by Allan Gordon | Jan 8, 2021 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scout Movement died on 8 January 1941 in Nyeri, Kenya. His gravestone bears a circle with a dot in the centre, which is the Scout trail sign for ‘Going home’, or ‘I have gone home’. During the South African War (1899-1902)...
by Allan Gordon | Jan 6, 2021 | Anniversaries, Birthday, South African War 1899 - 1902
Lieutenant-General Hugh Macleod Leslie Rundle was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, in the UK on 6 January 1856. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1876 and saw action in South Africa in the Zulu War in 1879 and the First Boer War of 1881. He arrived in South...
by Allan Gordon | Jan 6, 2021 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Platrand is a long strategic hill (about 3 km in length) on the south side of Ladysmith which overlooks the town. It was recognised by both the British and the Boers as a critical section in the town’s defences. The eastern portion of the hill was called Caesar’s...
by Allan Gordon | Dec 31, 2020 | Anniversaries, Deaths, South African War 1899 - 1902
Jan Christoffel Greyling Kemp died on 31 December 1946 aged 74. At the outbreak of the South African War (1899-1902) he joined the Krugersdorp Commando and saw action in the battles in Natal. In June 1900 he was elected a commandant and saw action at the Battle of...
by Allan Gordon | Dec 29, 2020 | Anniversaries, Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
Helvetia was a major ‘stop-over’ for coaches travelling from Pretoria, Lydenburg and Lake Chrissie in the 1890’s, and consisted of a trading post and hotel. During the South African War (1899-1902) the British established a major base on the site. This base consisted...
by Allan Gordon | Dec 25, 2020 | Battles, South African War 1899 - 1902
The Battle of Tweefontein, which was a farm 35 km east of Bethlehem in the Free State, is also known as the battle of Groenkop and Christmas Kop. Late in 1901 Boer General de Wet had based himself in the northeastern part of the Orange Free State. At the same time...
