The Battle Of Biersfontein
The tiny Boer hamlet of Biersfontein was the setting for a vicious confrontation between a force of British and Australians and a Boer Commando. The Boers had entered the hamlet first and questioned the locals about British troop movements, however, not far down the road a troop of British scouts were approaching.
The boers spotted the scouts first and split their force in order to surround the hapless troopers. This almost worked when the Boers were spotted and rifle fire broke out, in the short gunfight the scouts commander was killed and a trooper wounded, two of the troopers rode for their lives while the other three were forced to surrender.
The two troopers escaping meant that an attack would be inevitable, civilians were evacuated and Boer horsemen scouted ahead while the main body of the commando looked for fighting positions. It wasn't long before figures in kharki were spotted, the alarm was raised and a Pom Pom gun was put into position.
The kharki figures turn out to be the Imperial left flank hurrying to secure the kopje, they were made up of Australian infantry and several experienced members of the Black Watch. As the troops crested the low hill they were surprised to see how sparse it was, very little cover, so they hurried to the far slope to get behind some rocks. The Boers, meanwhile, rushed to gain cover also.
Once into position the Imperial forces watched as the Boer mounted commandos retreated through the hamlet, but they also saw figures moving forward through the scrub and bush. Once the maxim machine gun was set up a fusilade rattled out across the veldt.
At this point the British right flank caught up and the East Sussex Regiment surged forward into the Boer flank that had already taken casualties from the Black Watch on the kopje. On the left flank Aussie and Black Watch troops had pressed home their attack facing the boers head on in hand to hand combat, Private Johnstone of the Black Watch personally killed four Boers in an incredible display of bravery, he was later wounded by a Boer sniper and was awarded the DCM for his conduct in this battle.
The Boer Pom Pom gun now came into action throwing shells into the face of the left flank, this gave the British a little pause for thought, but the 15 pounders were close and they would keep the Boers heads down, or so they hoped.
With the guns in position they now spat their venom, but not before the Pom Pom found it's range and caused bloody consternation amongst the advancing East Sussex, the left flank were now up to the kraal on the outskirts of Biersfontein and driving the boers back.
With the East Sussex Regiment now reaching the outskirts of Biersfontein the Pom Pom gun was causing havoc, on the left flank mounted Boers counter attacked.
The Imperial left and right flanks now converged on Biersfontein, the mounted counter attack unfortunately ran into a maxim machine gun and were slaughtered in a matter of moments. In the hamlet itself a stout resistance was being maintained, but when the right flanks maxim was brought to bear the fight was over. The 15 pounders threw a few more shells over the retreating Boers wounding one and setting a building on fire.
With the hamlet taken and the survivors taken as prisoners of war, the area was secured against any counter attack. It had been an expensive encounter, 14 Imperial troops had been killed, 16 Boers had paid the ultimate price, 3 British mounted infantry were now Boer prisoners and 7 Boers were now heading for St Helena.
