Awards:
RECOGNITION – RENWOOD CARRIERS
MICHAEL YENGWA SERVICE TO THE MOTH MUSEUM
New Acquisition for Warriors Gate
A new acquisition to Warrior’s Gate, 40mm anti aircraft Bofors Gun. Moth Thys and Moth Hendry from Sandy shellhole arrived around 2pm (being on the road from 4am) We completed the offload and assembly around 17h30. Phase two of 5 complete regarding static displays planned.
😉 Many thanks Moth Chair Andy for driving this for us.
Mike Lee.
Chairman MM&M
The Bofor was originally from Warrior Shellhole. Sandy Shellhole claimed the Crusader Tank and asked for the Bofor as well for their collection. They had 2 identical Bofor guns and were keen to do a swap and ensure that one of the Sandy Bofors got delivered to Warriors Gate at no cost. Thanks you very much Sandy Shellhole.
WARRIORS GATE – 40mm BOFORS EXHIBIT – UPDATE
In February this year the 40mm Bofors relocated from Sandy Shellhole and donated to Warrior’s Gate as part of a swop in assets due to Sandy shellhole receiving the Bofors from formerly Warrior Shellhole, has now undergone a significant upgrade and final exhibit presentation.
Unveiled and ready for this year’s MOTH 95 celebration and Ceremony recently held at Warriors Gate, this latest exhibit to our MOTH showcase Museum of Militaria in Durban, now stands proudly on display along with our M3 Stuart ‘Honey’ tank, at the entrance to Warrior’s Gate within the Old Fort gardens.
A personal donation received from (General ret.) Moth Roy Anderson, also the Gunners Association President SA, has made this upgrade possible, and for which we the MOTH Museums and Memorials Committee and I am sure fellow Moth members and museum visitors, are very grateful for indeed.
More static exhibits will be added in due course, watch this space……
YUTTH
Moth Mike Lee
Chairman – MOTH Museums and Memorials
Warriors Gate, the Shrine of the MOTH is currently currently under going a face lift. A fresh Coat of paint and the stone work being cleaned restored and sealed. Watch this site for more details as the MM&M upgrade the Shrine, or better still – go and visit.
M3 Stuart ‘Honey’ Tank – Warriors Gate
On November 11th 2021, a significant day amongst Veterans and grateful citizenry alike , Warriors Gate received a new artifact for static exhibition.
Although not ‘New’ in a sense, the WW2 M3 Stuart ‘Honey’ Tank, of which less than half of the original 22 000 ever built are, remaining mostly intact worldwide, was relocated from a former MOTH property in Vryheid, KZN, where it was placed isolated on a plinth for over three decades in Hoog Street.
An extra bonus was the retrieval of a M3 Stuart Tank Twin Cadillac Series 42 (220 hp) rotary engine on a mount, from the current Vryheid, Freedom Shellholes’ location and generously donated, as inclusion with the tank relocation. This detached engine, will also form part of the museums artifact exhibition.
Special mention is to be made of Redwood Carriers who significantly reduced costs of rigging and transportation for the Museum over a distance travelled of 322km’s , and over 14 hours from loading, transport and offloading. Their professionalism and commitment, is to be highly commended.
Special thanks also to Ofies Construction, Durban, for the donation of the structural plinth assembly and materials, as well as labour at Warriors Gate.
It is by the dedication of your MM&M committee, who have worked tirelessly, and though communications with various stakeholders, Freedom Shellhole, KZN Provincial Dugout, the Road Traffic Inspectorate in both Durban and Vryheid, and of whom, the eThekwini urban design (Botanic Gardens), The Durban Light Infantry (DLI) Comrades Association, The Gunners Association, affiliated with the Old Fort heritage site in Durban, that made this relocation possible.
The pertinent positioning, and very soon paint upgrade of the ‘Honey,’ will I am sure, add further attraction in artifact preservation and historical appreciation from, local & International tourists, school groups, the general public, and yourselves, who pay visit to Your MOTH Museum of Militaria – Warriors Gate, and the Old Fort site, and for generations to come.
A few Months later.
Nov 2021 – Military Grave-yard clean up – Kings Road Pinetown
A project initiated by the MOTH Museums and Memorials committee and ongoing, in conjunction, and with guidance from the War Graves Commission SA , has led Ms. Rhinesha Dayanand, a member of the MM&M committee at Warriors Gate, to take on the task of cleaning and tending this little historic military grave yard in Pinetown, with the assistance of community volunteers and donations. Many thanks Rhenisha indeed, for driving this initiative in preserving and bringing resting dignity, to those that have served and answered the sunset call.
