The 1914 South African industrial strike: the first internal deployment of the Union Defence Force

ABSTRACT

The first internal deployment of the Union Defence Force (UDF) since its inception in 1912 was to suppress a violent labour strike in January 1914. Because the inexperienced UDF was still assimilating various British and Boer military traditions, the Permanent Force was not yet sufficiently organised to quell the strike on its own. Therefore, the commandos of the Citizen Force Reserve were deployed. The traditional commando system of the former Boer republics and the Transvaal Colony was thus briefly revived to subdue the strike, in the unstable and complex South African socio-economic environment of 1914. This operation marked the end of the Boer commando system in its established format. It formed part of a vanishing military culture and was destined to be replaced by the modernising military systems of the early twentieth century. The deployment of burghers during the strike sets the background against which the article investigates both the customary and changing nature of military service for the long-established commandos. This article explores the conditions, abilities, and experiences of the ‘burghers’ on commando that participated in the crushing of the strike from a social-military history perspective.

KEYWORDS:

• South Africa
• Union Defence Force
• commandos
• military history
• internal deployment
• 1914 strike

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Mouton, ‘‘A Free, United South Africa,” 40–41; and R. Geyer, “Die Eerste Operasionele Optrede,” 63–65.

2. Visser, ”Governments, Parliaments and Parties,” 2–4; Giliomee, The Afrikaners, 330; and Hyslop, The Notorious Syndicalist, 229–230.

3. The UDF was established on 1 July 1912. See Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act No. 13 of 1912, 624–698.

4. Visser, “Governments, Parliaments and Parties,” 2–4; Mandy, A City Divided, 39; and Meintjes, General Louis Botha, 203.

5. Grimbeek, “Die Totstandkoming van die Unieverdedigingsmag”, 150; and Van der Waag, A Military History, 102–119.

6. Although the members of the Rifle Associations were officially called the Citizen Force Reserve, Class B, they were referred to in the general parlance as the “commandos”. In this study, they are referred to as commandos and burghers. See Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act No. 13 of 1912, Article 79, 630–632; and Tylden, The Armed Forces, 217.

7. National Archives of South Africa (hereafter NARS), Commissioner of South African Police (SAP) 10, 6/183/14/4, Correspondence about extraordinary government gazette proclamations signed by Governor-General Gladstone, 9 January 1914; NARS, Prime Minister (PM), 1/1/332; PM 200/1/1914 vol. 1, W.L. Bagots – General Botha, 19 January 1914; Oberholster, “Die Randse Staking”, 37; Meintjes, General Louis Botha, 203; Jacobs, “Die Rol van die Unieverdedigingsmag,” 6; Ploeger, “Hoofstukke uit die voor”, 48, 68; Pietersen, “Stakings aan die Witwatersrand,” 91–96; Anon, “Martial Law Declared”, 14 January 1914; Anon, “The Crisis: General”, 14 January 1914; Geyer, “The Union Defence Force”, 136–140.

8. Van der Waag, “The South African Military,” 199–201; Ploeger, “Op Brandwag: Drie Eeue,” 4; and Tylden, The Armed Forces, 216.

9. Van der Waag, “Rural Struggles,” 266–270; and Giliomee, The Afrikaners, 330.

10. Hancock, Smuts, the Sanguine Years, 368.

11. Van der Waag, A Military History, 98.

12. Van der Waag, A Military History, 112–129; and Geyer, “The Union Defence Force,” 137.

13. See for example: Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 737–751; Swart, “Men of Influence,” 1–30; Katz, “Pre-war Military Planning,” 1–9; and Stapleton, “Union of South Africa,” 3–4.

14. Seegers, The Military in the Making, 26.

15. See for instance: Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 737–751; Swart, “Men of Influence,” 1–30; Seegers, The Military in the Making, 26; Nasson, “A Great Divide,” 53; and Walker and Weinbren, 2000 Casualties: A History,

16. See for instance: Jacobs, “Die rol van die Unieverdedigingsmag”; Hyslop, The Notorious Syndicalist; and Krikler, The Rand revolt.

17. See for instance: Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie; Spies, “The Rebellion”; Swart, “The Rebels of 1914”; Fedorowich, “Sleeping with the Lion,” 71–95; and Scholtz, Die Rebellie.

