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From The Happy Odyssay, Adrian Carton de Wiart 1950
We traveled extremely comfortably in those days, for Sir Henry [Hildyard] had been presented with Kruger�s railway coach. We lived in this while reviewing troops all over South Africa. During this time I came in contact with many of the great ones and had the thrill of seeing those two distinguished military leaders, Generals Smuts and Botha. They were universally respected by both friend and ex-foe. I was only able to revere and admire at a distance, and little knew that I should take over a command from General Botha twenty-odd years later.
( page 37 )
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CHAPTER VII
HEAD OF THE BRITISH MILITARY
MISSION TO POLAND
The War Office succeeded in delivering one of its rare surprises, for to my astonishment they asked e if I would go to Poland as second in command to General Botha, who was to lead the British Military Mission. My geography being a little shaky, I had only a hazy idea as to the whereabouts of Poland, but I knew that it was somewhere near Russia and that the Bolsheviks were fighting there. I could not think of any adequate reason why I had been chosen for this inviting job, and I accepted it with alacrity before anyone had time to change his mind. Then I proceeded to find out all I could about the situation there.
Poland had just emerged independent from the Treaty of Versailles . . .
I learnt that Poland was engaged in five wars : they were fighting the Germans, the Bolsheviks, the Ukrainians, the Lithuanians and the Czechs. So it looked as if we were going to by busy ! I chose Major King as my G.S.P.1 and Captain
Maule as my G.S.O.2 and we were sent to Paris, there to join General Botha and be put in the picture.
South Africa has a faculty for producing great men, and General Botha was one of her most remarkable. I remembered seeing him when I was with Sir Henry Hildyard as A.D.C. and feeling instinctively that I was in the presence of greatness, and when I met him again in Paris t did not take me long to realize his qualities. Within a week, Fate played one of her tricks, General Botha fell ill, and it was placed on my head to lead the British Military Mission into the maelstrom of Poland.
( pages 92 - 93 )
London : Jonathan Cape 1950, pp. 92 - 93.
Botha, Louis, 1862-1919.
Title Redevoering van Generaal Botha gehouden te Bank op 28 September 1914. [Microform]
Imprint [n.p.] 1914.
Location Humanities-Micro
Descript 14 p. 8vo.
Note Title from cover.
Microfilm. New York, N.Y.: New York Public Library, 19--.
Botha, Louis, 1862-1919.
Title Generaal Botha en Generaal Smuts verzekeren aan Groot-Britanni� den loyalen steun van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Unie [microform] / Redevoeringen gehouden door de Generaals Botha en Smuts in het Parlement der Zuid-Afrikaansche Unie.
Imprint 's-Gravenhage : M. Nijhoff, 1914.
Descript 19 p.
Note Microfilm. New York, N.Y.: New York Public Library, 19--.
Roberts, Frederick Sleigh Roberts, Earl, 1832-1914.
Title The expulsion of Boer women and children microform : Lord Robert's correspondence with General Louis Botha.
Publisher London, England : South African Conciliation Committee, [between 1899 and 1902]
Description [2] p.
Series Publication ;no. 57
Series Publication (South African Conciliation Committee) ;no. 57.
Note Title from caption.
"Reprinted from the Manchester Guardian."
Language English
Author Great Britain. Army.
Title South Africa. Further papers relating to negotiations between Commandant Louis Botha and Lord Kitchener. (In continuation of Cd. 258, March 1901, and Cd. 546, April 1901).
Publisher London : H. M. Stationery Off., 1901.
Description ix, 18 p. 34 cm.
Series [Gt. Brit. Parliament. Papers by command] Cd.663
Note Cover title.
Language English
Subject South African War, 1899-1902.
Added Entry Botha, Louis, 1862-1919.
Kitchener, Horatio Herbert Kitchener, Earl, 1850-1916.
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