Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 4 Nr 4, 1974. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za THE RAILWAYS A~I) THE WAR EFFORT, 1914-19151 Political and administrative background troller of (Federal) railways: 'Be patient as possible with the Generals. Some of them Subsequent to the creation of the Union of will trouble you more than they will the ene- South Africa in 1910, steps were taken to my.''' Thus reasoned the civil railway adminis- combine the armed forces of the four ex- tration. colonies in the new Union Defence Forces. It remains unclear as to whether the Defen- Appropriate legislation was provided in the ce authorities had any particularly determined Defence Act of 1912. Considerable time was views about military-railway relationships. In needed before all the provisos of the Act any event, arrangements made in August could be implemented, and the outbreak of 1914 and later inclined to accord with the war in August 1914 found the infant Defence mainstream of the General Manager's ideas. Forces incomplete and unprepared for a task Formal arrangements for top-level liaison of the magnitude confronting them. One spe- were established on 8 August. On that date cific area where arrangements were inade- an officer of the railway administration was quate was that of railway transport. appointed Railway Transportation Officer, with Clause 89 of the Act of 1912 stipulated the military rank of Major, at Defence Head- that in wartime the military authorities might quarters. He was in direct telephonic com- requisition rolling stock and locomotives. In munication with all sections of the Depart- addition, the Governor General could autho- ment of Defence, as well as with the Gene- rize any officer to assume control over the ral Manager of Railways. In addition, two of- whole or any portion of any railway system ficers of the Railway Administration were within the Union". Since this arrangement posted to the headquarter staff of the Gene- was not compulsory, there was a choice ral Officer Commanding in the Field, and other between two alternatives. The military es- railway officials were to be appointed Railway tablishments could assume complete control Staff Officers, with military rank, at points of the railways, or control could be left in where substantial troop movements were the hands of the constituted civil administra- continually in progress. tion. Between these clear alternatives various In detail, the system functioned as follows. compromise arrangements could also have The General Manager retained control of the been made. railways and acted in an advisory capacity to The General Manager of Railways had fixed the Minister of Defence. Railway operation lIiews on the subject, being convinced that was carried-out by railway personnel under control should rest entirely with the civil au- the control of the Defence Department. At thorities. He believed that those who ran Defence Headquarters, the Railway Transpor- the railways in peacetime could put their tation Officer fell under the authority of the 3 skills and knowledge to good use in wartime • Quartermaster General. Requests from the All traffic, whether civil or military, would Defence authorities for rail facilities were be dealt with as speedily as possible, unham- transmitted to him via the Quartermaster Ge- pered by interference from military comman- neral. In turn he passed them on to the ders lacking experience of railway manage- 'War Section' at Railway Headquarters in ment. Practical reasoning apart, the General Johannesburg. This War Section was set up Manager could turn to precedent. He quoted to direct movements of military trains, co- from Lt Col Sir E. P. C. Girouard's history of the railways during the Anglo-Boer War 1. The author would like gratefully to express his thanks of 1899-1902: 'Civil railway officials have to the Librarian of the South African Railways Reference been heard to say that attacks by the enemy Library in Johannesburg for the loan of much of the do- cumentary material upon which this article is based. on the line are not nearly so disturbing to 2. Statutes of the Union of South Africa, 1912, p 252. traffic as the arrival of a friendly general with 3. Report of the General Manager of Railways and Harbours for the Year ended 31st December 1914 (UG 25 - 1915), his force." During the American Civil War, pp 75-76. one particular incident had led to the remark 4. UG 25 - 1915, P 76. 5. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, Nov 1918, by the Assistant Secretary of War to the con- p 658. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 4 Nr 4, 1974. