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Page 18
Rain on the edge of the Namib Desert. It was ludicrous, too bizarre; it
was the last straw. We gasped. A deep roar of ironical cheering went
up. The Commander-in-Chief looked round and laughed. When we outspanned
later the horses made a show of grazing for the first time for five
months. The sagacious animals showed plain amazement in their eyes. At
Wilhelmsfeste (Tsaobis) the bushveld begins. The water supply of
Otjimbingwe is the feature of that rather quaint settlement. One must
ever associate it with its fine aeromotor pumping the precious fluid
for parched man and beast to drink their full after the desert passage
in the shade of cool palms many years old.
[Illustration: German prisoners of war, imprisoned at Karibib]
[Illustration: Karibib]
[Illustration: Towards Windhuk. The first troops in Waldau]
[Illustration: The first South African Engineer Corps Staff at Windhuk]
During the great trek alarms regarding mines were most frequent. There
were many wonderful escapes. It seems a marvel that the enemy were not
more successful than they were with these deadly machines. Suffer
casualties we did; but if all the mines that were laid had blown up our
casualties would have been formidable indeed. But somehow those mines
seemed foreordained not to act. They were discovered by the merest
chance; or they failed to go off; or they exploded at the wrong time.
Making for Karibib in the forenoon of the 5th of May, the authorities
naturally showed the greatest caution for the safety of General Botha--
though a large body of Union mounted troops had passed over the same
ground before the Commander-in-Chief, Staff and Bodyguard traversed the
road.
In view of the fact that the South African Army was operating against
the forces of the same nation that has ravaged and despoiled Belgium, a
point should be made here. It must be remembered that the armed forces
of the Protectorate simply cleared bag and baggage out of all the
important inland towns in the face of Botha's overwhelming advances.
They left wife and child, the old and infirm, every stick of property
they could not carry, at our mercy. When we entered Karibib at five in
the evening the non-combatant population were moving about the streets,
or standing in best bib and tucker at their doors, calmly gazing at the
trek-stained horsemen that sought the nearest water tanks. They had not
the slightest fear of us. I spoke to a comrade who has seen war
aforetime. He said he had never seen a more orderly occupation of a
town.
[Illustration: Towards Windhuk. A quick railway repair after the
Germans' usual practice of blowing up railway bridges]
[Illustration: Towards Windhuk. The first train to Windhuk. The South
African Engineer Corps Construction Party aboard]
[Illustration: At Windhuk. How we treat the German women. Ten minutes
after occupation]
[Illustration: At Windhuk. The Commander-in-Chief addresses his massed
troops from the Rathaus ]
The conduct of the South African troops should assuredly be noted. The
very confidence of these German townspeople that they had nothing to
fear from the hated troops of the British Union of South Africa was
eloquent. The thing stood out, a piece of bitterest irony in connection
with a people whose kindred across the seas were making civilisation
shudder at their atrocities afloat and ashore. The news of the
_Lusitania_ massacre on the high seas reached Karibib just after
occupation. Did one Teuton in the place have to suffer as a consequence
even the insult of a word? No. What would the Germans have done?
General Botha's forces had crossed a desert through which it was the
open boast of the enemy that it was strewn with mines and with every
well poisoned. Was a single defenceless citizen of Windhuk or Karibib
the worse for it after the occupation? Not one. The greater part of
General Botha's forces were on a half--a quarter--an eighth rations
when they made Karibib, Okahandja, Okasise, Waldau and the capital;
they lived until all supplies could come up on less than one biscuit a
day, a pinch or two of meal, and fresh meat.
How much looting occurred in these towns?
There was none worthy the name.
Everyone was guarded. A few hours after the places were entered the
orders were issued threatening severe and instant penalties should any
looting be done by the hungry troops; officers, etc., were quietly
billeted; and to the houses occupied by women and marged with a white
cross no one unauthorised was allowed any approach whatsoever.
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