Story: South African War

Langverwacht Hill memorial

Langverwacht Hill memorial

This memorial was erected in 1905 to honour the 24 members of the 7th Contingent who fell at the Battle of Langverwacht Hill on 23 February 1902. The memorial is near the site of the battle, in the Orange Free State. The background of the battle was the British attempt to use cordons of troops to sweep the Boer commandos towards blockhouses. On this occasion Boer commander Christiaan de Wet attempted to break through the line at night using a mob of cattle as an advance screen. The assault centred on the area held by the Otago and Canterbury companies of the 7th Contingent, some 90 men. In addition to the 24 killed, 41 were wounded – a loss which was one of the most severe suffered by a New Zealand unit in a single short action in any war. The action was also called the Battle of Bothasberg.

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Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Photograph by Margaret Marks

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How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'South African War - The troopers in South Africa', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/36202/langverwacht-hill-memorial (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 20 Jun 2012