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Lenie, was a legendary South African Police (SAP) scent-tracking police dog in the Cradock District of the Eastern Cape during the late 1930s and 1940s. She was the first SAP scent-tracking police dog to be permanently stationed at a rural police station like Cradock. She died of natural causes in 1950, at the age of 13 in Cradock.
This chapter examines the Battle of Platrand (Wagon Hill) on 6 January 1900, one of the decisive engagements during the Siege of Ladysmith in the Second Boer War. It outlines the strategic importance of the Platrand ridge, the coordinated Boer assaults under Generals Schalk Burger and C. J. de Villiers, and the British defence directed by Colonel Ian Hamilton. The narrative highlights the intense close quarter fighting at Wagon Hill and Caesar’s Camp, the temporary Boer breakthroughs, and the eventual British counter attack by the Devonshire Regiment in a violent storm. Special attention is given to acts of exceptional bravery, including those of Trooper Herman Albrecht and Lieutenant R. J. T. Digby Jones—both posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross—and Lieutenant J. E. I. Masterson. The chapter also records the humanitarian role of Rev. J. D. Kestell, the death of Lord Ava, and the remarkable civilian contribution of Parbhoo Singh during the siege. Through these accounts, the chapter provides a detailed and humanised portrayal of the battle, its leadership, its failures, and its enduring legacy in South African and British military history.
