One hundred and twenty-five years ago, British troops were fighting in South Africa in what became known as the Boer War. Historians still debate the reasons behind the war but there is no doubt that one of the main underlying factors was the control of the enormous gold mines in the Witwatersrand area. It was the largest gold mining area in the world at that time. The worlds monetary systems were based on the value of gold and the British government were dependent upon the precious metal to maintain the Empire and their status as a world power. Britain, led by its South African High Commissioner, Alfred Milner, sought to undermine the political independence of the South African Republic by demanding changes to its constitution to grant political rights to British Uitlanders (British people working in the goldfields), aiming to shift state policy in Britain’s favour. Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal region where the goldfields were located, negotiated with Milner but Kruger had the interests of the Boers ahead of the British. During negotiations, Kruger made several concessions, but these were all rejected by Milner. Fearing a conflict, Britain sent more troop reinforcements to South Africa which upset the Boers and after further concessions by Kruger were also dismissed, war was inevitable. The Boers issued an ultimatum on October 9, 1899, demanding the withdrawal of British troops from the border. When Britain refused, the war began on October 11, 1899.

The Boer’s were mainly farmers of Dutch origin, who had settled in South Africa over many years and knowing that they had no chance of defeating the British Army by adopting conventional warfare methods, they resorted to besieging towns such as Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking. They used guerilla tactics of ambushes and hit and run against British camps and patrols. This resulted in the British high command adopting scorched earth policies and building a network of defensive barbed wire fences, nets, trenches and blockhouses to restrict the Boer movements. Over 100,000 Boer civilians were put into concentration camps, mainly women and children, where over 26,000 died from disease and starvation. Black Africans were also interned to stop them from supplying the Boers with arms and over 20,000 of them also died in awful circumstances. Lord Kitchener eventually offered generous terms to the Boers to surrender in 1902 and the ludicrous war came to an end.

Whilst the war was going on, the railway was an important communication link for the British Army but attacks by the Boers became more frequent, reaching its climax by the end of 1900. Better defences were needed, and blockhouses were erected at strategic points near to bridges over the railway. These were usually two storeys in height and had a machine gun emplacement upon the roof. Approximately twelve soldiers who manned the blockhouses had to enter by a ladder and from their elevated position, they could survey the land around them and spot any potential enemy attacks. The blockhouses took around three months to build at a cost of between £800 – £1,000, but this was deemed to be too costly. A cheaper method of building was employed which involved a double skin of corrugated iron, six inches apart, the gap being filled with shingle. A single sheet of corrugated iron was used as the roof. These worked out at around £44 each and so the army set about building them, about one mile apart, along the length of the railway network. The blockhouses were surrounded by a trench with high wire entanglements, designed to keep the enemy at bay. Over 8,000 blockhouses were built covering 3,700 miles. As time went on, trenches and steel wire fences were placed between the blockhouses so stop the Boers from crossing the lines during darkness. Each blockhouse was connected by telephone and in addition to six soldiers, armed native scouts were used to patrol the outside area. This certainly made travelling around the open country, more difficult for the Boers.

The Northern Transvaal is often overlooked as a key area in the South African War. While there wasn’t much action during the early battles, it became a crucial stronghold for the Boer resistance fighters during the guerrilla phase. As Boer commandos retreated further east and north, the recently built 290-kilometre railway line between Pretoria to Pietersburg played a significant role. This railway became vital for both Boer and British strategies in the later years of the war. In August 1900, the British army pushed into Northern Transvaal, following the railway as far as Nylstroom. They advanced towards Pietersburg in early 1901, using the railway to move equipment. After the British occupied Pietersburg, the Boers focused on sabotaging the railway. The line had ten girder bridges and seven stations at Pienaars River, Warmbaths, Nylstroom, Naboomspruit, Piet Potgietersrust, Marabastad, and Pietersburg. The full journey took 10½ hours. Following attacks, the British prioritised repairing war-damaged railway lines quickly, using construction trains to make temporary fixes and later permanent repairs. Keeping the railway operational was essential for the British war strategy.

The blockhouses along the route were given identifying numbers and it was at Blockhouse Kilo 122 that a man from Rastrick spent several months. But life was dull and very rarely did they contact or even see the enemy. Rudyard Kipling drafted a poem about life in a Blockhouse.