Memoirs of a Rifleman Scout

F. M. Crum

• Publisher: Frontline Books
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781848327559
• eBook ISBN: 9781473834644
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military Biographies
• Index: History

Frederick Maurice Crum (18791952) fought in the Second Boer War (18991902) in the Mounted Infantry, where he was wounded and taken prisoner. After peacetime service in India he retired due to the effects of his injuries, and became involved in the Boy Scout movement, founding the 7th Troop of Boy Scouts at Stirling in Scotland in 1909. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he rejoined the Rifle Corps and served with its 8th Battalion in France until 1919, specialising in trench sniping.Made up from his extensive diaries and letters to family and friends at the time, this book details the development of sniping in the British Army in the First World War. It was through the work of expert marksmen and trainers like Major Crum that the initial dominance of the Germans in this type of fighting was eventually overcome. These memoirs provide a unique insight into the life of a British Army officer before and during the First World War. Major Crum's involvement in the Boy Scout movement is also a fascinating account of that organisation's origins, showing what the true motives behind its foundation were.With a new Foreword by sniping expert Adrian Gilbert, this is not only a first-rate memoir of sniping in the trenches, but also of a long, outstanding life of bravery

PART I.

SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899–1902.

CONTENTS

1. Talana

2. Prisoners of War

3. Free Again!

4. Attack on Lord Kitchener’s Train

5. Ernest Reade

6. Bakenlaagte

7. Rifleman Joyce

8. George Rowat

9. After Bakenlaagte

1. TALANA.

A Lost Diary: Dr. Gunning the Zoo-Man.

It will help me to lead up to my story of the Battle of Talana Hill if I give a few extracts from my diary of 1899. I have it beside me, covered in mud and in places illegible. This diary, after spending some days in the rain and dirt of the deserted British Camp, found its way to Pretoria where it fell into the hands of the worthy Dr. Gunning, a Hollander employed by the Boers as Intelligence Officer.

On my arrival at the hospital in Pretoria in January, 1900, Dr. Gunning came to see me and question me about my diary. He refused to give it me back or even to let me see it. ‘All right,’ I said, ‘the very first thing I shall do when Lord Roberts arrives will be to take it from you.’ He laughed, for the very idea of losing the war, to him at the time, seemed a joke. Six long months we had to pass, but, in the end, I kept my word and he gave it me back with a smile. We were quite good friends. In normal life Gunning was Curator of the Pretoria Zoo. At first Officer Prisoners of War were in the hands of Opperman, a bad type of Boer, but when Opperman was sent to the front for stealing parcels and holding back letters, Gunning took his place as our Zooman till a Hollander grocer took his place. Later in the war I sent Dr. Gunning for his Zoo, a monster toad, which astonished us all when we caught it near Middelburg. He was pleased, and sent me its Latin name and measurements which I forget.

To return to the diary – As I look at it now, some 50 years later, I see it is just the day-to-day log of a young officer, with much still to learn but intensely keen on his profession. It is full of details of ponies and polo, racing and sport; these were of no great interest to Dr. Gunning, but, as we were often in touch with Lord Milner’s Staff, and Army and Navy Headquarters circles, I see there were indiscretions. All these had been awarded blue-pencil crosses by him!

At the Cape.

The Boer War did not come on us at the Cape as a surprise. In December, 1896, when the 1st Batt. 60th Rifles sailed from Bombay for the Cape in the ‘Warren Hastings,’ three years before war was declared, already then, such catchwords as ‘Roll on Kruger’s doom,’ and ‘Pulling old Kruger’s whiskers,’ were common in barracks.

On December 28th we arrived at Cape Town. The ‘Warren Hastings’ went on and was wrecked, but that is another story (a story all Riflemen are proud of).

At the Cape we soon settled down. At Cape Town we joined in all that went on – jump races and flat, polo, cricket, and various functions; and, further afield, we hunted the Jackal with hounds and made friends with Dutch farmers all over the district. Many a time we slept seven or eight officers in one huge Dutch bed and enjoyed hospitality. But, for all our energy in training ponies for polo and jumping and races, we knew very well there was trouble ahead. Our one set purpose was to train ourselves for war.

