The final major engagement
Towards the end of 1901 New Zealand had sent 7 contingents of men in aid of the war, at this late stage in the war supplies and moral were running low. The British generals were designing new strategies in order to hasten the end to the war with British victory, the Boers morale was very high even as the war dragged on as they were increasingly positive about the possibility of winning the war.
Generals felt that they needed to crush their moral in order to quicken victory to stop the drain on their resources, Lord Kitchener devised the strategy of hunting down Boers with mobile columns to prevent effective use of Guerrilla warfare as well as taking women and children sympathetic to Boer fighters and placing them in concentration camps where they were malnutritioned or killed which effectively lessened the morale of the Boers as most of their families would be kept in the camps until the wars end.
Generals felt that they needed to crush their moral in order to quicken victory to stop the drain on their resources, Lord Kitchener devised the strategy of hunting down Boers with mobile columns to prevent effective use of Guerrilla warfare as well as taking women and children sympathetic to Boer fighters and placing them in concentration camps where they were malnutritioned or killed which effectively lessened the morale of the Boers as most of their families would be kept in the camps until the wars end.
To secure the countryside lines of stations linked by barbed wire were constructed, over 8000 were built covering 6000 km. The mounted patrols would drive any Boers encountered towards a station, which was armed by british soldiers and a garrison forcing the boers to surrender. This blockade was the cause of the last and most costly engagement involving New Zealand troops, chased by imperials President Steyn and General Christiaan De Wet decided to break through the lines being held by the NZ 7th contingent at Langverwacht Hill.
On the night of February 23rd the contingents patrols were broken by the rush of Boer fighters lead by Manie Botha, they cleared a gap of half a mile large enough for entire Boer force to escape. The desperate and commendable defence of the New Zealand troops gave enough time for the New South Wales Mounted infantry commanded by Captain Begbie to aid in the fight. Fifty to sixty New Zealand and Australian troops along with British gunners were holding back a force of several hundred of the Boers best men, many men on both sides dies by their guns including Captain Begbie after his gun jammed. As imperial reinforcements were arriving the Boers attack was repelled.
On the night of February 23rd the contingents patrols were broken by the rush of Boer fighters lead by Manie Botha, they cleared a gap of half a mile large enough for entire Boer force to escape. The desperate and commendable defence of the New Zealand troops gave enough time for the New South Wales Mounted infantry commanded by Captain Begbie to aid in the fight. Fifty to sixty New Zealand and Australian troops along with British gunners were holding back a force of several hundred of the Boers best men, many men on both sides dies by their guns including Captain Begbie after his gun jammed. As imperial reinforcements were arriving the Boers attack was repelled.
It was feared at first that a large group of the Boers had escaped through the gap, it was later discovered that only a handful of the troops were able to make a break including De Wet. The total Boers captured was 780 including several leaders one of the captured was De wets son, this last major encounter was praised by leaders throughout the empire it displayed the quick thinking and military ability of New Zealand soldiers.
Sir Arthur Doyle a British doctor who would become a great story teller described the troops from the battle “ This was thee 7th contingent, who proved themselves to be worth comrades to their six gallant predecessors” Although receiving much praise from Commanders the engagement saw 23 New zealanders killed and a further 40 wounded, the highest toll for any single encounter during the war.
"Our Regimental Colonel Porter was cut up just as if they had all been his own sons, and even Hardened old Col white, when he went up and saw the long line of dead and wounded, could scarcely speak..... May i never be mixed up in the same again.Not that i object to helping the wounded but i hope that there will never again be the necessity for it."
Private Henry Gilbert, Seventh Contingent in Kingsley Field, Soldier Boy (2007)
This attack had a resonating effect on the troops as in the final stages of the war the reality was that many comrades of the New Zealand troops would die or be brutally injured but they would have to continue on, with little time to recuperate,think or commemorate .This reality hit many soldiers very hard as this was their first experience with war with some turning to writing letters home to deal with the gruesome corpses and trenches filled with groaning masses instilling a sense of fear, isolation, abandonment and many times guilt that stayed with many troops for years after their return.
Throughout the war New Zealand troops were faced with hardship and loss, soldiers were left picking up the pieces of dead comrades and scavenging for food and ammunition due to the lack of supplies, but the hardships of the war gave way to great bravery from the New Zealand troops. Many preformed well beyond the line of duty whether scouting for Boers, Defending lines in the trenches or helping fellow companions return home safely. As a result New Zealand troops were praised by British commanders and the public alike.