Chapter 1

15th December 1899.
Colenso, Natal State, South Africa

Like a giant thundercloud, the disaster started to take shape.

"14 Battery, right wheel."

"66 Battery, left wheel."

The command orders rang out over the line of British field guns being pulled by the teams of sturdy artillery horses. As the two Batteries swung off their line of march and away from each other, their Commanders again called out the orders that would bring their guns into action.

"14 Battery. Action left!" shouted Major Bailward. The Battery of 15 pounder guns skidded to a halt and their Gunners jumped down onto the dusty ground. Within a few minutes all six guns were in action positions with their barrels in a long staggered line pointing towards the Boer defended hills. 66 Battery was also drawn up in line thirty yards away.

Neither of these Batteries had served in South Africa before but, to the Gunners, now standing beside the field guns waiting for Fire Orders, it was all in a day’s work. On each man’s cork sun helmet was the badge bearing their regimental motto ‘Ubique’, which was the Latin for ‘Everywhere’. Here they were in part of Natal State in South Africa that was to the Gunners just another bit of ‘Everywhere’.