HANNAY – ORMELIE CAMPBELL

Note:
RAYNE KRUGER, IN HIS BOOK GOODBYE DOLLY GRAY, GIVES A VIVID ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF PAARDEBERG.  HE DESCRIBES IN DETAIL HOW COLONEL HANNAY MET HIS END.  GENERAL KITCHENER WAS DETERMINED, AFTER HOURS OF FIGHTING AND MANY DEATHS ON EITHER SIDE, TO RUSH THE LAAGER OF GENERAL CRONJE, AT ALL COSTS.  COLONEL HANNAY WAS INSTRUCTED TO RUSH THE LAAGER WITH HIS MOUNTED INFANTRY.  RAYNE DESCRIBES COLONEL HANNAY AS “A BRAVE HIGHLANDER, BUT TO HIM THESE WERE THE WORDS OF A MADMAN BLINDED BY BLOOD-LUST”. HANNAY REGARDED THESE ORDERS AS INHUMAN AND DECIDED UPON A SOLDIERS PROTEST.  RAYNE GOES ON AS FOLLOWS : “HE SENT AWAY HIS STAFF ON VARIOUS PRETEXTS AND PLACED HIMSELF AT THE HEAD OF A SMALL GROUP OF HIS M.I. WHOM HE INSTRUCTED TO ADVANCE. HE WAS COMPLYING WITH HIS ORDERS.  BUT AS THE GROUP ADVANCED HE GALLOPED AHEAD, FAR OUTSTRIPPING THEM, AND RODE FULL-TILT INTO THE BOER DEFENCES”.  THE BOERS HESITATED, AND AS DESCRIBED BY ONE OF THOSE PRESENT IN THE BATTLE TO RAYNE AT PAARDEBERG IN 1957 ‘WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO THINK OF THIS LONE HORSEMAN RUSHING AT US. WE DIDN’T WANT TO SHOOT A MAN SO BLATANTLY INVITING DEATH AND SO DEFENCELESS.  BUT WE WERE AFRAID THAT HE WAS RUNNING BESERK OR WOULD SUDDENLY WHEEL AWAY TO GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT US. WE HAD NO CHOICE.  WE SHOT HIM’. HE FELL, RIDDLED WITH BULLETS, INSIDE THE BOER LINES.