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za ordinate requests for transport, and main- The Rebellion tain direct central control. Between them, the Operations during the Rebellion were charac- Railway Transportation officer and the War terized by extremely mobile, fast-moving war- Section were responsible for the conveyance fare. The rebel commandos came into being by rail of troops, animals, commissariat, mu- over a period of time and frequently operated nitions, ordnance and other materials of war. independently of one another. Once the few The Railway Staff Officers took their orders large organized rebel bodies had been broken from the War Section." A circular signed by up, the fighting degenerated into a series of the Quartermaster General on 16 November skirmishes and scraps between bodies of 1914 explained that the Railway Transpor- organized loyal troops and fragmented rebel tation Officer groups. makes provision under the direction of the Quartermaster-General for the move- The country where disaffection was most ment by rail of troops, animals, stores, rife was sparsely populated, with wide open supplies, etc as required, also for har- spaces that made it easy for rebels to melt bour and dock requirements in addition away and later regroup away from Govern- to acting generally as intermediary offi- ment troops. Under these difficult circum- cer between Defence Headquarters and stances the Defence authorities had recourse Railway and Harbours Administration in to the railways as a suitable means of moving all matters ... troops from point to point fast enough either to surround the rebels or to block their pas- The R.T.O. is responsible for the satisfac- sage in a particular direction. Troop trains tory marshalling of rolling stock to meet troops' requirements and for ensuring were placed at the disposal of the Defence Department, and five armoured trains were that entrainment and detrainment of built. troops, animals, and vehicles are carried out with care and due expedition. During the Rebellion, centralized direction of He should see that all military stores rail movements proved virtually impossible. arriving are properly secured and delive- Rebel movements were often not predictable red to consignees promptly . and military commanders had to react to un- The same circular laid down that expected situations without losing time. Railway Staff Officers are appointed to If a commander urgently wanted rail trans- Forces where such an appointment is port, he frequently overrode the railwaymen considered necessary and this officer will to get his way. Many acts of interference arrange for all local movements by rail occured, and rail operations during the Re- and also where necessary, act as Mili- bellion were notable for ill-feeling between tary Embarkation Officer in addition to defence and railway authorities, unco-opera- performing any Naval transport duties tion in some instances and a good deal of which may be imposed upon him.7 frustration to both parties. These arrangements were made with an eye on intended military operations to take over As shown above, senior defence and railway German South West Africa. The system was officials were agreed that smooth running of planned to secure co-ordination between mili- the railways depended on the specialist know- tary and railway officers at organizational ledge of the railway staff, and following from level, thereby ensuring efficient rail services in this it was desirable that these specialist staff the field. A plan of campaign was finalized not be interfered with. In fact, local military by 21 August, and a force under Brig Gen commanders failed to appreciate this and, H. T. Lukin landed at Port Nolloth on 1 Sep- tember, Col P. S. Beves landed at LUderitz- bucht, without opposition, on 18 September, 6. UG 25 - 1915, P 75; South African Railways and Harbours Archive, File OX 158; SAR & H Archive, 'History of War and Col G. Maritz took up position at Uping- Services rendered by the Union Railway and Harbours ton with 1 000 South African Mounted Rifles. Administration' (Draft); Archive of the Secretary for Defence, (DC Series), Box 113, File 2395/Z. Before it could get under way, the projected 7. Archive of the Secretary for Defence, (DC 9199 series), campaign had to be suspended because of Box 78, File A.274/9199. 8. The Union of South Africa and the Great War, 1914-1918 the outbreak of rebellion in the Union.' (Official History, 1924), p 13. 2 Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 4 Nr 4, 1974. http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za pressed both by operational contingencies and trains - were needed than would have been their natural concern for the comfort and wel- the case for infantry only. fare of their own units, would arrange train Horses and bulky equipment (which on a few transport for their men with scant regard for occasions included motor cars) could be the disruption thereby caused to other, pos- loaded and unloaded with relative ease only sibly scheduled, services. Two examples will where fixed station facilities existed. Cam- illustrate this. paign exigencies often required that com- A train arrived at Krugersdorp from Pretoria mandos detrain and entrain at points where with a cargo of mules, trollies, and vater- facilities did not exist; this meant consider- carts.