The Battle of the Platrand was considered to be the only serious attack launched by the Boers on the British lines during the Siege of Ladysmith which went on for three months. The Platrand, also known as Wagon Hill is a two and a half mile long ridge that dominates the south side of Ladysmith. The ridge had been occupied by the British November 1899 when the siege started, and was considered by many as the key to the defences of Ladysmith. The loss of this strategic point would certainly have made British Lieutenant-General Sir George White's task much more difficult.

The British realised the significance of the Platrand, and strengthened the position with fortifications on the hills at each end. On the eastern end of the ridge at Caesar's Camp, the british constructed walls seven feet high, and had four hundred men from the Manchester Regiment, HMS Powerful and the Natal Naval Volunteers stationed there, as well as one twelve pounder gun. Wagon Hill which was at the west end of the ridge, was not as strongly fortified as Caesar's Camp, but work on two gun emplacements was being undertaken. The garrison of Wagon Hill was six hundred strong, and consisted of three companies of the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corp and the Imperial Light Horse, as well as a detachment from the Royal Engineers. A three pounder gun was moved by the Natal Naval Volunteers onto Wagon Hill the day before the Boer offensive, and two naval guns were being moved onto the hill when the attack was initiated. The British commander on the Platrand, Colonel Ian Hamilton, was equipped with about a thousand men to defend the two and a half mile long ridge.

The Boers had planned to attack the British with a force twice as large. One thousand Transvaal men under the command of Schalk Burger were to attack Caesar's Camp, while four hundred Free Staters under De Villiers were to attack Wagon Point. Finally six hundred more men from Vryheid and Winburg, and a unit of Germans were to attack the middle of the ridge, between the two hills. However, not everyone in the Boer camp was believed that the attack was worthwhile, and many men who were meant to have taken part in the third attack decided not participate.

The attack was launched at half past two in the morning on 6 January. Under cover of darkness the fighting caused much chaos and confusion. Colonel Hamilton up on the ridge, was woken by the noise. Upon realising that a strong Boer attack was underway, he made use of a newly installed telephone to call for reinforcements. As well as sending reinforcement troops, Lieutenant-General White sent field artillery which played a vital role in the fighting when daylight broke.

At daybreak the Boer attack still hadn't managed to gain access to the top of the ridge, however, the line along the entire southern side of the hill held by them, threatened to outflank the British position. When the Boer artillery on the neighbouring hills joined in, the British position looked vulnerable. This was when the British guns sent by White arrived, helping to defend the position. The battle continued from early morning until noon without cease, then after a short break the attack on the British was resumed. By that time British reinforcements had just made their way to the hill. The Boers failed to perform secondary attacks elsewhere around Ladysmith, which allowed Lieutenant-General White to transfer more troops to the Platrand. The Devonshire Regiment contributed significantly to the British effort by clearing a pocket of Boers from the southern side of the ridge with a bayonet charge, and in the process lost a third of their strength. Finally as the sun set the remaining Boers retreated down the hill.

The British suffered great losses with a hundred and sixty eight men killed, out of a total of 417 casualties. Five Victoria Crosses were also awarded. Boer losses were also rather high, and it was officially reported that sixty four had and a hundred and nineteen were wounded, however the Rifle Brigade counted only ninety nine dead Boers on their section of the hill. Amongst the Boers which died was the commander of the Free State troops De Villiers, who was killed in a close encounter with Colonel Hamilton. The failed attack on the Platrand discouraged the Boers, and it was their last effort in capturing Ladysmith.

Today a number of monuments and cairns mark the places where men fell at the Battle of Platrand, including the Burgers memorial, where the remains of three hundred and nineteen Boer soldiers were re-interred in a communal crypt, with the names of a further 781 who are listed according to battles in which they fought. The upturned hands of the monument point in the direction of the various battles in which the men died. During the battle, the Rev. JD Kestell, who was a member of the Harrismith Commando, gave succour to friend and foe alike under fire, and a monument has been erected in his memory. Other memorials at Platrand include the memorial to the Imperial Light Horse, the Devonshire Regiment, and the Earl of Ava who also died in the battle.