by Allan Gordon | May 25, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Mooifontein was a farm almost mid-way between Bethal and Standerton. Commandants Ben Viljoen and Mears decided to attack a British convoy, commanded by General Plummer, which was on its way from Bethal to Standerton. The convoy comprising wagons and cattle, was...
by Allan Gordon | May 24, 2020 | Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Field Marshall Jan Smuts was born on 24 May 1870. As was custom in his youth, due to circumstances, he only started school at the age of 12. This late start was not to deter him and he graduated from both Stellenbosch and Cambridge Universities with Honours. One of...
by Allan Gordon | May 22, 2020 | Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General French died on 22 May 1925 at the age of 72. On entering the ‘military’ he saw brief service in the Royal Navy, before becoming a cavalry officer. He took part in the Gordon Relief Expedition in 1845 which arrived two days too late to save the...
by Allan Gordon | May 20, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
In early May 1900 Lieutenant-Colonel Bethune was sent with his column to clear the area around Nqutu (about 60 km east of Dundee) of Boers. On 18 May he heard that the town of Vryheid (north of Nqutu) was unoccupied and he decided to occupy the town. On 20 May, on...
by Allan Gordon | May 18, 2020 | Anniversaries, South African War 1899 - 1902
Colonel Pulteney, who featured in our blog on 14 May, was born on this day in 1861. He died on 14 May 1941 – four days short of turning 80.
