Scout John Henry Ferguson

PRE-WAR

John Henry was born at Bellgrove, Stutterheim where his father and grandfather were farming at Quanti Farm until 1891. He then grew up living in railway cottages on the Eastern Line, where the family later settled, in Tylden, close to Cathcart. John was likely to be living separate to his family by 1915, as his Death Notice notes his ordinary place of residence as Sandflats, also noting he was a Blacksmith and Farrier prior to the war.

ARMY SERVICE

Service No. 1020, Botha's Scouts(21st Intelligence Unit), 5th Mounted Brigade - 1st February 1915 to 17th June 1915

Attestation - 1st February 1915(possibly at Tempe, Orange Free State, Military District No.10)
Botha's Scouts, 5th Mounted Brigade - Mobilised 9th February 1915
Embarked per S.S. Gaika(Cape Town) - 27th March 1915
Sent letter home from Walvis Bay(GSWA) - 12th April 1915
Killed in Action - 17th June 1915

WW1 - German South West Africa - During the campaign in German South West Africa, the South African forces, with a loss of only 266 men(including John Henry Ferguson), forced the German forces to surrender within six months. - Military Chronicle of South West Africa, by Col C J Nöthling

5th Mounted Brigade, listed under 'Northern Force', achieved fourth 'Best Force Marches(with Halts and Delays)' from Riet to Otjimbingue, covering 70 miles in 37 hours. - The Union of South Africa and the Great War 1914-1918 Official History, by Defence HQ

Northern Force - 'The base of this was in Cape Town, where dock and embarking facilities were to be had. Walvis Bay, the disembarking end of the 850-mile sea transport, is sheltered and calm but ships have to anchor about two thousand yards from shore and there are no harbour works. The men, horses, and other material, including entire locomotives, were landed on pontoons with from 10 to 50 ton load capacity... The transport problem of urgent interest, however was to maintain the far-advanced and rapidly operating mounted field troops, there being absolutely no grazing of any description until Karabib was reached... Only mealie meal, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, biscuits, soap, tobacco, and matches were to be carried; meat was to be procured from the country covered in the advance, and horses and transport mules were to depend on grazing.' - The Union of South Africa and the Great War 1914-1918 Official History, by Defence HQ

'The 3rd and 5th Brigades left Swakupmund in the early afternoon. We saw them coming towards us, over a distant ridge about five miles away, and into the intervening valley. It was a wonderful sight, for they came on at a great rate in a cloud of dust like a mighty serpent belching smoke. As the head of the column approached us, men were still pouring over the distant ridge. What a change from the lethargy at Swakupmund! All were now laughing, joking, and shouting. Each man carried his own belongings, just an overcoat, one blanket under the saddle, a haversack containing food and tobacco. Here and there a pan or kettle was dangling from a saddle, but beyond one or two pack-mules and horses, dragged by sweating, shouting natives, there was no transport.' - A Doctor's Diary in Damaraland, by Dr H F B Walker

Left Nonidas(Swakopmund), 6pm, 26th April 1915

On leaving at 6pm(sunset noted as 6.31pm on Google), 'The Boers always, if possible, choose moonlight nights for their trekking, and this one was no exception to their general rule. I have no doubt that General Botha waited for full moon before making this advance. Otherwise night marches in a broken unknown country like this would be next to impossible. The orders were for the whole column to be at Husab by dawn, and this night trek of forty miles was a series of nightmares. The Burghers move in short rushes, and then rest, which is much less fatiguing for man and beast than just jogging slowly on... The bivouacs of the Burghers are very impressive. In the distance you would see a black patch on the sand, absolutely still and silent. This patch resolves itself into an orderly arrangement of men, saddles, and horses, perhaps arranged in long lines, each man lying with a horse and saddle at his head. Sometimes the horses are tied in circles of twenty or so, heads inwards, and the men sleep round. At other times the men would just dismount for a few minutes, and were leaning against their horses, quiet, motionless, and observant. Not a horse neighed or stirred, and on a dark night you might pass within 10 yards of a commando without realizing that they were there.' - A Doctor's Diary in Damaraland, by Dr H F B Walker

'The 3rd and 5th Brigades arrived at Riet early this morning(28th April). The bulk of them did not stay long, but watered their horses and moved on towards Salem.' - A Doctor's Diary in Damaraland, by Dr H F B Walker

(Left) Riet, 6pm, 28th April 1915 - 'The 3rd and 5th Brigades arrived at Riet early this morning(28th April). The bulk of them did not stay long, but watered their horses and moved on towards Salem.' - A Doctor's Diary in Damaraland, by Dr H F B Walker

'The strike from Riet had been entrusted to the 1st and 2nd Mounted Brigades under Brig-Gen C J Brits, and the 3rd and 5th Mounted Brigades under the command of Brig-Gen M W Myburgh. Brits’s force mustered 4273 rifles and the equivalent of two artillery batteries. Myburgh controlled 4595 men and two artillery batteries.' - Military History Journal, Vol 13 No 2, by Hamish Paterson

'By 28 April 1915, Northern Force’s preparations were complete. Setting its sights on Tsaobis, Gen Myburgh’s force began to advance along the edge of Khomas Highland. General Brits’s objective was Kubas, with support provided by Col Wylie’s infantry brigade.' By the following day, on 29th April, 'Gen Myburgh’s men had taken Kaltenhausen after undertaking a march without much water over heavily-mined terrain.' - Military History Journal, Vol 13 No 2, by Hamish Paterson

