PILKINGTON – THOMAS DOUGLAS

Note:
DIETLOF VAN WARMELO, ON COMMANDO DURING THE ANGLO-BOER WAR, WAS CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH FORCES AND SENT TO AHMEDNAGAR FORT IN INDIA, WHERE HE WROTE NOTES ON HIS WAR EXPERIENCES WHICH WERE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AND PUBLISHED IN LONDON IN 1902, UNDER THE TITLE ON COMMANDO. HE DESCRIBES THE SILKAATSNEK ACTION – CAPTAIN KIRSTEN AND ABOUT TEN MEN WERE ORDERED TO HOLD A POSITION TO PREVENT THE BRITISH FROM TAKING IT. ABOUT FIFTY PACES OFF, A WOUNDED MAN WAS GROANING AND ASKING FOR WATER. THREE MEN ADVANCED TO THE WOUNDED BRITISH SOLDIER, WHO LAY IN A POOL OF BLOOD, HAVING BEEN SHOT THROUGH THE LEG, AND DID WHAT THEY COULD TO MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE. HIS NAME WAS LIEUTENANT PILKINGTON. DIETLOF WRITES – “I WENT BACK TO THE WOUNDED OFFICER, WHO WAS BEING LOOKED AFTER BY THE CAPTAIN. WHILE WE WERE STANDING TALKING, HE DIED FROM LOSS OF BLOOD. OH THE CRUEL BRUTALITY OF WAR! THE POOR MAN WAS NOT DEAD FIVE MINUTES WHEN WE SAT SMOKING HIS CIGARETTES.”