Wikipedia:Philip Robert Anstruther

Philip Robert Anstruther was a British Lieutenant Colonel that is known for commanding the 94th Regiment of Foot against the Boers in the First Boer War and being killed at the Battle of Bronkhorstspruit.

Early Life and Military Career
Philip was born in June 30, 1841 at Nellore as the son of Thomas Andrew Anstruther and Sophia Vansittart. His exact entrance into military service is unknown but he began rising the ranks as surviving records show that he was promoted to captain in January 3, 1865. On January 12, 1875, he married Zaida Mary Erskine and they would go on to have three children: Philip George Anstruther (1875-1940), Mary Rosamond Anstruther (1877-1958) and Robert Abercrombie Anstruther (1879-1945). On April 21, 1880 he was promoted to Brevet lieutenant colonel and four months later, would become a full lieutenant colonel.

First Boer War
At the emergence of the First Boer War, Anstruther was given command of the 94th Regiment of Foot and was assigned to head for the Bronkhorst Spruit after Paul Kruger and Piet Joubert proclaimed the restoration of the Transvaal Republic. The small detachment was sent to secure Pretoria and colonial administrator Colonel O. Lanyon.

Battle of Bronkhorstspruit
Anstruther led the detachment consisting of companies A and F as well as the families of the soldiers serving as Anstruther never received any information regarding a declaration of war against the Boers nor the independence of Transvaal. The detachment was approached by Boer messenger, Burgher de Beer that if the British didn't withdraw their forces from the Pretoria area, they would be fired upon as it would be a sign of war. Anstruther chose not to withdraw and the detachment was fired upon after six minutes of waiting as the 94th Regiment established defensive positions. During the fighting, Anstruther was wounded across five places and ordered a surrender. The battle was a military loss for the British as the entire detachment was either killed, wounded or captured. Anstruther later died of wounds six days later and was buried at Bronkhorstspruit with his memorial plaque of his family being located at Kilrenny Parish Churchyard in Kilrenny, Scotland.

Legacy
Anstruther appears in the 1968 war drama Majuba: Heuwel van Duiwe and was portrayed by Kerry Jordan. He was depicted as commanding his two companies without surrender and killed in action.