ZULU Weapons & SA Rifles

Very nice collection. My stuff is all in storage at my parent's place because my basement flooded the week before Christmas - it was my Africa room.
My dad spent his life collecting African things, so have I. When everything is back in place I'll add mine. I only have a few spears and some knobkerries, but plenty of trophies and similar.
 
Thank you for sharing. My kindle reading these days is "London to Ladysmith via Pretoria" by W. Churchill, good reading (although biased) about the Boer war.
 
My late father in law in Holland showed me a 7 x 57 Mauser used by an uncle of his in the Boer war. The uncle left SA after the defeat in the Boer war and his wife died in an English concentration camp among many thousands non-combatants that did. Apparently the old fellow was quite a shot as the rifle was engraved with 36 lines and dates and locations of battles. It had the inscription "In God we place faith and Mauser is his angel" or something like this, the translation from Dutch to English may have left some nuances out. I believe that the rifle now is in a private collection in Eindhoven. Given the battles it saw, it was in very good condition. John, your collection is fantastic!
 
UCSPanther said:
I like the 7x57 Boer Mauser.

I think that of all the military bolt actions, most of the older mausers look the most elegant in their as-issued configuration.

From what I read, the Mausers in the hands of the rebels were probably one of the most nasty surprises the British faced during the Boer War, since it gave the colonial rebels an advantage in terms of range and accuracy over the Enfield.

Those Zulu spears and warclubs would have been nasty to get hit by or stuck with, but yet they have some strong elegance and impressive craftsmanship to them.
Click to expand...

Rebels? More like an irregular militia fighting against an imperialist foreign invader, wasn't it?
 
762shooter said:
Rebels? More like an irregular militia fighting against an imperialist foreign invader, wasn't it?
Click to expand...

How right you are, but it is only the victors that write the History books! And to think that we (British) invented the concentration camp.

I remember sitting in a class room at school and our History teacher (Himself as a young Lt in Cypress, had his Platoon turn their Bren’s on students who were bombing his troops, but how I read his diary is another tale) anyway our History teacher turned on the radio so we could listen to the News. Ian Smith was declaring UDI in Rhodesia. He turned the radio off, when did that last happen? He asked. (UDI, Unilateral Declaration of Independence) The significance sank in, why that had started the American War Of Indepenance. (Which we happened to be studying in class) Send in the Troops we cried, we were serious, oh the innocence of youth! Little did I know then, that my “Gun Running” actitivities would start a few years later by shipping (Smuggling) guns to Rhodesians fighting a desperate “Bush War” against the dreaded commies! Strictly illegal but how could it be wrong, when those same people had run to England to help her in WWII. Yes History is an amazing subject, and the real truth is hardly ever known.
 
Nice pictures thanks for posting,my Great Grandfather's first action(almost his last) was in
the Zulu war.I remember hearing many second hand stories handed down by
my Great Aunt .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom