| Administrative History | Following the Sudan Campaign Ogston was keen to make suggestions for improvements to the army medical service. He visited Germany and Russia (see MS 3850/1/4 for a record of his visit there in the winter of 1898/1899) to observe medical practice in the military services in these countries and as a result formulated strong opinions on how changes could be made to better aid British frontline troops during military campaigns.
Ogston delivered the Address in Surgery at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association at Portsmouth in 1899 where he made criticisms of the army medical services. He was keen to observe conditions in South Africa for himself, and indeed had to pay his own expenses to get there, but his address had led to hostility from some in the army medical establishment. He was however able to secure a letter of introduction from Queen Victoria which allowed him to observe in person the medical facilities the British forces had at their disposal. Ogston departed for South Africa from Southampton in early December 1899 on board the Union Line steamer 'Mexican'. He returned from the Boer War in July 1900. He recorded his experiences in South Africa in two volumes, MS 3850/1/5 and MS 3850/1/6.
Further information can be found in 'Reminiscences of three campaigns', Alexander Ogston (London, 1919), the text of which was based on Ogston's journals. |
| Description | Journal kept by Sir Alexander Ogston during the Boer War, December 1889-April 1900 (volume 1). Enclosed at the front of the volume is a letter of introduction from Queen Victoria dated 24 November 1899 from Windsor Castle (signed by her private secretary Sir Arthur Bigge). There is also a list of appendices and illustrations at the start of the journal and numerous contemporary newspaper cuttings and magazine articles enclosed throughout as well as sketch maps of encampments and battles. This volume may usefully be consulted in conjunction with MS 3850/2/1 'Boer War photograph album (volume 1)'.
Departure from Southampton on steamer "Mexican" and voyage to Cape Town (pages 1-6)
Departure from Cape Town station on 5 January 1900 and journey to Modder River and meeting Lord Methuen (pages 8-14)
Sketches of battle of Modder River and Magersfontein (page 17)
Belmont and observations of battlefield (pages 18-22)
Reference to superior Boer ambulance wagons (page 24)
Sketch plan of stationary hospital at De Aar (page 28)
Cape Town to East London (pages 32-38)
Journey from East London to Sterkstrom Camp (pages 46-48)
Meeting with General Gatacre (with sketch enclosed by Gatacre of area around Sterkstrom (pages 48-49)
Travel on armoured train (pages 53-56)
Queenstown-Tarkastad-Cradock-Rensburg Camp [with sketch plan of camp at Rensburg dated 21 Jan 1900] (pages 61-75)
Rensburg to Capetown, Capetown, stay at Capetown and review of hospital services; visit to prisoner of war camp at Simon's Bay (page 96); Robben Island visit and description of "leper settlement"(page 102); sketch of boat and photograph of house of Dr. Black enclosed at page 105 (pages 75-107)
Cape Town to Modder River camp (pages 107-108 - page number 107 used twice)
*Modder River camp (10 Feb 1900) and observations on 1st Division Field Hospital (pages 108-168). Includes:
-List of wounded officers treated by Ogston at four hospital marquees at Modder River (pages 138-140)
-Account of arrival of Cronje [General Pieter Arnoldus Cronjé [Piet Cronjé] (1836-1911)] and sketch plan identifying location where Cronje was captured (pages 145-146)
-Meeting with relation Lieutenant 'Charlie' Ogston (page 153)
-Sketch plan of battle at Paardeburg (page 158)
-Sketch plans of Magersfontein (page 164)
Modder River to Kimberley (page 168)
Kimberley (page 173)
Photograph enclosed of Ogston in military uniform wearing Red Cross armband (page 174)
Meeting with 'Barney' Grierson [relation of Sir Herbert Grierson (1866-1960), first Professor of English at the University of Aberdeen (1894- ) - married Mary Letitia Ogston (1868-1937) in 1896] (pages 174-177)
Sketch plan of Orange Free State (page 183)
Two photographs enclosed of foot injuries (page 183)
Sketch of counter sunset, Kimberley, 22 March [with note enclosed] (page 185)
American Field Hospital (page 186) [see also page 179]
Sketch plan of Orange Free State/Transvaal (page 191)
Sketch of counter sunrise, Kimberley, 30 March 1900 [with note enclosed] (page 193)
Printed notice enclosed on South African horse sickness, dated 17 March 1900 (page 194)
Two sketches of section of Boer trenches and breast work (page 195)
Newspaper cutting enclosed concerning the work of the Red Cross on the frontline (page 196)
*The account continues in volume 2 (see MS 3850/1/6)
Appendix A - comments on exploits of soldier named Montmoreney; Appendix B - General Gatacre's operation table, with detailed plan and notes enclosed on opposite page, signed by Gatacre and dated 22 Jan 1900; Appendix C - comments on letter to Mr. Peel regarding folding lounge chairs; Appendix D is a photograph of a boat enclosed inside the back cover - on the reverse it states: "Boat constructed by Lepers in which to escape from Robben Island" [see page 104]; Appendix E - note on stones "from where General Wauchope fell" [General A.G. Wauchope (1846-1899), continued on page 199]. |