Regimental Museum

Even before the creation of the Transvaal Scottish Volunteers, the museum existed. The countless memorabilia, documentation and artefacts relating to the process of the Regiment's establishment began to mount up.

The Transvaal Scottish Museum present the following items of interest.

The two founders of the Regiment.

Transvaal Scottish first active service. (1906)

The quiet years (1906 - 1914)

The Great War (1914 - 1918)

German South West Africa

In Europe

Delville Wood Cross

Miners Revolt. (1922)

World War II (1940 - 1945)

Abyssinia

Sollum

Sidi Rezegh

El Alamein

Visits to the Museum

Johannesburg sites with memorabilia on display.

The two founders of the Regiment.   [ TOP ]

The Marquis of Tullibardine, later the 8th Duke of Athol, was responsible for the establishment of the War Memorial Chapel at Edinburgh Castle which commemorates the Scottish dead of the Great War.

Thomas Law was the chief of the Johannesburg Caledonian Society, who assisted the Marquis of Tullibardine in recruiting for the Scottish Horse during the Boer War 1899 - 1902. When the Marquis returned to Scotland in late 1902, Law continued the Marquis. s initiatives to form a powerful regiment on the Witwatersrand, the Transvaal Scottish Volunteers.

Transvaal Scottish first active service. (1906)   [ TOP ]

In the 1906 Rebellion in Natal, the Transvaal Scottish volunteers swung into action in the form of a company commanded by Capt. Arnold Statham Milne. Capt. Milne his men and their actions were responsible for the first battle honour, Natal 1906. This picture indicates the uniform that was worn on active service.
The uniform has changed little since 1902: A Blue balmoral replaces the the Slouch Hat. the distinctive black cock feather replaced by the Regimental badge. The khaki spats replaced with white ones. The officers tunic has been changed with an open necked one and a collared shirt and tie are worn.

The quiet years. (1906 - 1914)   [ TOP ]

Prior to the Great War, the Transvaal Scottish Volunteers had companies stationed across the Witwatersrand. Even as far north as Pretoria. This picture shows uniformed officers in 1910.

The Great War (1914 - 1918)   [ TOP ]

German South West Africa

The German Imperial Flag. The flag was captured by 2 Transvaal Scottish at Swakopmund prior to annexure of 16th January 1915. This is one of the more impressive items on display in the museum since it documents the names of those participants. The six companies and the command structure of the battalion at the time are also recorded. On the right hand side of the double headed eagle are the signatures of the Commanding Officer, the battalion second in command, the Adjutant, the Padre and the Log Officer. Below these signatures are the names of the men under a heading indicating which company they served. On the left of the flag are more names, presumably written there because the area to the right of the eagle was too small. In front of the flag is a "minenwerfer" (German trench mortar) known as "minies" by the British forces, including the South African Scottish. Corporal George Warwick of the South African Scottish wrote : "You would hear the minnie going off. One of our men on minnie guard would blow one blast on a whistle if the minnie was coming straight for him; two blasts if it was falling on his right hand side; three if it was on his left hand side. You would see the minnie go into the air and apparently come down straight for you. You ran to the right and looked up and it seemed still to be descending straight on you. You ran back and by the time the minnie would have reached your line and gone off with the most nerve shattering detonation. The minnie was just as terrifying at night time, for it lit up it. s path through the air with a fiery tail."

In Europe.   [ TOP ]

Acting on the principle that no regiment is fully equipped without a mascot and showing a keen interest the Scottish contingent, Mr David McLarren Kennedy, of the farm Vierfontein, Orange Free State province, presented the Regiment with a young Springbok: Hey Jock! am sendin' ye ma 'Nancy' an' hope that she may tak' yer fancy! Yer gaein' faur across the seas; Sae mind puir 'Dauvit' if ye please - thats me. David McLarren Kennedy, Vierfontein, OFS 20 August 1915

Nancy and Pvt AE Petersen, Potchefstroom, September 1915.

