Bushveldt Carbineers

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Breaker Morant

The Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC) (German: Bushveldt- Karabiniers ) were a two-year long multinational mounted regiment of the British Army , which was deployed in South Africa during the Boer War . The BVC are considered to be the first modern special unit to use counterinsurgency tactics .

The 320 man strong regiment was built in February 1901 and commanded by the Australian Colonel Robert Lenehan . It was stationed in what was then Pietersburg (now Polokwane ), around 290 kilometers north of Pretoria , and was used in the Spelonken region in the north of the Transvaal from 1901 to 1902. Over 40 percent of the men were Australian. The regiment included 40  Boers who surrendered and were recruited from the prison camps.

The unit was made famous by Lieutenant Harry "Breaker" Morant and Lieutenant Peter Handcock , who were tried by a court-martial and sentenced to death by shooting. Both were shot dead by the Cameron Highlanders on February 27, 1902 for executing prisoners of war . Harry "Breaker" Morant had previously issued a statement that the BVC had received orders not to take prisoners of war.

Lieutenant George Witton , who had also been sentenced to death, was released after serving 28 months in prison in the UK and returned to Lancefield, Australia, where he wrote a book about what went on . His 1907 publications were destroyed by fire, with the exception of a few copies. In 1982 the Australian publisher Angus and Robertson reissued the book and after the success of this book, the film Breaker Morant was directed by Bruce Beresford .

literature

  • William Woolmore: The Bushveldt Carbineers and the Pietersburg Light Horse. Slouch Hat Publications Australia, 2002, ISBN 0-9579752-0-1 .