18. See for instance: Delport, “Boks and Bullets”; Genis, “Recruitment,”; Garcia and Kleynhans, “Counterinsurgency,” 1–27; Nasson, Springboks on the Somme; Samson, “South Africa Mobilises,” 5–21; Strachan, The First World War; and Van der Waag, “Battle of Sandfontein,” 141–165.

19. Van der Waag, A Military History, 116.

20. Katz, General Jan Smuts, 48–50.

21. See for instance: Visser, “Governments, Parliaments and Parties,” 4; Garcia and Kleynhans, “Counterinsurgency,” 1–2, 18; and Fokkens, “The role and application,” 19–24.

22. Swart, “The Rebels of 1914”; Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 737–751; Swart, “You were Men,” 187–199; Swart, “Desperate Men,” 161–175; Swart, “Men of Influence,” 1–30; and Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie.

23. Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 740; Swart, “Men of Influence,” 13; and Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 74.

24. Some publications incorrectly refer to the SAMR (or Zuid-Afrikaanse Bereden Schutters (ZABS)) as part of the Active Citizen Force. For example, in Pietersen, “Stakings aan die Witwatersrand,” 39, 48. See NARS: PM 225, file 148/20/1913, Confidential report from the governor-general, H.J. Gladstone to Colonial Office, London, 30 July 1913. The SAMR was part of the Permanent Force of the UDF and had a police function.

25. South African Department of Defence Archives (hereafter DOD Archives), SA Cit. Force, Box 97, File 7164A, Proclamation No. 10 of 1914, signed by Governor-General Gladstone, 9 January 1914; Proclamation No. 11 of 1914, signed by Governor-General Gladstone, 10 January 1914; and Geyer, “Die Eerste Operasionele Optrede,” 63–65.

26. Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 74–75; and Van der Waag, “Rural Struggles,” 262–265.

27. DOD Archives, Pamphlet collection, Box 99, Pamphlet 6983, H. Camp, Union Defence Force: 1910–1930, 39.

28. Government Gazette Extraordinary of the Union of South Africa, no. 449, 9 January 1914; Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, 196, 244–246.

29. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, Article 79, 665; Government Gazette Extraordinary of the Union of South Africa, no. 451, 10 January 1914; NARS, SAP 10, File 6/183/14/4, Threatened Strike, 9 January 1914; NARS, Governor-General (GG), 1921, File 62/582, Railway strike 1914, Particulars of Defence Forces called out, 14 January 1914.

30. NARS, GG 1919, 62/510, Reports on progress and development of the Strike, 15 January 1914.

31. Ibid.

32. Kenefick, “Confronting White Labourism,” 49.

33. NARS, PM 1/1/332 - PM200/1/1914 vol 1, Letter from W.L. Bagot to General Botha, 19 January 1914.

34. Ibid.

35. NARS, GG 1920, File, 62/563, Railway strike, 1914.

36. Ibid.

37. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, Article 7, 626. Persons of non-European descent were excluded from compulsory military training and combat duty. However, they were allowed to serve voluntarily as non-combatants. According to the spirit of the time, women were totally ignored in the Defence Act.

38. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, Article 79, 624, 626, 662, 664–665, 674–683.

39. See Geyer, “The Union Defence Force,” 136–151.

40. Fedorowich, “Sleeping with the Lion,” 71–72.

41. Nasson, “A Great Divide,” 49; Krüger, The Making of a Nation, 68–70; and Fedorowich, “Sleeping with the Lion,” 71–72.

42. Van der Waag, A Military History, 87–121.

43. Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 737.

44. DOD Archives, Secretary of Defence Group 2 (DC2), Box 168, File 2/7164: Pay and allowances of burghers on commando, 1914; NARS, SAP 130, S49: Defence Force Commandos: recognition of services.

45. Van der Waag, A Military History, 102–121.

46. NARS, SAP 10, File 6/183/14/7, Threatened strike, January 1914.

47. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/11, Telegram Major C.R. Burgess to all district staff officers, 10 January 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/10, Communication, Major C.R. Burgess – District staff officer Kroonstad, 9 January 1914; and Geyer, “The Union Defence Force,” 136–151.

48. Van der Waag, “Rural Struggles,” 266–270; and Van der Waag, “Boer Generalship,” 29.

49. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File DC765, Strike, Precautionary measures – general correspondence from Defence HQ, January 1914; DOD Archives, Pamphlet collection, Box 99, Pamphlet 6983, H. Camp, Union Defence Force: 1910–1930, 39.

50. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 170, File 7178B: Threatened Indus Crisis, April 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 174, File 7454: Strike Act, No. 8 District Johannesburg, 1914.

51. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, article 43, pp. 642–643; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7178: Industrial crisis, January 1914.

52. Tylden, The Armed Forces, 219; and Pretorius, Kommandolewe, 82.

53. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 170, file 7178B, Threatened Indus crisis, April 1914.

54. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7178: Industrial crisis, January 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7198: Ordnance supplies, Strike, 6 January 1914.

55. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 142, File 5109: Private debts of members of the Union Forces, 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7178, Industrial crisis, January 1914.

56. Seegers, The military in the making, 21; Grimbeek, “Die totstandkoming van,” 178–183; Jooste, “Die politiekekoerswending van 1948,” 113–128; and Naude, “South Africa's Active Citizen Force”.

57. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7178, Industrial crisis, January 1914.

58. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12, Distribution of equipment, January 1914.

59. G. Tylden, “The development of the commando,” 309–310.

60. Pretorius, Kommandolewe, 56, 83.

61. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 of 1912, article 86, pp. 668–669.

62. Government Gazette Extraordinary of the Union of South Africa, no. 455, 14 January 1914, 251.

63. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/11, IC, January 1914.

64. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/10: IC, January 1914, District No. 12.; Tylden, “The development of the commando,” 307.

65. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/11: IC, January 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File DC765: Strike, Precautionary measures – general correspondence from Defence Headquarters, January 1914.

66. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 147, File DC5256: Strike on Rand – Rifles and bayonets on loan from Imperial authorities, 1914; NARS, SAP 9, 6/183/14/3: Threatened strike. Protection of coal mines, Witbank area, 3 January 1914.

67. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 97, File 7164B: Threatened Indus crisis, 12 January 1914; NARS, GG 1919, 62/502: Railway strike 1914. Letter requesting loan of rifles which is at the disposal of the High Commissioner, 12 January 1914; NARS, GG 1918, 62/498: Railway strike – outlines policy with regard to use of Imperial troops, 1914.

68. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 722: Arms stored at police barracks, Pretoria, Jul 1913.

69. Originally named after “Lord” F.S. Roberts and later renamed Voortrekkerhoogte. It is currently known as Thaba Tshwane. See Visser, “British influence on military,” 67.

70. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7178: Threatened Industrial Crisis 1914. Protection and storage of arms and ammunition, 14 January 1914.

71. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 97, File 7164B: Threatened Indus crisis, 12 January 1914; NARS, GG 1919, 62/502: Railway strike 1914. Letter requesting loan of rifles which is at the disposal of the High Commissioner, 12 January 1914; NARS, GG 1918, 62/498: Railway strike – outlines policy with regard to use of Imperial troops, 1914.

72. NARS, SAP 9, File 6/183/D, Indus disturbances Tvl. Matters affecting Ermelo district, January 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/7, IC, District No. 7, January 1914.

73. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File 7198, Ordnance supplies telegrams, Strike, 6 January 1914.

74. Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 21–32.

75. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 172, File 7229: Transport – Railway strike, January 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 174, File 7451: Transport accounts Industrial crisis, 1914; DOD Archives, SAMR, Box 982, File 330/4: OC's motor car allowances, 1912–1914.

76. Government Gazette of the Union of South Africa, Act no. 13 van 1912, article 65, 658–659; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 1436: Correspondence on the commandos' accounts during the strike, 1914.

77. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 12 February 1914; Swart, Riding High, 104, 113, 138–139.

78. Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 49.

79. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 174, File 7451: Transport accounts Industrial crisis, 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 1436: Strike accounts No. 6 District, Standerton, January 1914; DOD Archives: SA Cit. Force, Box 88, File 29/227, Commandeering horses during strike, 1914.

80. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File DC765, Strike, Precautionary measures – general correspondence from Defence HQ, January 1914.

81. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 171, File A163/7178: Telegram, Admin officer Johannesburg area to Secretary of Defence, 13 January 1914; DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 47, File 277: Citizen Force, 1914.

82. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 174, File 7454: Strike accounts, No. 9 District Pretoria, 1914; DOD Archives, DC 2, File 174, File 7454: Strike accounts, No. 8 District, Johannesburg, 1914.

83. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 174, File 7451: Transport accounts Industrial crisis, 1914; DOD Archives, DC2, Box 170, File 7178: Threatened Industrial Crisis, January 1914.

84. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 147, File 5270: Gladers, Mallein test for horses, 1914.

85. Tylden, “The development of the commando,” 307; Van der Waag, “Boer Generalship,” 29–30; and Katz, General Jan Smuts, 44.

86. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 170, File 7178: Threatened Indus Crisis, January 1914.

87. DOD Archives, DC2, Box 39, File 765/10/7: IC, District No. 7, 26 February 1914.

88. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 63, File 1382, Prosecution citizens for offences during January strike, January 1914; SA Cit. Force, Box 59, District Camp orders: No. 4 Mil district, 20 January 1914; NARS, SAP 130, File S29A, Martial law: action taken i.c.w. enforcement of, January 1914.

89. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765, Reports from district staff officers on defaulters, 12 February 1914.

90. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 19 May 1914.

91. Ibid.

92. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force 1914–1918, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with the Proclamation calling out forces, 13 February 1914.

93. DOD Archives: SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 12 February 1914.

94. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12. No further information about the incident could not found.

95. Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose rebellie, 33–35.

96. Van der Waag, “Boer Generalship,” 17–30; and Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 67–78.

97. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 24 June 1914.

98. Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 18–21.

99. A faction of the Boer forces during the Anglo-Boer War did not want to negotiate peace but preferred to fight to the bitter end.

100. Seegers, The Military in the Making, 9.

101. Meintjes, General Louis Botha, 204.

102. Nasson, “A Great Divide,” 51; and Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 20–21.

103. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 12 February 1914.

104. Van der Waag, “Boer Generalship,” 39.

105. Ibid.

106. Later major-general in the UDF and military secretary to General Smuts. See Uys, South African Military, 48.

107. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Letter Major J.J. Collyer – Commandant General C.F. Beyers, 21 February 1914.

108. DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 59, File 765/12/11, Reports from district staff officers, Prosecution of citizens who failed to comply with proclamation calling out forces, 12 February 1914; DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 63, File 1399, Letters Commandant J.M. Els and Commandant D.H. van Coller – Commandant General C.F. Beyers, 30 January 2014; DOD Archives, SA Cit. Force, Box 63, File 1399, Commandeerd [sic] men – application compensation, 30 January 1914.

109. Van der Waag, A Military History, 145–146.

110. DOD Archive: DC2, Box 171, File A163/7178, Memorandum SA Railways – Dept of Defence, Pretoria, 28 February 1914; NARS: GG 1919, File 62/509, Strike 1914 – Report on causes of, 1914; NARS: GG 1919, File 62/514, Strike 1914 – reports on positions, 15 January 1914; and Hyslop, The notorious syndicalist, 232–233.

111. Pietersen, “Stakings aan die Witwatersrand,” 95–100.

112. NARS: Secretary of Justice (JUS), 194, File 3/98/14, Deportation of strike leaders, January-March 1914; NARS: SAP 10, File 6/191/14, Re deportation of civilian persons ex SS Umgeni, 27 January 1914; and NARS: PM 1/1/332, File PM 200/1/1914, vol. 2, January 1914.

113. Van der Waag, A Military History, 116; and Kleynhans and Garcia, “The Union Defence Force”, 3.

114. See, for instance, Giliomee, The Afrikaners, 382.

115. Swart, “A Boer and his Gun,” 737; and Van der Waag, “Boer Generalship,” 37–38.

116. Van der Waag, “Smuts's Generals,” 60–61; Stapleton, “Union of South Africa,” 2; and Grimbeek, “Die Totstandkoming van die Unieverdedigingsmag,” 330.

117. Van der Waag, A Military history, 102–121.

118. Visser, “Governments, parliaments and parties,” 4; 20000 Afrikaans speaking and 10000 English speaking ACF commandos were deployed during the Rebellion. See Grundlingh and Swart, Radelose Rebellie, 19–20.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

René Geyer

René Geyer is affiliated with the University of South Africa’s Department of Information Science. She is also a researcher for the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP) attached to the University of Johannesburg. Her primary research interests include South African military history and archival studies.