Of the original St Andrews’s (Anglican) Church which was located on the property across the road from the Pinetown Civic Centre (Kings Road) from 1870 to 1956. The Graveyard is all that remains today; some of the graves being early British Military graves of historic regimental remembrance.
Here you will find the resting place of soldiers of the 7th Hussars that were stationed in Pinetown during the 1870’s.
During the Second Boer War, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army, landed its 1st Battalion at Durban, where they became part of the 5th (Irish) Brigade.The battalion was involved in a series of military reverses at the hands of the Boers, which became known as the “Black Week”, culminating in defeat at the Battle of Colenso. A few of the wounded from those engagements who died during encampment in Pinetown on the way back to Durban, are also buried here.
Famously this graveyard is also the final resting place of one Captain Joseph Malone VC who was awarded his Victoria Cross for bravery.
He was 21 years old, and a sergeant in the 13th Light Dragoons (later 13th Hussars), British Army during the Crimean War (Charge of the Light brigade), when the following deed took place, and for which he was awarded the VC.
After Crimea, Malone found himself with the 6th Dragoons billeted in Pinetown, and died there of illness 28th June 1883.
His Victoria Cross was acquired by Lord Ashcroft in 2017, and is displayed at the Imperial War Museum, London, UK.
Malone was the grandfather of Patricia “Pat” Malone. (1899–1971) who was an English stage actress.
You will also find graves of the early residents of Pinetown, including many members of the Crompton family.Today there is a road and a hospital in Pinetown named Crompton. One of the early residents buried here is Harriet Crompton, who arrived in Durban in 1857 and died in Pinetown in 1925.
Also, a very big thank you to Flowerpark Garden Centre in Pinetown, for donating the plants.
As mentioned, this is an ongoing project. Anybody wishing to assist can contact the Museum to find out when Rhinesha will be doing the next clean up.
October 2020
In October two achievement certification awards were presented to a non-Moth who has gone beyond and above expectation in assisting the Order.
Citation:
Ms. Rhinesha Dayanand an avid amateur and aspiring artist and horticulturist, volunteers her time to the preservation of our artefacts at Warriors Gate, also being part of the team ensuring correct cleaning protocols and exhibit alignment was achieved during the recent Warriors Gate clean-up with the assistance of the Scouts and our Museum Curator.
Her unwavering dedication in continual assistance with the upgrading of the Mount Memory Memorial in the Drakensburg with a vast arrangement of new flowers and fauna, all at her donated cost and time, and being some 250km drive either way from her home is commendable.
Her ongoing commitment in supporting at Warriors Gate and Mt. Memory for the preservation of our legacy and historic memorial landmarks, has earned her the admiration of the Warriors Gate committee, Museum Curator and Chairman, as well as mentor and role model to the young Scouts she continues to inspire.
The committee has no reservation in presenting Ms. Dayanand both a Friend of Warriors Gate certificate and the Good Comradeship certificate “G” for a non-Moth.
Moth Michael Lee
Chairman – Warriors Gate & Mount Memory
The Warrior’s Gate Committee are proud to present members of the 1st Pinetown Scouts with “Friends of Warrior’s Gate” certificates, as well as our Gate curators daughter Isabella. This young team placed every effort and commitment in responding to the Warriors Gate Chairmans request for volunteers to assist with exhibit re-alignment and clean up at Warrior’s Gate. Over several weekends this dedicated team arrived on time, worked tirelessly and went beyond expectations in their quest to upgrade and clean our artifacts, align and collate into arranged displays.
A Certificate of Good Comradeship “G”, for a non-Moth was also presented to Scout Sarah Steele, who coordinated the scout timetable, arranged member participation, ensured induction and management was done regarding Covid-19 regulation, and ensured a safe artefact clean regime. Her dedication, motivation and continued commitment to Warrior’s Gate in logging our artefacts with research info, places this young lady who is completing her Scout Springbok badge, and as I am reliably informed, the youngest recipient of this Moth award yet in the Order. Well done Scouter, you do your troop and the SA Scouts proud.
We look forward to a long and beneficial friendship with the Scouts into the future. Your passion as shown for the preservation of history is truly honorable.
Moth Mike Lee
Chairman Warrior’s Gate & Mt. Memory