On September 18, 1918, the 1st Battalion Cape Corps attacked and took Square Hill, capturing almost 200 Turkish soldiers and one gun. This was part of Britain’s efforts to defeat the Ottoman forces in Palestine and force Turkey out of the war. The captured gun now stands at the Kimberley Cenotaph where another memorial was held last weekend.
The Cape Coloured auxiliary units were raised from the community around Cape Town at the start of the First World War to provide non-combat support such as drivers and mechanics for the campaign in German southwest Africa. However, the government of General Louis Botha took the decision to raise a unit of coloured troops for combat service in German East Africa – today Tanzania and the surrounding countries – ahead of the campaign in Palestine.
In tribute to the sacrifice of made by fellow South Africans, two World War II veterans from Soweto – who between them account for almost 200 years – laid wreaths to a round of applause from those present. Arthur Khosa from the Soweto Branch of the SA Legion of Military Veterans said Mashwe Simon Mhlanga celebrated his 100th birthday on Thursday, while Tsoamotse Elias Tsoamotse was 95. Khasa said he believed they were the last of the WW II veterans in Soweto.
A descendant of one of the men who fought at Square Hill, Adeel Karelse, who has written a book about his grandfather and the other men of the Cape Corps, spoke proudly about what the memorial meant to him.