CHALMERS – THOMAS WELLINGTON
| Born: Rank: CAPTAIN. Regiment: CANADIAN MOUNTED RIFLES – 2ND BATT. GPS: S25°41.7295 E030°01.6572 |
Reason for death: KILLED IA Place of death: BELFAST Date of death: 1900/11/02 Memorial: OLD CEMETERY, BELFAST |
Note:
IN HIS BOOK ISANDLWANA TO THE GREAT WAR GENERAL HORACE SMITH-DORRIEN DESCRIBES AN ACTION WHICH TOOK PLACE WHEN MOVING OUT OF BELFAST TOWARDS WITKLOOF WHERE THE BOERS HAD GATHERED. THE BATTLE OF LELIEFONTEIN/WITKLOOF TOOK PLACE A LITTLE WHILE LATER. THE ACTION IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS ;- “THE GROUND WAS EXTREMELY RUGGED AND BROKEN, AND THE BOERS WORKED UP FAIRLY CLOSE, WHEN A SERGEANT OF THE C.M.R. LOST HIS HORSE – MAJOR SAUNDERS, C.M.R., THEN GALLANTLY RODE OUT, AND, IN BRINGING AWAY THE SERGEANT ON HIS HORSE, THE LATTER WAS SHOT; THEN, AS BOTH PROCEEDED ON FOOT, MAJOR SAUNDERS WAS WOUNDED AND CRAWLED UNDER HEAVY FIRE BEHIND A STONE. LIEUTENANT (?) CHALMERS THEN ADVANCED TO HELP MAJOR SAUNDERS, BUT WAS TOLD BY THE LATTER TO RETURN AND LEAVE HIM THERE. THIS LIEUTENANT CHALMERS DID, BUT AGAIN GALLANTLY ADVANCED TO HELP HIS COMMANDING OFFICER, WHEN HE WAS SHOT DEAD”. THE ACTION AND BURIAL OF CAPT. CHALMERS IS ALSO DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK TREINVERNIELERS BY TIAN SCHUTTE AND PEET COETZEE PAGES 63 TO 68.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE PATHWAY LEADING TO THE CEMETERY IS AT:-
S25°41.6892 E030°01.7667
THE TOWN OF BELFAST HAS BEEN RENAMED eMAKHAZENI
