Page 12 - Bulletin 11 2007

9

rocket warned the defenders of their approach. In this case the Observation Post eluded
capture and got in in safety.
Finding that they were discovered, the enemy advanced with extreme caution,
eventually arriving on the ridge in rear of the Block House in Scala road just before dawn.
Apparently the defenders were very vigilant, for immediately fire was opened upon them
from the Block House and the kopjes in the rear of Scala, and just as dawn broke a heavy
fire was brought to bear from Scala itself, and the 9.2 gun brought to bear upon the enemy’s
position, which speedily became untenable. The attack upon Scala, therefore failed, but the
right half of the attack had pierced the defence and got into Simon’s Town itself, but it is
doubtful if they could have done much damage, and it is extremely improbable if they
could have got away without capture, as the stronger portion of the attack had been forced
to retire.

During these years the Union Parliament passed the SA Defence Force Act of 1912 which

put measures in place for securing the internal and external defences of South Africa. One
of these was the establishing of “strong garrison artillery” on the Cape Peninsula and at

Durban, and so the SA Garrison Artillery and the SA Coast Defence Force were formed.
The Act also provided for a small mobile Permanent Force backed by a volunteer Active

Citizen Force and Defence Rifle Associations. Every white male was to receive training in
one or other of these branches during a series of camps held over a period of four years.

(Tylden, 1954). But the first ACF – DRA camp was held only in September 1913 at

Worcester, and so no-one had completed the intended 4-year training programme by
August 1914. This was no doubt of concern when war broke out as the external border with

German South West Africa was regarded as particularly vulnerable should Britain, in the

event of participation in a European war, not be able to guarantee the freedom of the oceans
and prevent German troops from landing in GSWA.

At this time the total population of the Peninsula was around 200,000 (1911 Census), most

of them concentrated in Table Valley and the remainder spread along the main road and rail
line westwards to Sea Point and southwards to Wynberg. The Peninsula south of Wynberg

was a thinly-populated farming area and the Fish Hoek valley was largely uninhabited.