Under Sir William Goodenough and Sir William Butler we trained specially in skirmishing and shooting, and, later, in mounted infantry duties. All talk of ‘Boer War’ was tabu; there was to be no provocation. It was to be called ‘South African Warfare.’ These two Commanders were distinguished Generals in their day, and we were keen to learn. It must be remembered that smokeless powder, Lee-Metford rifles, and Maxim guns were new and untried factors in warfare then.

Training at Muizenburg.

A few notes on our training may be of interest to-day, though, at the time, they did not interest Dr. Gunning.

We had finished a long and thorough course of musketry training. We left Barracks and moved into Camp at Muizenburg, and here, for a month, we went through our Company Field Training.

Muizenburg, on the coast, is like St. Andrews, with sands and sea-air, sea-bathing and sun. Its sand-dunes and the unlimited space inland for manoeuvres, and no golfers to consider, made it an ideal training ground. As we marched out each morning from camp and saluted the guard in passing, at the head of our column was always the bugler, armed with a football as well as his bugle. There were taunts – ‘Good old “B” Company, off to play football again!’ In those days such a thing was not orthodox. But it paid us in the end, for the length of the game depended on progress made in the training, moreover it added to ‘esprit-de-corps.’

Here are two extracts:–

‘Men worked well, but when left to themselves seem quite hopeless, surely some sense will dawn on them when the real thing comes. Some didn’t even know on which side of a hill to take cover.’

Later – ‘A real good morning’s work, put each man individually through skirmishing, felt had improved a lot.’

Sir Wm. Butler.

Then came the day of Inspection. What would our new General ask us to do? Most Generals have some special hobby. As it turned out Sir Wm. Butler had come, not to drill into us any special notion of his own. He had come to make us think for ourselves. He called on each Company Commander to lecture his men on some given task, for instance, attacking some given ridge, or defending some bridge. After that the men were sent off to do whatever it was. Then followed helpful advice. My men played up and we got a good mark. The football had paid!

Natal.

In May, 1899, the clouds of war grew darker. We moved to Natal. At Maritzburg all ranks were united in a feeling of great keenness. This was inspired by the conviction that war was coming. For four months we lived in a continual state of suspense. We rushed to the papers each day. When it looked like peace there was gloom; when war seemed more likely our spirits went up. No wonder our Zoo-man thought us ‘war-mongers’ and blue-pencilled such entries as these:–

Rumours of War.

May	7 – ‘Chamberlain protests to Reitz – excitement. Ultimatum?’
„	8 – ‘Results of Conference for peace – quite depressed.’
June	22 – ‘Sir P. Symonds and H.E. dined, 40,000 Troops coming.’
„	26 – ‘War scare not so strong. Kruger climbing down.’
„	28 – ‘Chamberlain fine speech, looks more like war.’
Aug.	12 – ‘Rumours more like war than ever.’
„	15 – ‘War seems very likely.’
„	18 – ‘More peaceful news made everyone depressed. Stables, etc., as usual. Watched ‘B’ Coy. draw with ‘F’ in football final. General dining.’
„	20 – ‘Saw two Tailor birds, got a Shrike and skinned it. C. had an interview with Kruger, reports him saying ‘war inevitable.’ K. says the Transvaal is like a pretty girl. England in love for long time. As couldn’t marry her, was going to kill her. Boers openly say they will occupy Laing’s Nek.’
„	30 – ‘Rumours of peace and Kruger’s climb down, everyone quite down.’
„	31 – ‘Bored with suspense.’

There are plenty of other such entries all with blue pencil crosses. One goes right back to April 9th at Cape Town. It tells of a petition 125 yards long, from 21,000 Uitlanders demanding the vote, and to be forwarded to Queen Victoria. ‘While H.E., Lord Milner and Staff were examining it on the lawn at Government House, Dr. Leyds from Pretoria called.’

Training under Gen. Sir Wm. P. Symonds.