Commenting on movement close to Kaltenhausen, 'The road past Salem Farm, by which route Brigadieir-General Brits had been preceded by General Botha and the 3rd and 5th Mounted Brigades, under Brigadieir-Generals Myburgh and Manie Botha, was by now churned up into deep black powder, which rose like a thick, choking fog, obscuring the teams from the drivers and transforming white men into the semblance of nigger minstrels.' - How Botha and Smuts conquered German South West, p. 203

(Left) Tsaobis - 1am, 30th April 1915. Action at Otjimbingue - 5am, 30th April 1915 - 'General Botha himself took the 3rd and 5th Mounted Brigades away to the right flank via Tsaobis and Otjimbingwe'. - How Botha and Smuts conquered German South West, p. 210

'Losses were slight, mainly owing to the alertness of the troops and their bypassing of the narrow parts of the tracks. Water was obtained from the Swakop and grazing at Otjimbingwe, which was reached on 30 April 1915.' - Military History Journal, Vol 13 No 2, by Hamish Paterson

Wilhelmsthal - 6am, 4th May 1915

On 7th May, 'the 5th Brigade had cut the line at Wilhelmstaal, a station on the line between Karibib and Windhuk; and, what was particularly pleasing to us, they said the 2nd Brigade had now moved on towards Groot Barmen and Okahandya.' - A Doctor's Diary in Damaraland, by Dr H F B Walker

'As the South Africans moved northwards, the Germans retreated north of the Swakopmund-Windhuk railway line, abandoning Windhuk to prevent being caught between the Northern Force and the Southern and Central forces, thus prolonging their campaign. On 12 May, Windhuk surrendered to General Botha, fulfilling the requirements of the urgent Imperial service, but it then became necessary to eliminate the remaining German forces.' - Military History Journal, Vol 13 No 2, by Hamish Paterson

'On 12 May Botha declared martial law and having cut the colony in half, divided his forces into four contingents under Coen Brits, Lukin, Manie Botha and Myburgh. The other three columns fanned out into the north-east... Manie Botha to Tsumeb and the line’s terminus.' - https://ourfamilyatwar.wordpress.com/tag/ww1/page/14/

By 21 May 1915, Seitz proposed an armistice to Botha based upon the territorial status quo. Botha and Smuts wanted to completely incorporate the territory into the Union of South Africa and outright ignored the proposal. By 18 June 1915 Botha resumed his advance against the German forces in the north of the colony through a series of forced marches and operational envelopments. - Strachan: The First World War in Africa, New York 2004, pp. 81-92.

'The South Africans then prepared a strike force consisting of the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 6th Mounted Brigades, the right wing of the 3rd Mounted Brigade, and the 1st Infantry Brigade, supported by five field batteries (each comprising four 13-pr quick-firing guns), a battery of 4-inch guns, a battery of 6-inch guns, a battery of 6-inch howitzers, two 12-pr naval guns, and two 5-inch howitzers. Logistic support was provided by 532 wagons and, for the first time in the campaign, units had more than two days’ supplies on hand. By 17 June 1915, the strike force was ready to be deployed.' - Military History Journal, Vol 13 No 2, by Hamish Paterson

On 9 July 1915 Dr Theodor Seitz, the German Governor, and the Commander-in-Chief, Colonel V. Franke, surrendered at Khorab (Otavi) with 4,740 soldiers. The territory of 825,000 square kilometres was placed temporarily under South African military rule on the same date.

DEATH

The newspaper cutting confirms John Henry was killed 'in patrol engagement, at Otjakatjongo', where four others were 'slightly injured' and one 'dangerously injured'. All in 5th Mounted Brigade. It also lists two other Burghers of the 3rd Mounted Brigade who were killed 'in patrol, near Otjihangwe Mountain'. A news article states the day after JH's death that 'Brigadier-General Manie Botha's Scouts, came into contact with the enemy on Friday Otjakatjongo, miles north-east of Wilhelmtal Station. One scout was killed, and five were wounded', appearing to match the newspaper clipping but notes the day as Friday rather than Thursday(17th June). The following sentence references 'The 3rd Mounted Brigade had a skirmish with enemy patrols near the Otjihangwe mountains(also noted in the newspaper clipping), 50 miles eastward of Okobanja, the Union forces losing one killed and four wounded(although clipping just notes two killed and none listed injured)'. There's also no deaths noted on the Friday 18th June, on CWGC.

Other Burghers in Botha's Scouts wounded on same day and in Otjakatjongo were A Coetzee, D Crane, J Van Tonder, N W Sterling and R A Renski. Newspaper articles(including The Times, London) reported 'On the right wing of the Union advance Brigadier - General Manie, Botha's Scouts, came into contact with the enemy on Friday at Otjakatjongo, 15 miles north - east of Wilhelmstal station. One scout was killed and five were wounded.'

Of those killed throughout the war, only five died after the 17th June 1915.

Closest address to Otjakatjongo - http://okajolodge.com/contact-us/?lang=en

How Botha and Smuts conquered German South West(page 289)

https://archive.org/details/howbothasmutscon00rayn/page/288/mode/2u...

Death Notice

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSQX-99ZV-8?i=1039...

Grave Photograph

http://www.graves-at-eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=3541870

Cathcart War Memorial Photographs

http://www.graves-at-eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1178572

South African War Graves Project

http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=7041