiment in Canada in 1717. It had became the 40th Regiment in 1751 and the 2nd Somersetshire Regiment in 1782. The 40th served mainly in North America and the West Indies with occasional tours of duty...

Sgt James Rogers VC (1).
December 1, 2000... Victoria sent five contingents to South Africa as well as detachments for the 2nd, 4th and 6th Battalions Australian Commonwealth Horse. In all, over 3500 Victorian officers and men served in the war. Three Victorian soldiers who served in...

The visit of Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke to Australia, November and December 1945.
December 1, 2000... After the end of World War 2 in August 1945, Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, Chief of the the Imperial General Staff of the British Army, began a world wide tour of the theatres of war in which the Allied forces had fought. He visited (among...

Obituary: John Laffin -- 1922-2000.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... John Laffin, journalist, teacher, author, lecturer and historian died in Canberra in September after a long illness. He was a prolific author with 130 books to his name. Many of his books concerned military history and I have had his book...

Members' notices.
December 1, 2000... Joe Furphy's, `Around the Water Cart' will be back for the next edition. Information Request - The AIF in Ireland, 1919 From Peter Thomas, GPO Box 89, DARWIN NT 0801 My family history is that RQMS Edwin Howard Rice, MSM, 51st Bn,...