2110-3-7-11

Roberts Heights. Pretoria.

16th March 1920

Dear Colonel Buchan,

Thank you so very much for sending me an advance copy of your book. I very much appreciate your kind thoughts, & shall value the book very much.

I find in the story of the battle of Le Cateau page 245 that Major Clerk is given credit for doing things which were really not possible for him to have done as he was in command of the Reserve Company of the 4th Regt., & when the attack went forward he retired on Bn. Hd.qrs. from whence I ordered him back into the line. Jacobs was responsible for the success of the attack as it was he who found the old trench & rushed the position by means of this passage under the wire. In the mist he was able to take the enemy in flank, & so cleared most of the front. I made this quite clear in my narrative which apparently you did not see. In the Delville wood operations there was no second order issued to attack the wood from the south. The form of attack was entirely dictated

by the position of our troops when we arrived on the scene. I had been given a free hand to act as I thought best, & upon receipt of the necessary information decided to attack the southern portion of the wood from behind Buchanan Street, from West to East, & then take the northern portion by deploying along Princes Street, & attacking from the south to the north.

I am at present in charge of the S. A. Military School, & am very glad indeed to have this record of your valuable work to refer to. I sincerely hope you will not mind my referring to these two points. I only mention them as a matter of interest, however, I previously made note on the proofs which probably did not reach you. I sincerely hope the book will be a financial success, & will repay all the labour which it has involved.

Yours sincerely,

W Tanner