TOPIC:

Malcolm Mackenzie

Lieutenant, “A” Squadron, Rhodesia Regiment
Lieutenant, Director of Railways Staff – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal (Relief of Mafeking, Transvaal) to Lieut: M. McKenzie. Rhod. Rgt.
- Kings South Africa Medal (South Africa 1901 & 1902) to LIEUT: M. MACKENZIE. DIRECTOR OF RLYS: STAFF.

Malcolm Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1863. His antecedents are not known likewise anything about his early life. Our first glimpse of Mackenzie comes in 1897 when, as a resident of Natal, he applied to the Colonial authorities on behalf of himself and one James K Lamb (James Kendrick Lamb) for a permit to prospect in the Umvoti and Umsinga locations. The letter, addressed on Imperial Hotel, Pietermaritzburg stationary, was dated 26th January 1897 and read thus,

“To the Secretary for Native Affairs, Pietermaritzburg

Sir, I have the honour to request that that you will grant me a permit to take out two mineral prospecting licences, for the Umsinga Fields, one in my own name, and one in the name of James K. Lamb. We are both resident at N’Gobrow. I have the honour to be etc.”

Prospecting was hugely popular in Natal towards the end of the 19th century with “deposits” being discovered with monotonous regularity. This led to any number of “claims” only to find that what was buried beneath the earth was nothing but Fools Gold. Many a prospector emerged from his camp within a few weeks or months with his pockets empty and his funds sadly depleted.

We don’t know to what extent this was the case with Malcolm Mackenzie but, having had his request for a permit granted, he discovered that there was nought to “discover” and took himself off to Matabeleland in what was then to become Southern Rhodesia where, at a place in the bush called Tati, he opened a General Dealer’s Store close by to a Gold Mine where yet more prospectors were trying their luck.



His Rhodesian odyssey was interrupted by his nuptials which took place in St James Church, Greytown, Natal on 8 August 1899. This happy event saw him take for his wife Mary Jane Edith Purcell, 26 year old daughter of William Purcell the proprietor of the Plough Hotel in Greytown, under the benevolent eye of the Rector, Reverend Pennington. One can only assume that he returned to his store with his bride and continued to trade.

He was most likely still thus occupied when the Anglo Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899. This war, between Great Britain and the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State had been several years in the making, accelerated by the abortive Jameson Raid of 1896 which, some say, was the final nail in the coffin of anything resembling an accord between the belligerents.

Mackenzie would have woken up to the reality of war with the dawn of 12 October by which time the Boer commandos were already streaming across borders to the south, infiltrating deep into the Crown colonies of Natal and the Cape and hell-bent on driving the British Imperialists, so long a thorn in their side, into the sea. Biding his time before taking the plunge, it was on 23 January 1900 that Mackenzie was commissioned as a Lieutenant in “A” Squadron of the Rhodesia Regiment.

But who were the Rhodesia Regiment? - In July 1899 Colonel Baden-Powell was sent out to Rhodesia to raise two regiments, in order to protect the borders of that country and of the Bechuanaland Protectorate in the event of war. Recruiting began on 10th August, and the two regiments, namely, the Rhodesian, under Colonel Plumer, and the Protectorate, under Colonel Hore, were raised, trained, and equipped before war broke out. Colonel Baden-Powell had about twenty regular officers to assist him in his task.

In September Baden-Powell took down to Mafeking the Bechuanaland Regiment. He left Colonel Plumer with the Rhodesian Regiment, and some of the British South Africa Police, to watch the northern and north-western borders of the Transvaal, and if possible to keep the railway from Bulawayo to Mafeking open. Colonel Plumer and his regiment went to Tuli, where about 100 British South Africa Police were already posted.

On 14th January 1900 Colonel Plumer got to Gaberones, 100 miles farther down the line. Ten miles south of that place the Boers held a strong position, and Plumer's men did a lot of fighting before the enemy cleared out of their position on 25th February 1900. It would have been at this juncture that Mackenzie joined the regiment.

The Daily Telegraph of 3 February 1900 reporting under the banner “Plumer’s Advance to Mafeking” that a fight had taken place at Crocodile Pools on the day Mackenzie received his commission. The report, in part, read as follows,

“Squadrons A,B,C, and D of the Rhodesia Regiment left camp at 3 o’ clock this morning , under Major Bird, and at daybreak reconnoitred round the Boer Lager. A number of Boers stationed on a hill overlooking the lager were charged with the bayonet, but did not wait for the Rhodesians to come to close quarters. Two horses and two Transvaal flags were captured. Reinforcements which were sent out from the Boer lager found themselves in no better case. Several well directed shells however, from the enemy’s 9-pounder, which was pointed on a neighbouring hill, induced Major Bird to retire. No damage was sustained by our side except for a few wounded Troopers.”

