In December 1900, the enthusiastic but inexperienced young Russian officer, Yevgeny Avgustus, set off for the Transvaal to fight in the Anglo-Boer War. This extract from ‘A Russian on Commando’ describes his arrival on the Natal front where he met General Piet Joubert, who commanded the Boer forces, and Otto Krantz, who led the German volunteers. ‘A Russian on Commando’ is published by Jonathan Ball.