During the battle of Delville Wood, a shell exploded in the transport lines close to where Nancy was tethered at the Quarter Master Stores.  Nancy took fright, bolted and broke her left horn against the wall.  This horn began growing downwards at an angle.   The doctors didn't know much about vetenary sciences and weren't about to set it.   Thus, the horn was allowed to continue growing.  To her honour, a gold stripe was added to the Murray Athol tartan coat strapping that Nancy wore.

The South African Scottish Regiment was the Imperial Service unit of the Transvaal Scottish . This unit was on a par with similar service units established for the duration of W.W.I for service overseas by countries such as Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand. The SA Scottish Regiment consisted battalions from the four provinces at the time; Cape, Natal, Free state and Transvaal. The Transvaal unit was a tactical grouping of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd battalions Transvaal Scottish. The Scottish are the only regiment in South Africa that mustered and deployed three battalions during the war.

The first floor landing at the museum is dedicated to those who fought in the South African Scottish.

Miners Revolt. (1922)   [ TOP ]

World War II. (1940 - 1945)   [ TOP ]

Abyssinia.   

The campaign saw the Transvaal Scottish march through Kenya up into Abyssinia. Among the Abyssinian memorabilia there stands one of the many cloaks of Haile Selassie.  This cloak was presented by a Mr. Drabbe who realised the value of the cloak within a museum context.

Sollum.   [ TOP ]

Sidi Rezegh.   [ TOP ]

This rugby ball was autographed by some of the survivors of the 5th South African Infantry Brigade after the battle of Sidi Rezegh (22-23 November 1941). Among the names is Lieutenant N.N. Webster. After the war, Lt.Col. Webster became the commanding officer of 3rd Bn Transvaal Scottish for the period 1947 - 1954	Sollum survivors signatures on Rugby Ball
Major General NN Webster's ribbon bar	Lt.Col Webster later continued his career within the South African military to the rank of Major General. He is the highest ranking officer to have served within the Transvaal Scottish. (presented by Major General Webster himself) His International Association awards (not shown) are: "Golden Service Cross of Prinz Eugene Veterans Association of Austria.". "Knights cross of Iron cross - German Veterans Association" "Republic of China (Taiwan) Association medal of Highest Honour"
Top row: Star of South Africa (SSA), Southern Cross Medal (SM), South African Defence Force Good Service Medal - Gold (30 Years Service) Middle row: John Chard Decoration(JCD), Military Merit Medal (MMM), 1953 Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal, 1939-45 Star Bottom row: Africa Star - 8th Army Clasp, Italy Star, British War Medal, Africa Service Medal General Webster was also awarded the Chinese military honour : "Order of the Banner and the Cloud Special Cravat"

El Alamein.   [ TOP ]

This Afrika Korps insignia is on a piece of one of Rommel's Afrika Korps vehicles from the battle fields of Sidi Rezegh. Presented by Lt.Col. (Later Brigadier) E.P. Hartshorn to Field Marshall J.C. Smuts, where it hung on his farm at Rust De Winter. (presented to the Regimental museum by Field Marshall J. C. Smuts himself)

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Visits to the Museum   [ TOP ]

The museum consists of so much more material than is dealt with on these pages.

The museum is open to the public at a nominal fee, by appointment only. The curator himself is involved on a voluntary part time basis and needs adequate warning to prepare for visitations.

More than 1000 people pass though the museum each year where detailed report is given on each of the available artefacts. The museum. s approach is to provide a comprehensive tour to small groups of interested parties. With this approach, all tourists are able to "feel" the proud history that the Transvaal Scottish embrace.

Portions of this museum are also available for viewing at the Rand Club, (Johannesburg central business district) and at the Museum of Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. There are artefacts held for storage at other museums, however these items are not on display at present.

Further Reading.   [ TOP ]

Pyramids and Poppies, 1st SA Infantry Brigade in Libya, France and Flanders 1915 - 1919, Peter KA Digby, Ashanti Publishing

Johannesburg sites with memorabilia on display.[ TOP ]

Photographs, DD Smythe © 1999.