Learn more about the MOTH and Mills Bomb Shellhole, a historical site situated in the heart of Warner Beach.
Old Bill of Mills Bomb Shellhole, Roelof van Rensburg.
Veteran’s Day parade:
On Saturday, 29 July Mills Bomb Shellhole in the heart of Warner Beach invites the public to join in for Veteran’s Day.
South African Defence Force Veterans and Rhodie Day takes place from 11am in remembrance of and to honour all those who served in the SADF and Rhodesian Armed Forces.
A remembrance parade takes place from 11am with speeches, prayers and moments of silence, followed by a social get-together with music, a braai, bar facilities and food on sale.
The Memorial Garden at Mills Bomb Shellhole is currently undergoing renovations which includes the restoration of name plaques placed there.
More on the MOTH
THE Mills Bomb Shellhole is an historical site situated in the heart of Warner Beach, however many locals don’t know what the 90-year-old MOTHS organisation is about.
It all started in Durban when a group of former World War One servicemen saw the need for an organisation quite different from any other.
“These ex-servicemen felt that the spirit of comradeship which had been experienced in the muddy dugouts had been forgotten and were only renewed at the occasional regimental or sectional reunions,” said national MOTH PRO, Brian Coward.
Old Bill, Roelof van Rensburg stands proud in the Garden of Remembrance at the Mills Bomb Shellhole in Warner Beach.
During October 1926, as a result of having seen a film of Great War called ‘Ypres’, a cartoonist for the Natal Mercury, CA Evenden, wrote a brief appeal for a big Armistice Day rally of ex-servicemen. Later an advert appeared announcing the Annual Reunion Dinner. CA Evenden or Evo as he was known, wrote another article urging the need of rallying the thousands of ex-servicemen and offering what help he could render. The editor of the Natal Mercury, Kingston Russel supported this in a leading article, stating that a dinner was too formal for such an occasion.
“There is a feeling of being above or below the salt, but in a gathering as outlined there will be no distinction of rank or social status. All would meet on a common level,” said Brian.
The achievement of brotherhood which generated in war when all face a common danger, vanished on the return to civil life owing to the adoption of formalities. Conventionality kills the spirit of the trenches and that is the reason why too often in the past, interest in post-war associations have dwindled.
“Although the Great War had ended nearly nine years earlier, the hurts were still raw and the emotions and nerve ends still quivered,” said Brian. “In spite of the safe return to their loved ones, there was still a sense of incompleteness, a void which yearned for that rare comradeship shared by men under arms.”
An old piece of war machinery that is in the process of being restored – a difficult task.
Evo went to work on a cartoon on ‘forgetfulness’ and after several attempts, settled on a simple yet effective idea.
“As the tin hat was the most symbolic idea of the Great War, he decided to draw one sinking away into a ‘sea of forgetfulness’. In the background, the lonesome figure of a fallen soldier,” explained Brian.
“He then gave thought to a ‘tin hat society’, coming up with the idea of a ‘Memorable Order of Tin Hats’, MOTH.”
The cartoon was published on 7 May 1927. This is acknowledged as being the founding date. Evo then drew up the form, outlining simple rules for a tin hat brotherhood complete with tin hat badges.
“The Order had to be self-reliant,” explained Brian. “Let the gentlemen run the show with their own money and not lean upon crutches of subsidies.”
He hoped that friends would be brought closer together, not only on one official day, but all days throughout the year.
Meetings were held and a ‘Certificate of Attestation’ was concocted.
“From the start it was agreed that there would be no social, military or other rank or swank within the Order,”explained Brian. “It would be non-charitable, non-political and non-religious. Membership would be open to ‘any war, any service’.”
Interestingly enough, at a meeting the senior ex-officer Col Molyneux refused to accept the leadership of the Order. Most fittingly, Evo whom all acknowledged as being responsible for the original inspirational cartoon, was chosen to fill the post.
He was to be known as ‘Old Bill’, a title for the head of the Order and later given to the heads of each subsection formed. All other members would be known as Moths.
“After the embryo details had been formalised, Moth Russel suggested that the new Old Bill set about having 50 tin hat badges and the certificates printed,”said Brian. “It’s recorded that when the tin hats and certificates went on order, they were snapped up within the first hour. They were to become the forerunners of tens of thousands issued to recruits from all walks of life. Each certificate was numbered.
Evo’s number was ‘O’, he affectionately became known as ‘MOTH O’.”
Read the story on the current Old Bill, Roelof van Rensburg of Mills Bomb Shellhole and his life-long journey to acquire the position he holds today in this week’s issue of the South Coast Sun.
Old Bill of Mills Bomb Shellhole, Roelof van Rensburg.
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