Modern Weapons and Modern War by I.S. Bloch

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Books
Materials: Cardboard, Paper
Collection: Lieutenant-Colonel Watchorn collection
Accession number: 2013.0045.0003

Description

A beige hardcover book with printed text on the front in black which reads 'MODERN WEAPONS / AND MODERN WAR / I.S.Bloch....'. Text on the spine reads 'MODERN / WEAPONS / AND / MODERN / WAR / I.S.BLOCH / GRANT / RICHARDS'. The book contains 380 pages and an index on pages 357-380. It also includes black and white cartographic images and some graphs.

About the collection

The Lieutenant-Colonel Watchorn collection comprises objects connected with Watchorn's command of the 2nd Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen in the Boer War. It includes his military saddle; an English-styled and an African-styled swagger stick; engraved field glasses presented on the departure of the contingent; a selection of military books from his library; the diary of Private Edward Barron who served under him in South Africa; postcards of a horse at Watchorn's house and a letter relating to rifle shooting. Initially Australians were eager to take part in the Boer War as a display of their loyalty to the British Empire; some 10,000 spectators crowded the wharf to send off Watchorn's contingent. Watchorn had a background in the local militia and like many Australians could ride and shoot. The collection helps to demonstrate that the Boer War was a conflict primarily fought on horseback over vast distances. Approximately 20,000 Australian troops and 40,000 horses went to the war. The horses died in vast numbers from the harsh conditions, disease and in battle. For any that survived the conflict, quarantine regulations ensured that none returned home.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:26:54 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-02-19. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.