On our arrival in Natal we had come under command of a third Sir William – the gallant Penn Symonds, who came with a great reputation for musketry and Indian Frontier Service. In June we had our first field-day under him.

In the light of after events it is of interest to give a few items scribbled in haste at the time and not intended for Dr. Gunning – just a subaltern thinking aloud to himself –

June	29 – ‘Big Field-day. Two Coys. M.I. take up position and whole Garrison attacks us. Grand position and view of proceedings. Cavalry scouting much too slow, one dismounts, t’other holds his horse in full view. He would have found out more by cantering round us. Infantry attack would have been another Laing’s Nek and great slaughter. The General ran the whole show himself and made his whole force keep within 200 yards limit. Every shot from us would have hit five or six men. General seemed quite pleased. Knocked about polo ball p.m. Turned out Guard 11.45 p.m. Wellington boots and overalls most uncomfortable.’
Aug.	2 – ‘Another extraordinary attack. Four waves heaped together at 800 yards á la Gravelotte, then a charge. Must be mad. Kruger still obstinate but Cabinet seems against war.’
„	9 – ‘Mounted infantry Field-day. General himself took command of our two Coys. and stormed a hill held by 5th Lancers. Much pleased. On the way home Dublin’s M.I. told to gallop away. 5th Lancers pursuit with lances. Stampede of “Dubs.” At pow-wow told they were like “Wild Irishmen.” Lonsdale indignant.’
„	16 – ‘“General dining.” It was on this occasion that some approached him expressing doubts as to his methods. He was always approachable. He liked to dine in the Mess and sit next to a subaltern, or any one else. He made friends with us all and we felt him to be a very gallant Leader, but we preferred the tactics of General Butler.’

Visits to Laing’s Nek.

In July and September, with others, I visited Ingogo and Majuba. We had made our own maps, for these were scarce, and we had read all we could about the first Boer War. With two Natal Mounted Police we rode all over the ground. This formidable Pass on the frontier, with its rail and tunnel, seemed to be a key position. Our guides were splendid fellows but had a difficult job with their sixty-mile rides round very hostile farms within our borders. There were rumours of prepared gun-positions and magazines and dynamite stored at farms to blow up the tunnel. As we rode along the Nek from Majuba to the Buffalo River, we came on three Boers. ‘Here come the biggest rebels in the district,’ said the Sergeant. Certainly old Akerman and his two big sons did not seem friendly. It was said they openly boasted they would be the first to shoot an Englishman.

On the heights we had wonderful views and many talks with those who were left in Charlestown, about all things Boer.

Before leaving I took a ride, on my own, over the border, round Volksoust but saw nothing of rumoured redoubts.

Move to Ladysmith.

On Sunday night, the 24th September, the General came in while we were all at Mess. We all stopped talking. We felt something was up. He said we were all to move to Ladysmith next day. The Ladysmith Troops were moving to Dundee. At last it was business.

It took us no time to move, we were off next morning early, the Battalion by train, and we marching up with the 5th Lancers. The enthusiasm was tremendous. What cheering there was as we, in fine fettle, passed the crowded teams of British refugees escaping from Jo’burg!

In those days there were a few, but very few, who shook their heads and said we were too confident. We did expect to have a hard fight, perhaps two, and we realised that with modern weapons there must be many casualties. But we were not going to make the blunders of 1880. We were dressed in khaki now, and well trained. We would be in Johannesburg by Christmas.

Ladysmith.

We reached Ladysmith October 2nd and found it as bad as reported.

Officers had been known to resign their commissions rather than serve there. We arrived on a typical afternoon. Dust, a black grimy dust, was ankle deep. For the first half of the day, strong hot winds blew clouds of dust in one direction, then, at half-time the wind would change and blow it all back again.

The flies were in clouds, you could not eat without swallowing them and the heat was oppressive. Very glad we were when on October 4th orders came to M...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Plates
• Foreword
• Preface
• Part I: South African War, 1899–1902
• Part II: Malta, 1903, to Outbreak of War, 1914
• Part III: First World War to Victory Camp, 1914–1919
• Part IV: Scouting, 1919–1929