On 6th March Lobatsi, 60 miles from Mafeking, was reached by Plumer. On 15th March the Boers attacked Plumer's force. Lieutenant Tyler was killed and several men were wounded. Lieutenant Chapman, whose horse fell close to the enemy, was captured. After more fighting Sefetili, 30 miles northwest of Mafeking, was reached, and a message sent into Baden-Powell was duly replied to.

On 26th March they made an incursion into the Transvaal to within twelve miles of Zeerust, and on the 31st they reconnoitred to within six miles of Mafeking. On this date the enemy was found in strength, and the British mounted troops lost heavily. Colonel Plumer was wounded in the arm. On 1st May 100 men of the British South Africa Police from Mashonaland joined Plumer. On the 12th he received a message that Colonel Mahon would be on the Molopo on 15th May, and on the 14th he was joined by a most welcome reinforcement of over 100 Queensland Mounted Infantry, dismounted, and a Canadian battery of 4 guns. On the same day Plumer, with about 800 men and 8 guns, set out, and succeeded in joining hands with Mahon on the Molopo on the 15th.

On the 16th an engagement took place and Mafeking was entered on the 17th before dawn. Lieutenants Harland and Lloyd and several men of the regiment were killed, and Major Bird and Lieutenant A J Forbes and 20 men were wounded in the fighting outside Mafeking. Out of thirteen Imperial officers serving with the regiment four had been killed, five wounded, and one captured, up to 18th May; while one volunteer officer had been killed and two wounded.

On the 17th the Boers were driven from the confines of the town and the relief column headed in. The Lincolnshire Echo of 25 May 1900 wrote that, “The first to enter the town was Major Karri Davis with a patrol of Imperial Light Horse, but the honours of the relief, which was effected at 4 o’clock in the morning of the 17th, are assigned to the Cape Police, who throughout the last stage of the march occupied the onerous position of advance guard, although perhaps the most dangerous position for any part of the column under the circumstances was that of the rearguard, which consisted of the Mashonaland Squadron, “A” Squadron of the Rhodesia Regiment (Mackenzie’s Squadron), and the Diamond Fields Horse, commanded by Colonel Peakman.”



After a few days respite the men were on the move again and on the 20th Plumer occupied Zeerust, and afterwards Ottoshoop and Polfontein. Baden-Powell and Plumer now moved farther east, and Rustenburg was occupied on 10th June.

After the relief of Mafeking the Rhodesian Regiment was much split up: the greater portion accompanied General Plumer to the Rustenburg district, but detachments were left at different posts. In Lord Roberts' telegram of 8th August 1900 he said that he feared that Colonel Hore's force at Eland's River (between Rustenburg and Zeerust) had been captured. He also said that the garrison consisted of about 140 Australian Bushmen, 80 of the Rhodesian Regiment, and 80 Rhodesian Volunteers.

On the 19th Major Tunbridge and a squadron of the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry brought in a convoy. The intention was that he should go on with it to Rustenburg, but Hore deemed this inadvisable. Patrols were kept moving out, and there was often fighting, as on the 21st and 23rd. On the 22nd there was a severe engagement at Koster's River, between Eland's River and Rustenburg. On 3rd August Hore learned that there was a concentration of Boers, over 2000, in his immediate neighbourhood. On the 4th the enemy commenced the attack by opening a heavy fire on parties who were taking the horses to water.

On the 4th no less than 1500 shells fell within the perimeter of the defence, and the casualties were 32, of whom 5 were killed. On the night of the 4th and every night afterwards the men worked hard at the trenches, deepening those already made, and providing head cover from waggons which had been smashed.

No part of the camp was secure from shell-fire, and the hospital was several times struck. On the 5th Carrington's force approached so near that they could be plainly seen, but his effort to break through seems to have been almost contemptible, and he actually retreated seventeen miles that night, to the amazement of his own officers and men. On the 6th an attempted relief was commenced by Baden-Powell: he got within twenty miles but turned, because he had heard the garrison had surrendered. After the 6th shell and rifle fire continued, but were not so heavy as on the 4th. Some incidents of how snipers stalked snipers were almost amusing. One Boer, who had done much firing but could not for some time be located, was at last found in a tree and duly brought to the ground.

About the 8th Delarey sent in what was a very gentlemanly letter, asking surrender: he said he had driven back Carrington, which was true. Hore declined to surrender, and asked his opponent to keep his shells off the hospital, a request which was attended to. Fighting continued till the 15th. On that morning there was no reply to the defender's fire. A force could that day be seen in the distance, but could not be identified as friend or enemy. On the 16th, at 3 AM, some West Australians, the advance scouts of Lord Kitchener's Division, rode in. Lord Kitchener came in at 7 am. He remarked: "You have had a hot time, but have made a wonderful defence". The severity of the fire may be guessed from the fact that out of 1540 animals in camp, 1379 were lost. Owing to the good trenches, the casualties among the troops were slight in comparison. About 10 men were killed and 43 wounded, of whom 8 died.

