Mr Tommy Anderson, now of Wallsend, New South Wales, says he signed up with the 8th New Zealand Light Horse in 1901, to fight in the Boer War.
In this programme he talks about the war to Martin Hadlow.
He sings a chorus of "Goodbye Dolly Gray". Martin Hadlow introduces Mr Anderson, who is now 90 years old. He gives some background to the origins of the war.
Mr Anderson says he signed up in Christchurch in 1901. He and his brother wanted to go, even though they knew nothing about the war. He was only 17 at the time. They were transported with their horses and he recalls the big crowd that saw them off. It was very exciting for a young man and a good education, plus he was out of work at the time and they were paid 'six bob' a day all through the war. [His military record shows he was 19 and signed up in April 1902.]
They had very little training in Christchurch before they left. They were armed with .303 rifles. He sailed on the SS Norfolk [Tenth Contingent]. They stopped in Sydney en route, which he says was a low, dirty place and many men got a 'dose of the pox'. His friend, Archie 'Irish' Ferguson, warned him to have nothing to do with the women there.
They landed in Durban and went by train to Ladysmith. He describes the rough countryside of the veldt and not being allowed near the Boers who were interred in camps.
He tells a story about he and 'Irish' being unable to pay for a meal in a South African restaurant run by a woman who was married to a New Zealander. He was in Ladysmith six weeks after the siege finished and describes the town.
He says he didn't see much action and was more involved in 'mopping up'.
He tells a story about after peace was declared when he was assisting Captain Goff of Invercargill. A tent was erected for a dinner for all the officers and was filled with alcohol. He was on guard duty, Someone put hay bales around the tent and set on fire, and the men then raided the tent and stole the alcohol.
After the war, he returned to New Zealand on a transport which was nearly wrecked near the Three Kings Islands. He says Australians which they were transporting stole a lot of the New Zealanders equipment. He says the war was over the South African diamond mines and it wasn’t worth fighting for, but it was a good trip.