“The Boers ‘will not play the game fairly’, said one of the soldiers. Ralph drew a different lesson. Those gleaming insignia, the stars and buttons and buckles of the professional soldier, were all very well in the drawing-room. In the sunshine of the veld they blazed like a heliograph. Against an invisible enemy, the British… Read More
“Still, war is, in the last resort, a contest of blunders…“ (Pakenham, 2004, p.169). Reference Pakenham, T. (2004) The Boer War. London: Abacus.
“True, Kruger’s plan was daring. He and Steyn had chosen attack as the best form of defence. But none of their pre-emptive blows was planned, as real offensive strategy demanded, to fall where the enemy was weakest. On the contrary, the aim was to find the strongest points in the enemy’s attacking force and then… Read More
“In this commando system , it was no one’s job to to train the burghers. Apart from the annual wappenschauw (or shooting practice), the men were left to fight as they had always fought – with the tactics of the mounted frontiersmen. If the enemy were superior in numbers, they would provoke the enemy’s attack,… Read More
“Joubert, who was also self-educated, adopted the European conventions of public speaking; he had mastered the art of saying nothing in a great many words.” (Pakenham, 2004, p.38). Reference Pakenham, T. (2004) The Boer War. London: Abacus.
“The best form of welfare for the troops is first class training, for this saves unnecessary casualties.” Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox), World War I junior officer and World War II General, considered a brilliant military commander; adored by his troops and feared by his enemies.
“The definition of military training is success in battle. In my opinion, that is the only objective of military training.” Lieutenant General Louis Burwell “Chesty” Puller (26 June 1898 to 11 October 1971) was a US Marine Corps Lieutenant General who fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, and fought in World War II and the Korean… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 