The Rhodesian Regiment lost 4 killed and 2 wounded, the Volunteers 2 killed and 2 wounded, and the British South Africa Police 2 killed and 2 wounded. Lord Roberts said: "The gallant defence of this post was most creditable to Colonel Hore and the troops under his command".

After the relief Lord Kitchener split up his force, sending part of it on to Mafeking with Lord Methuen, who took the garrison with him.

On 6th August Baden-Powell approached Eland's River from Rustenburg, "but", in the words of the despatch, "though firing was going on, its sound became more distant; and concluding that Lieutenant Colonel Hore's force had either been captured by the enemy or relieved by Carrington, he retired to Rustenburg". Want of supplies prevented another attempt being made from the Rustenburg direction. Between 7th and 14th August Lord Kitchener, with several columns, was pursuing De Wet from the Vaal towards the Magaliesberg. On the 13th August a messenger reached Mafeking: he had been sent on the 10th by Hore with a request for assistance. Lord Roberts at once directed Lord Kitchener to press on to Hore's relief; and, as already stated, this was effected on 16th August.

The Eland's River garrison having, as already stated, marched to Mafeking with Lord Methuen, was, after some weeks' rest there, railed via De Aar and Bloemfontein to Pretoria, where it was inspected and congratulated by Lord Roberts on 1st October.

The bulk of the Rhodesian Regiment was, during July, August, and September, operating to the east of Rustenburg and to the north of Pretoria. In Lord Roberts' telegram of 22nd August, he said that Paget reported from Haman's Kraal that Baden-Powell was engaged with Commandant Grobler's rear-guard all the previous day. Grobler was driven back on the east of the Pienaar's River. During the fight, Baden-Powell's and the enemy's advance guards galloped into each other. The Rhodesians suffered severely, Lieutenant Colonel Spreckley, commanding Rhodesian Volunteers, and 4 men being killed, and Lieutenant Irvine and 6 men wounded. In the despatch it was stated that, as a result of this fighting, 100 British prisoners were rescued and 25 Boers captured.

Soon after this, about the end of September, the year for which the Rhodesian men were engaged expired, and they were disbanded. Neither the regiment nor the Rhodesian Volunteers seem to have suffered any casualties in action after 22nd August 1900. Mackenzie, whom it can be assumed was part of the Elands River action, took his discharge from the Rhodesia Regiment on 28 October 1900 – the same point at which the Regiment was disbanded.

For Mackenzie the war was not yet over – the Volunteer service Gazette of 22 February 1901 reported under the heading “The following appointment to the Staff in South Africa is confirmed: …Lt. M. Mackenzie, late Rhodesia Horse (sic) – Oct. 29, 1900.” This was earlier confirmed by the London Evening Standard edition of 20 February 1901 who wrote that, “To be Railway Staff Officers graded as Staff Lieutenants whilst so employed:- Lieut. M. Mackenzie, late Rhodesia Horse.”

So there it was, Mackenzie had transmogrified into a Staff Officer with the Directorate of Railways but what did this imply? Being one of Lieut. Colonel Sir Percy Girouard, K.C.M.G. , D.S.O. , R.E.’s men meant being tasked with and responsible for the smooth flow of rolling stock over the extensive South African Railway network. With the fall of Bloemfontein and Pretoria it had become necessary to co-ordinate, and in some cases combine, the various colonial rail services. Mackenzie would have been partially responsible for co-ordinating the flow of supplies, troops, ordnance and ammunition along the railway network – from point of departure to arrival. No mean feat given the fact that the Boers were apt to blow up and derail several train lines as they continued their guerilla-style hit and run tactics.

Mackenzie soldiered on in this role until the cessation of hostilities on 31 May 1902. At some point in the succeeding years he made the move to his wife’s home town of Greytown permanently and set about the raising of a family. His wife blessed him with three daughters – Eileen Margorie, Sybil Grace and Helen Patricia.
Malcolm Mackenzie passed away in Addington Hospital in Durban from Debility on 30 July 1915 at the age of 51. He was described as a Gentleman and was survived by his wife and three young children. His wife never remarried and died on 24 March 1961 – 45 years after his death.

Acknowledgements:
- Stirling’s Colonials in the South African War
- Various newspapers credited in the body of the work
- Zimbabwe & Rhodesia History 50 years or more back – Facebook page
- Ancestry Family search. Org for Marriage, Death notices