by Allan Gordon | Sep 11, 2020 | Anniversaries, Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 11 September 1900, following the Boer defeat at the Battle of Bergendal, President Kruger left South Africa for Europe. The Boers didn’t want Kruger to fall into the hands of the British and they felt that his presence in Europe would help gain support for the Boer...
by Allan Gordon | Aug 23, 2020 | Anniversaries, Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 23 August 1900 Private William Edward Heaton of the Liverpool Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross. General Buller was advancing towards the eventual battle of Bergendal, when two companies of the Liverpool Regiment were cut off from the main force and subjected...
by Allan Gordon | Aug 7, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
On 7 August 1900 Sergeant Brian Turner Tom Lawrence of the 17th Lancers was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery on the farm Essenbosch in the Free State, 15 km from Vredefort. He gave his horse to a wounded soldier, and then retired on foot by keeping the Boers at...
by Allan Gordon | Jul 30, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
In mid-July 1900, General de Wet made plans for the Boers to break out of the Brandwater Basin, in the Free State, near the town of Clarens. He had divided his men into three divisions, with orders of how, when and to where each division should proceed. De Wet, with...
by Allan Gordon | Jun 7, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
After the fall of Pretoria on 5 June 1900, without a shot being fired, Boer Commandant-General (Transvaal) Louis Botha, on 7 June 1900, called a meeting of all his senior officers. In addition to getting buy-in from all to carry on with the war, it was to plan a line...
by Allan Gordon | May 31, 2020 | Events, South African War 1899 - 1902
After crossing the Vaal River into the old Transvaal Republic the British objective was to capture Johannesburg. On 30 May the Boers were defeated at the Battle of Doornkop in the western suburbs of Johannesburg. The Boers were also forced to retreat from the town of...
