WITH BOTHA IN AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2622, 18 November 1915, Page 2

WITH BOTHA IN AFRICA

A NEW ZEALANDER'S PART

GERMAN SOUTH-WEST

CAMPAIGN

Ample evidence reaches New Zealand I from time to timo that the young men of this land are present, in almost every campaign undertaken by the Empire in the great war. Almost daily we hear of Now Zealanders in Flanders or France, while news is not lacking of their doings with the Australian Forces, as well as our own in the Dardanelles. They seem also to have taken a good part in the operations against the' South African rebels, and the Germans in German South-'West Africa. There arrived in Wellington on Monday by the Uliniaroa from Sydney, Mr. 0. Owles, a son of Captain Owles. New Brighton, Christchurch, who, as Corporal Owles, saw service both against tho rebels in South Africa, and against the German forces in Germany's lost territory, South-West Africa.

To a Dominion reporter yesterday Corporal Owles recounted somo'of the difficulties of that campaign. The actual loss of life through battle was not great, but nevertheless tho undertaking was stupendous, and the difficulties that had! to be overcome wore peculiar to the country. Naturally in such a land of large spaces, undeveloped wildernesses, and roadless interior, tho question bf transport was the most important. The "Union Expeditionay Force only numbered 80,000j but in the closing stages only mounted men could bo utilised, and the animals had a hard timo of it. Mules were dying by the dozen, said Corporal Owles, and the Government was forced to commandeer- anything on four legs that could be of service to the troops. The first serious check to the loyal forces, after they lia'i got well under way for German territory, was occasioned by the news that a revolution had broken out amongst the Boers, and at once the Expeditionary Forces had to come back. They were sent to different parts of the Transvaal and the Free State, and fortunately the rebellion was soon nipped in the bud. The delay, however, had given tho small German force time to 'strengthen their positions. Corporal Owles was with tho Bth Divisional Train, under Major Vinoy, an Imperial officer. As soon as the rebellion was settled General Botha directed his energies to drawing the Gorman South-West campaign to a speedy conclusion, and in this he relied to a large' extent on the loyal burghers.

The forced marches soon began to tell on the infantry that accompanied the force, and this branch was left to garrison the different towns a-s tho troops advanced. There was not a great deal of fighting, as tho Germans realised that their forces wore inadequate to cope with tho invading army. Their object was, however, to delay operalions as long as possible, and so keep a large number from being at liberty to proceed to Europe. Tho 8010 picked soldiers of tho German forces were ideal troops at this sort of warfare, and the skirmishes were numerous. They kept on falling back, however, poisoning tho, wells as they went, and the delay and' hardship wero heartbreaking to. the advancing columns. General Botha selected many of the sturdy burghers, accustomed all their life to rough living, to bring the campaign to an end. Thus was the stigma attaching to the race through the rebellion removed, for on all sides the doings of these rough soldiers met with jiraise. General Botha is now even more popular with the majority oi' tho South African population than he has been in the past, and the recent elections bore ample testimony to this. While the racial feeling still exists, Corporal Owles gave it as his opinion that it will .die out with the old back veldt Boors. The great trouble with these is their lack of education, and the narrowness with which they view- their outlook. It was an easy thing for Beyers and De Wet to prcach racial hate to such a class. The clever rebellious spirits of tho leaders could simply Wist, the back-veldters to any action, and their preaching of *a new, free republic found greedy listeners, who wero not loth 'to take action. At meetings organised by tho rebels tho old Free State flac; was hoisted time after time, and.this symbol of a. past independence stirrod the minds; of the Dutch to great depths. The younger and better educated • Africanders, however, recognise that in a British State, with perfect autonomy, they are in a better position than under an independent flag, but all tho timo subject to internal differences. .

Corporal Owles spent over four months in hospital with enteric fever, oontracted .iu German South-West Africa. He is notf taking an extended holiday, and when quite recovered will onco again join the Empire forces. Ho has another brother, Lieut. A. H. Owles, serving in Africa,, and a brother with the Artillery of the New Zealand Forces in the Dardanelles.'